The problem is not exactly a lack of material on nuclear weapons and disarmament. However, sometimes it is difficult to sift through all information available and to find what you are looking for. The Swedish Physicians against Nuclear Weapons and the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society offers you the material Learn about Nuclear Weapons, for anyone looking for a basic or in-depth knowledge of nuclear weapons and disarmament issues. To create a global movement towards nuclear disarmament, it takes a strong public opinion.

To create that opinion, it takes knowledge – preferrably information that is easy to find and to understand. Learn about Nuclear Weapons is today available online in Swedish and English, and at CD-ROM in Russian and French. We hope you will find this resource useful!

The material is divided into two sections:

The top menu

The top menu offers you information that can be useful as you go along studying the material: Here you’ll find a list of all acronyms and abbreviations used in the chapters, and a list of links to international organisations working with nulcear disarmament issues. You can also find movies, work shop materials, exercises etc. If you are interested in doing something for disarmament yourself, you’ll find a lot of information on how to go along. One section offers tips and materials for teachers and educators who wish to teach about nuclear weapons and disarmament issues.

The left hand side menu

This is where you will find the facts. The menu to the left is divided into nine topics, covering the issue of nuclear weapons and disarmament from several angles. Here you find information about the history of nuclear weapons; about the science behind it; about international law, treaties and organisations; about medical and psychological consequences of nuclear weapons; about political and financial aspects of nuclear weapons; about who possess nuclear weapons; about environmental effects of these weapons and about ethical and religious reasoning around nuclear weapons. Each section can be read as a freestanding part, that you can study according to your own interest.

All chapters consist of a basic level and of several in-depth articles that give you more information. The basic level offers a cursory overview of the issue, as a initial orientation. If you want to know more, we recommend you to read the in-depth pdf articles for more details on each individual issue.

Copyright

Learn about Nuclear Weapons is owned by the Swedish Physicians against Nuclear Weapons and the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society. The first edition of the web based material was launched in 2002. Frida Blom was the principal author. The new version of Learn about Nuclear Weapons was developed by Alexandra Sundberg and launched in summer 2008.

Feel free to use any information contained in Learn about Nuclear Weapons, but always remebmer to refer to the source. Please contact the Swedish Physicians against Nuclear Weapons if you have questions about copyright.

Swedish Physicians against Nuclear Weapons (Svenska Läkare mot Kärnvapen).

Swedish Physicians against Nuclear Weapons (SLMK) have approximately 3000 members, primarily Swedish physicians and medical students. It is the Swedish branch of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW).

The aim of SLMK and IPPNW is to remove the threat of nuclear war through abolition of all nuclear weapons. The organisation works through the spread of objective, scientifically grounded information on health consequences of nuclear weapons.

The organisation aims at ending nuclear testing, an international declaration of the illegality of nuclear weapons and an international convention banning nuclear weapons.

SLMK works through:

Advocacy work aimed at about 700 decision makers around the world

Actively influencing the public opinion with the help of mass media in all continents

Support to build up a Russian branch of IPPNW

Publication of literature, reports etc.

Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society (Svenska Freds- och Skiljedomsföreningen).

The Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society (SPAS) is an association for people who think conflicts should be solved without violence and that wars should be prevented by cooperation, financial measures and diplomacy. The organisation produces information, builds public opinion and doeas advocacy work.

SPAS is independent from political parties and religious affiliation. The organisation was founded in 1883, and one of the founders, KP Arnoldson, was presented with the Nobel Peace Prize.

With its 6000 members and some 20 local branches, SPAS is the largest peace organisation in Sweden and the oldest in the world. SPAS organises meetings, trainings, study visits, rallies and letter writing campaigns to decision makers. It also issues the peace magazine PAX five times per year.

http://www.slmk.org/larom/ENG/about.html