Worldcongress 2010 - Basel - Switzerland: Address of Welcome

Address of Welcome

Dear Participants of the 10th IPPNW World Congress

The Swiss Affiliate PSR / IPPNW welcomes you to Basel, a city on the Rhine founded over 2000 years ago by the Romans, who built a first small settlement on today's cathedral hill. We are extremely happy and proud to have been given the honour of organizing this year's world congress. We have tried our best, by optimizing the organization and programme. We do hope for nice weather at the end of August and that, in spite of a dense congress programme, you may find some time for leisure and relaxation outside the congress.

Board requirements regarding the extent of the main congress and number of workshop applications, as well as a total of 7 plenary sessions, have meant some artistic juggling of time for the organization committee. Given that a large nuclear weapons arsenal exists even now and the still distant goal of global "zero nukes", our continued commitment to nuclear abolition clearly remains necessary. Therefore, We wonder if future IPPNW world congresses should not be allowed a somewhat extended duration. We do hope, though, that you will find the plenary sessions interesting and that, in the spectrum of workshops, you will find topics where you can both learn and perhaps contribute. Learning from each other and contributing to the outcome of this congress is what we all aspire to. This has been and shall continue to be the principle of IPPNW networking, so important to successful NGO work. I would like to thank all of you who contributed, in the long preparation phase for this world congress: I'd like to name in particular our friends from the Berlin office of the German affiliate, as well as our knowledgeable and efficient secretaries Claudia and Irina. Without their help, we certainly would not have been able to gather here.

Thank you, for having decided to join us in Basel and please, enjoy the congress

Andreas Nidecker
President IPPNW World Congress Organization Committee

Messages of greeting

Sam Nunn
"The International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War represents an important group of individuals whose work and views are vital to the vision of a world free of nuclear weapons and the important near term steps that are essential to move toward that goal. I am confident that the Global Convention in Bale will be informative and insightful for all who attend."

Sam Nunn
Former U.S. Senator
President of the Nuclear Threat initiative NTI

M. Calmy-Rey
The world still lives under the Damocles' sword of nuclear weapons. These weapons could, within minutes, destroy everything we value: our lives, our environment, our culture, our children's and grandchildren's future. As long as these weapons exist, the dangers remain of wilful or accidental use, or of theft and use by terrorists. It is thus a matter of reason and responsibility to work towards the elimination of nuclear weapons. Physicians have a special mission to preserve human life. I commend International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War for pursuing their vocation not only in their daily work in practices and hospitals but also at the political level. Governments need the constant and constructive input of civil society.

Micheline Calmy-Rey
Federal Councillor
Head of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

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