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| Albert Einstein < Leaders > Solange Fernex |
| Harold
Evans - An Appreciation By Kate Dewes, 16 May 2006 |
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| His
many writings marshalled the legal and moral arguments to underpin the project,
and by example he inspired many to join him. This amazing project succeeded
in having resolutions passed at both the World Health Assembly in 1993,
and the UNGA in 1994, requesting 2 separate, but related opinions from the
Court. Although it started as a one-man crusade, it attracted support from
over 700 organisations worldwide; most of the 110 Non-Aligned states, and
over 4 million individually signed declarations of public conscience.
In March 1987 he wrote an Open letter to the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand asking them to co-sponsor a resolution to the United Nations requesting an advisory opinion. This was then sent to all countries with missions in Canberra or Wellington. Despite receiving no governmental support for his initiative, he persisted and set about building NGO support nationally and internationally. He convinced New Zealand groups such as the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War to get their international body to support the project in 1988. He then travelled to the UK to ensure a resolution was passed at the IPB Conference in 1989 and pressured the fledgling International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms to do the same at their inaugural conference. These three organizations formally launched the project in Geneva in May 1992. Although suffering from ill health, he continued to work closely with Alyn Ware, Kate Dewes and Rob Green in support of the international campaign. In 1996, after the World Court advised that the threat and use of nuclear weapons was generally illegal under international law, the New Zealand government awarded him a Queen’s Service Order. In 2001 parliament passed a unanimous resolution endorsing the World Court Opinion and calling on all nuclear weapon states to pursue their obligations to bring to a conclusion negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament. In 2003 he received one of the eight inaugural Peace City awards. Next year there will be an exhibition at the Canterbury Museum marking the 20th anniversary of the nuclear free legislation and the beginning of the World Court Project. It will feature Harold’s contributions and will be a vehicle for New Zealanders and tourists alike to follow Harold’s example of how they can also make a difference by acting on his favourite dictum – ‘think globally, act locally’. Kate
Dewes
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