MANA & MEDACT Summer concert May 23rd St James's PiccadillyIn collaboration with Medact, Musicians against Nuclear Arms (MANA) will present a Summer concert for peace at St James’s Church 197 Piccadilly W1J 9LL. on May 23rd 2013 at 7.30 pm.
Works by Mozart, Beethoven and Dai Fujikura will be performed by the MANA Chamber Orchestra, conducted by the renowned conductor Martyn Brabbins and with the celebrated pianist Noriko Ogawa as soloist. The concert is in memory of MANA patron Sir Colin Davis.
Click here for full details, including how to buy a ticket, or on download to download the concert leaflet.
Tickets 17/05/2013
The medical professional's rolein protecting torture victims: the case of Sri LankaThis meeting, on May 22nd 2013 at 17.30–19.00hrs in Committee Room 4A of the House of Lords, follows on from the Sri Lankan case study in Medact's 'Preventing Torture' report (see link below). Chaired by Lord Avebury it will address the issue of torture in Sri Lanka and specifically the following questions:
Why is the medical profession in Sri Lanka not able to address this crucial human rights issue, and to defend its members’ ability to practice humanely and safely?
Why do the UK authorities deny protection to Sri Lankan refugees when there is clear evidence of torture?
RSVP to info@medact.org
For more details contact marionbirch@medact.org
Click on the link for more details 26/04/2013
IPPNW Small Arms Congress 'Human Target' Villingen Germany May 30th - June 2nd 2013In Villingen-Schwenningen, not far from Oberndorf, an international congress on the issue of small arms will take place from May 30 to June 2, 2013.
Organised by IPPNW in cooperation with the campaign “AktionAufschrei – Stoppt den Waffenhandel!”, experts and members of many organizations will discuss the effects of small arms. International guests from, among other countries, Kenya, Iran, Nepal, Switzerland, India, Australia and the USA will share their knowledge and know-how. There will be lectures, panel discussions and workshops about the social and health effects of the use of small arms and the global arms trade, as well as about future activities and campaigns to stop arms exports.
You are hereby cordially invited to participate.26/04/2013
AGM 2013Medact's Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday 22nd June 2013 at Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LT. The AGM is a great opportunity for members, staff and trustees to get together and discuss the work of Medact. This year it is FREE for members to attend. Please send an email to info@medact.org to book your place.24/04/2013
North Korea and Trident: Medact statement and Frank Boulton's blogDavid Cameron asks “ Does anyone seriously argue that it would be wise for Britain, faced with this evolving threat today, to surrender our deterrent?” We certainly do. It is ludicrous to suggest that Trident could protect us from a nuclear attack from North Korea or anywhere else. Britain's nuclear weapons did not stop Argentina from invading the Falkland Islands and North Korea is threatening to attack the US, which has more nuclear weapons than any country in the world. Any nuclear exchange would result in massive loss of life, a catastrophe for the environment, and damage to health for generations. In a period of austerity, we believe the people of Britain would prefer that £76 billion was spent on improving healthcare than on weapons of mass destruction.
For more thoughts and analysis see Frank Boulton's blog by clicking here 04/04/2013
The delusional thinking behind a policy of 'nuclear deterrence'The report 'The delusional thinking behind a policy of nuclear deterrence' will be launched at the House of Lords on February 6th 2013 at 18.00hrs. Speakers at the launch include Kate Hudson of CND, Ben Zala of the Oxford Research Group and Frank Boulton of Medact.
For more details please email info@medact.org - all welcome!
The report - dedicated to Gill Reeve former director of Medact - can be downloaded here.
02/02/2013
Chemical Weapons in Syria - Medact statement Medact firmly believes that existing chemical weapons should never be used, and stockpiles should be eliminated in line with the Chemical Weapons Convention.
We call on all parties involved in the present conflict in Syria to ensure that any stockpiles of chemical weapons are protected from accidental release and that there is no intentional use, or threat of use, whatever the circumstances.
