Comments by Alex Neve in presenting 2024 CNWC Achievement Award to Ernie Regehr
Alex Neve pays tribute to Ernie Regehr on presenting 2024 Achievement Award:
It is impossible to catalogue all of the ways, all of the times and all of the places that Ernie Regehr has shown up, stood up and spoken out for the cause of nuclear disarmament and the abolition of nuclear weapons. His voice has been a clarion one, internationally, nationally and locally. Be it at UN conferences and other international meetings, be it before countless Canadian parliamentary committees, political leaders and our diplomatic corps, or be it at the grassroots, addressing rallies and demonstrations, launching petitions, being interviewed by the media, or mounting campaigns. Always with clarity and conviction. Always focused on bringing our world back from the destructive precipice of nuclear calamity.
His co-founding, in 1976, and many years of exemplary, tireless leadership at Project Ploughshares is reason enough to honour Ernie with this year’s award. Where, after all, would we be, as peace advocates and researchers in Canada, without Ploughshares’ expert analysis and reports.
Ernie provided leadership in the development of thinking about Common Security policies and Nuclear Weapons Free Zones in a Canadian context. With Ploughshares he ran campaigns against Cruise Missile testing and against NATO warplanes in Labrador and Quebec, and supported the international calls for a Nuclear Freeze, against antipersonnel landmines and for a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
He is a prolific writer, commentator and author, including his thoughtful book, which truly challenges us to adopt a new approach to security and conflict prevention: Disarming Conflict: Why Peace Cannot Be Won on the Battlefield.
And, as you have just heard, through his work with The Simons Foundation Canada he is pressing us to consider nuclear issues, security and the Arctic, such a vital and yet terribly overlooked issue for our country.
In short, in so many ways, we simply would not be where we are as a peace and disarmament movement in Canada, researchers, advocates, scholars and activists alike, without Ernie’s hard work and incredible wisdom.
Having heard this afternoon from the man directly, it is beyond evident why Ernie Regehr is the recipient of this year’s CNWC Distinguished Achievement Award. Distinguished, absolutely. Achievements, beyond measure. Impact, contributions, made a difference? Completely. And all with Ernie’s characteristic humility, graciousness, loyalty, solidarity, and good humour.
Alex Neve, OC
Alexandra Gheciu (CIPS), Alex Neve (CNWC), Ernie Regehr (CNWC), and Cesar Jaramillo (Pugwash and Ploughshares) paying tribute.
September 9, 2024
“Following the Trinity nuclear test detonation of 16 th July 1945, nuclear scientist Leó Szilárd observed that, “Almost without exception, all the creative physicists had misgivings about the use of the bomb” and further that “Truman did not understand at all what was involved regarding nuclear weapons”. These days, the movie Oppenheimer has been the rage based on a noteworthy biography of Robert Oppenheimer entitled American Prometheus written by historians Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin. Though the movie spares its viewers the horrors of the atomic bombing of Japan, it does reflect the warnings of the early nuclear weapon scientists about the long-term or permanent dangers of a nuclear arms race and associated risks of further nuclear weapons use. On the other hand, the film overlooks other historical works including A World Destroyed: Hiroshima and its Legacies also by Martin Sherwin, that disputes and negates the US government’s narrative about the necessity of using nuclear weapons twice over civilian targets in Japan and suggests that the decisions were driven mainly by geostrategic and prestige considerations – criteria still in operation today to justify continuing retention of nuclear weapons.”
