PEOPLE FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT

People for Nuclear Disarmament NSW is one of Australia's oldest peace groups. Founded in 1960 as the Association for International Co-operation and Disarmament (AICD), the group adopted its present name in the early eighties. For nearly five decades the group has been committed to non-violent action in its struggle for peace in the international, national and local arenas.
 
We have consistently opposed the testing and deployment of nuclear weapons and have campaigned to make them illegal. The group opposed the American war against Vietnam and both Gulf wars (1991 and 2003- ) and Australia's involvement in these wars, and opposed the counterproductive war on terrorism.  We were highly active in opposing French nuclear testing in the Pacific organising significant protests in Sydney during the 1990's which helped persuade the French government to cease this.

Currently PND is campaigning to take nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert. Our efforts in October 2007 helped lead to the adoption by the UN General Assembly of a resolution on Nuclear Weapons Operational Readiness which if implemented removes nuclear weapons from this hair-trigger status.
 
The group opposes uranium mining: opposed the construction and operation of nuclear reactors in Australia: campaigns for appropriate nuclear waste storage: opposes the irradiation of food: and opposes the conducting of war games in wilderness areas.
 
PND is of the opinion that there is no real distinction that can be made between the nuclear weapons, nuclear power and nuclear research industries. The technology for the latter two were developed to facilitate the former. All nuclear reactors can be used to make weapons-grade material: the only difference being the degree of difficulty and the time taken. Hence the group opposes all aspects of the nuclear industry.
 
PND takes a broad view regarding the obstacles to peace. We believe that there will be no lasting peace without justice for all, including intergenerational justice. We join with many other groups in campaigning on issues such as fair trade and investment, freedom and self-determination for indigenous people (particularly in our region) just to mention a few. Our membership reflects this diversity.