We call on all sides to cooperate with the UN and Arab League Special Envoy to Syria in his quest to resolve the present conflict through dialogue. The present suffering of civilians in areas controlled by the government and by the opposition forces is unacceptable and a ceasefire needs to be negotiated as soon as possible.
Chemical weapons are banned because of their capacity to cause indiscriminate deaths in large numbers and extreme suffering and disability. It is essential that whatever stockpiles of chemical weapons exist in Syria are maintained in a safe condition prior to their final elimination which should be achieved as rapidly as possible. A cessation of hostilities would significantly increase the chance that this will happen.
To download the statement click here 18/12/2012
Become a MedactivistMedactivist is an email group for Medact members who want to keep up to date with the latest developments in Medact campaigns. 10/02/2010
Challenging barriers to global health
Medact speaks out for countless people across the globe whose health, wellbeing and access to proper health care are severely compromised by the effects of war, poverty and environmental damage.
As health professionals, we campaign and we lobby governments, international bodies and other influential organisations. We call on them to take positive action on preventing violent conflict, improving health and on raising the standards of health care worldwide.
As a registered charity, our impact on the world’s health and health services relies on the support of our valued members. By becoming a member, you’ll:
Automatically make our voice louder and help us achieve real results
Become part of an international network of like-minded people who share your concerns on global health
Be kept up-to-date on how we’re using your contribution and on relevant developments across the globe, through our free magazine Communiqué, published three times a year. Join today
67 years ago a highly enriched uranium bomb was detonated over Hiroshima; it demolished the city and by the end of the year had killed an estimated 140,000 people. Three days later a plutonium bomb was exploded over Nagasaki; by the end of the year a further 74,000 people were dead. 67 years later there are still at least 19,000 nuclear warheads and the chronic damage to people's health from these bombs continues. The world desparately needs a convention abolishing these weapons. Today the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons has launched a booklet on the Catastrophic Humanitarian Harm these weapons cause; you can read it, distribute it, and act on it here. You can help Medact in this campaign by donating to our Hiroshima Appeal - just click donate at the top of this page. Thank you.
Medicine, Conflict and Survival is an international journal for all those interested in the health aspects of violence and human rights. Using the lens of medicine, public health, and the environment it offers unique insights into both the drivers and devastation caused by violent conflict, and strategies for conflict prevention and resolution. It is a designated journal of Medact & IPPNW. To find out more click here
The seven online courses that make up the Medical Peace Work training that Medact has helped to develop as part of an EC project can be found here. They were launched in the UK in February 2012 at the Institute of Child Health, University College London. The courses and related training materials cover subjects from health and human rights to nuclear weapons to self care, they are a key resource for health professionals to advance the cause of peace in today's world.
The UK chapter of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) are campaigning for a practical way to achieve a world without nuclear weapons - a Nuclear Weapons Convention (NWC). A NWC would address the roots of the nuclear weapons problem - the continued possession of nuclear weapons by a small minority of countries who risk their use by design, accident, miscalculation or by terrorists, and whose weapons are an incentive to others to also become nuclear armed. For more information, visit the ICAN-UK website.
Global Health Watch 3 produced by the People’s Health Movement, Medact, Third World Network, Medico International and Health Action International, was launched in the UK at University College London on November 24th 2011. Halfdan Mahler has said "Global Health Watch 3, like the previous editions, provides us with compelling evidence about all that is wrong with the governance of health care systems across the world. At the same time, it also provides us with hope, in the many stories about what can be done and what is being done. The challenge before us is to act decisively on the evidence provided". You can order your copy from the Medact office for £15 including P&P.
Medact communications advisor Alison Whyte has produced three information sheets that provide guidance on how to use the media in your campaigning.Current titles include writing to the press, radio interviews, and press releases and are available to download from the members area.
Communiqué is Medact's magazine which is mailed out to members 3 times a year.
Global Health Watch 3 produced by the People’s Health Movement, Medact, Third World Network, Medico International and Health Action International, was launched in the UK at University College London on November 24th 2011. Halfdan Mahler has said "
