By Linda Kaucher
SYDNEY -- At its national conference here on September 22-24, the Medical Association for the Prevention of War (MAPW) joined with its international body, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, to campaign for an international agreement to abolish nuclear weapons by the year 2000. The association will also be seeking support from the Australian Medical Association. President of the AMA Dr David Weedon delighted the 100 participants by saying he intended to "green" the conservative AMA.
Guest speaker Dr Bob Brown, leader of the Australian Greens, emphasised the need to counter the power of multinational companies. Other speakers presented indigenous perspectives on the struggles of Aboriginal Australia, East Timor, West Papua, Bougainville and north east India.
A representative from Medecins Sans Frontieres described the organisation's work and urged others to get involved. The president of the newly formed REDR-Australia (Registered Engineers for Disaster Relief) spoke about the intentions and potential of the organisation.
MAPW resolved to urge other professions to consider an ethical commitment similar to the hippocratic oath which commits doctors to work to preserve life.
The association will lobby the federal government to opt for conflict resolution with our closest neighbours rather than supply them with miliary aid. It also wants the government to reassess its military spending, now nearly $10 billion a year.
Next month, the World Court will decide on the legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons. The association is also demanding that the government makes public MAPW's oral submission at the Hague.
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