AMERICAN LEFT HISTORY

This space is dedicated to the proposition that we need to know the history of the struggles on the left and of earlier progressive movements here and world-wide. If we can learn from the mistakes made in the past (as well as what went right) we can move forward in the future to create a more just and equitable society. We will be reviewing books, CDs, and movies we believe everyone needs to read, hear and look at as well as making commentary from time to time. Greg Green, site manager

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Helen Caldicott: Courting Armageddon

Thursday, June 23, 2016, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

First Church in Cambridge, Jewett Auditorium • 11 Garden St • Harvard T • Cambridge

Massachusetts Peace Action is excited to announce that the Honorable Dr. Helen Caldicott will be speaking in our Distinguished Peacebuilders Series! Come hear her talk, Courting Armageddon.
Helen Caldicott, a former pediatrician at Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Boston and instructor at Harvard Medical School, has devoted the last 42 years to an international campaign to educate the public about the medical hazards of the nuclear age and the necessary changes in human behavior to stop environmental destruction. Her most recent book is Crisis Without End: The Medical and Ecological Consequences of the Fukushima Nuclear Catastrophe.
In one of her most recent lectures, addressing an audience at “The Real Truth About Health Conference" in February 2016, Caldicott criticized contemporary political discourse for ignoring the true dangers facing our species today. She exclaimed that, “There are many serious issues facing the world at the moment, but it’s necessary to triage the most serious threats—those to our very survival. As a physician, I see the ever-present threat of nuclear war as an ongoing, existential risk that threatens almost all planetary life with extinction.”
Caldicott will present her analysis of nuclear armament policy and apply her scientific experience more generally to account for the risks of nuclear energy. In addition, she intends to dovetail these concerns with her knowledge of climate change and global warming. The talk will be followed by discussion. Ms. Caldicott will sign copies of her books after the program.
Benefits Massachusetts Peace Action Education Fund; part 3 of the spring Distinguished Peacebuilders Series. General admission cost $20; $5 for students; $10 for Massachusetts Peace Action members and low incomes. To attend all 3 talks this spring, $25 for members and $50 for non-members. Members who would like to attend a talk and pay their yearly contribution may register for $50.

To attend, register online for Helen Caldicott's talk or the entire series, call 617-354-2169 with credit card number, or write a check to “Massachusetts Peace Action Education Fund” and mail to 11 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138.
Supporters of the series make a tax-deductible donation of $100 or more to the Massachusetts Peace Action Education Fund, and will be acknowledged. Please donate at http://masspeaceaction.org/act/donate, select this option online, or send a check to 11 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 02138 (write “Peacebuilders” on the memo line).
Cosponsored by Boston Downwinders, Cape Downwinders, Massachusetts Downwinders, On Behalf of Planet Earth, Women's Action for New Directions, and Women's International League for Peace & Freedom - Boston Branch.
About Helen Caldicott:
Born in Australia, Dr. Caldicott attended the University of Adelaide Medical School and specialized in cystic fibrosis research. Though her early work as a pediatrician was primarily committed to the education of Australian physicians and government officials regarding the hazards of radiation, Caldicott quickly rose to prominence as an international advocate for nuclear disarmament.
While living in the United States, Dr. Caldicott founded the Women’s Action for Nuclear Disarmament (WAND) and worked as President of Physicians for Social Responsibility, expanding the organization into a prestigious coalition of over 23,000 doctors dedicated to educating colleagues about the dangers of nuclear energy. Furthermore, she helped to empower the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985.
Caldicott has received several notable awards including the Lannan Foundation’s 2003 Prize for Cultural Freedom, the Australian Peace Prize, and twenty-one honorary doctoral degrees. She was personally nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Linus Pauling and the Smithsonian has named her as one of the most influential women of the 20th Century.

Upcoming Events:

Reportback from Venezuela - The Bolivarian Revolution Today	Tuesday, June 21, 2016 - 7:00pm	Center for Marxist Education	Cambridge
Helen Caldicott: Courting Armageddon	Thursday, June 23, 2016 - 7:00pm	First Church in Cambridge, Jewett Auditorium	Cambridge
Killer Drones: film and talk by whistleblower Christopher Aarons	Tuesday, July 19, 2016 - 7:00pm	Robbins Library	Arlington