The Role of Health Professionals in Common Security, Angelika Claussen (European IPPNW President, Germany), February 2017

International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW)
Russian Pugwash Committee under the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)

INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON GLOBAL SECURITY
Moscow, February 21, 2017

Angelika Claussen
European IPPNW President (Germany)

The Role of Health Professionals in Common Security

Exploring the different concepts of peace and security, the concept of 'common security' is understood in the framework of security concepts. Three times after the Second World War the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to physicians and medical organizations: 1952 to the doctor Albert Schweitzer for his many years of humanitarian work as a physician in Lambarene and its global commitment to international understanding and against colonial exploitation, 1985 to the "International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War" (IPPNW) for their block — overarching commitment to global nuclear disarmament and the medical education about the consequences of nuclear war and 1999 to MSF (Medecins sans frontiers) for its global independent humanitarian pioneering work and their clear words about violations of international law and of human rights violations. Based on this fact the contribution of the medical profession in peace work and security is further explored with the help of some examples.