1985 Nobel Peace Prize

Acceptance Speech:
Evgueni Chazov

The following is the acceptance speech delivered by Dr. Eugueni Chazov on the occasion of the awarding of the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize on 10 December, 1985.

Ladies and Gentleman, Dear Colleagues, I am convinced that today is a great and exciting day not only for the members of our international movement but also for all physicians on our planet, irrespective of their political and religious beliefs. For the first time in history, their selfless service for the cause of maintaining life on Earth is marked by the high Nobel Prize. True to the Hippocratic Oath, we cannot keep silent knowing what final epidemic-nuclear war- can bring to humankind. The bell of Hiroshima rings in our hearts not as a funeral knell, but as an alarm bell calling out to actions to protect life on our planet.

We were among the first to demolish the nuclear illusions that existed and to unveil the true face of nuclear weapons- the weapons of genocide. We warned the peoples and governments that medicine would be helpless to offer even minimal relief to the hundreds of millions of victims of nuclear war.

However, our contacts with patients inspire our faith in the human reason. Peoples are heedful of the voice of physicians who warn them of the danger and recommend the means of prevention. From the first days of our movement we suggested a prescription for survival which envisaged a ban on tests of nuclear weapons, a freeze, a reduction and eventual elimination of nuclear weapons, non-first-use of nuclear weapons, ending the arms race on Earth and preventing it from spreading to outer space, creation of the atmosphere of trust between peoples and countries, and promotion of close international cooperation.

Let us recall the words of French author A. de Saint-Exupery who said, "Why should we hate each other? We are all in one, sharing the same planet, a crew of the same ship. It is good when dispute between different civilizations gives birth to something new and mature, but it is outrageous when they devour each other."

Confrontation is the road to war, destruction and end of civilization. Even today it deprives the world's peoples of hundreds of millions of dollars which are badly needed for solving social problems, combating hunger and diseases.

Cooperation is the road to increased well-being of peoples and flourishing life. Medicine knows many examples when joint efforts to nations and scientists contributed to successful combat against diseases such, for example, as smallpox.

The five years of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War were not all roses. We had to cope with mistrust, skepticism, indifference and sometimes animosity. Our aspirations are pure: from time immemorial the physician was and remains the one who dedicated his life to the happiness of fellow men. And we are happy that today the broad public and, what is especially important for the cause of peace, the Nobel Committee show high appreciation of the noble and human endeavor of each of the 145 thousand physicians persistent in the work to prevent nuclear war. For this we are grateful to the Committee.

The award of the Nobel Peace prize to our movement invigorates all the forces calling for the eradication of nuclear weapons from Earth. We are thankful for to numerous public, political, state and religious figures all over the world for their support of our movement and our ideas. It was physically impossible to reply in writing to everyone; therefore, I use this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to all who have sent their warm congratulations.

At this moment, I recall the telegram I received at the time of our first Congress from an ordinary woman in Brooklyn. It was short: "Thank you on behalf of the children."

As adults we are obliged to avert transformation of the Earth from a flourishing planet into a heap of smoking ruins. Our duty is to hand it over to our successors in a better state than it was inherited by us. Therefore, it is not for fame, but for the happiness and for the future of all mothers and children that we- the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War- have worked, are working and will work.

Acceptance speech by Dr. Bernard Lown

IPPNW entry in the Nobel e-Museum