Event Recording: Engaging with Parliamentarians on Nuclear Disarmament

Missed our January Speaker Series? Watch the full recording of this insightful event where we discuss strategies for engaging with Canadian Parliament on nuclear disarmament and advocating for Canada to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

Featuring Dr. Nancy Covington, Board Member of IPPNWC, and Paulina Chan from ICAN, this session provides an inside look at IPPNWC’s recent seminar in Ottawa, key outcomes from our work with Parliament, and practical tips for building support for the TPNW.

Whether you're new to advocacy or looking to refine your approach, this event is packed with inspiration and actionable insights to help Canada join the #NuclearBan.

Event Recording: Radiation Risks – Addressing the Health & Environmental Impacts of Nuclear Waste Storage in Canada

Catch up on the November Speaker Series where we delved into the critical issues surrounding nuclear waste storage, public health, and environmental justice in Canada.

This impactful discussion features:
✨ Dr. Edith Gardell – Doctor, activist, and former Associate Director of the Radiation Protection Bureau (Health Canada)
✨ Justin Roy – Director of Community Development for the Kebaowek First Nation and Member of Kebaowek’s Chief and Council

Explore the risks of radiation exposure, its impact on health and the environment, and the challenges faced by Indigenous communities. Gain valuable insights from experts working at the forefront of this urgent issue.

The IPPNWC and Voice of Women Canada (VOW) delegates at this year’s United Nations Conference on the Status of Women (CSW) presented their report from the event. The delegates and active members offered firsthand accounts and reflections from the conference, delving into the important topics of feminist peace building and disarmament conversations held in New York, as well as sharing the various key relationships they were able to build with national and international partners.

On March 13, 2024, Tariq Rauf was the guest speaker at our monthly speaker series. He discussed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its roles, powers and boundaries.

Tariq Rauf, a nuclear governance expert based in Vienna, held key positions at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), contributing to various international initiatives. He served as Head of Verification and Security Policy Coordination at IAEA, with roles in NPT Conferences and PrepComs, and as Coordinator of IAEA Multilateral Approaches to the Nuclear Fuel Cycle. Rauf has also worked with organizations like the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. His extensive background includes roles in Canada's NPT Delegation, advisory positions in the Parliament of Canada, and membership in the Group of Eminent Persons for Nuclear Disarmament.

On February 21, 2024, our very own IPPNWC President, Dr. John Guilfoyle, hosted our monthly speaker series. He shared his perspective on nuclear weapons, as they relate to sustainable development goals and peace. Dr. Guilfoyle has had a tremendous career as both a physician and policy advisor. As a result, he has gained expertise at the intersections of health and social policy.

John lives in Squamish, British Columbia. He has had a diverse and varied career in medicine. This has included a full service family practice in rural Newfoundland and Manitoba, and a stint as the Chief Medical Officer of Health for the province of Manitoba. Following this was a short period as the Chief Medical Officer of a small Caribbean country. On return, he directed the residency program in family medicine at the University of Manitoba while working for the J Hildes Northern Medical Unit.

This led to an interest in Indigenous health and work with an Indigenous organization in Sioux Lookout in northwestern Ontario with a focus on obstetrics. Recipient of a fellowship in Women’s Health from the College of Family Physicians of Canada, John, in mid-career learned the skills to do caesarean sections to support the re-opening of birthing services for families in the Sioux Lookout zone. Most recently he has been involved with the development and the delivery of an ALARM International Program for health care administrators in Uganda and Ethiopia.

Earl Turcotte is an esteemed advocate for nuclear disarmament and conventional arms control. Earl has worked as an advocate in both inside and outside of the Canadian public service. Among his roles, Mr. Turcotte has recently served as Chairperson of the Canadian Network to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (2019-2021) and was a member of the G78 Working Group on Arms Control and Disarmament (2015- 2022).

In this speaker series, Earl Turcotte engaged in a discussion about the heart of disarmament advocacy. He recounts some of his personal experience and lessons learned as an advocate for arms control and disarmament, both inside and outside the Canadian Public Service and, for a few years, with the United Nations Development Program.