Professor Sir Joseph Rotblat in his own words...

“I am a man of peace. Of course, you would expect this of a person who has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, but that doesn’t necessarily follow. I am also a pacifist. I abhor war. I dislike immensely any violence.”

“The quest for a war-free world has a basic purpose: survival. But if in the process we learn how to achieve it by love rather than by fear, by kindness rather than by compulsion; if in the process we learn to combine the essential with the enjoyable, the expedient with the benevolent, the practical with the beautiful, this will be an extra incentive to embark on this great task. Above all, remember your humanity.”

“We need to convey the message that safeguarding our common property, humankind, will require developing in each of us a new loyalty: a loyalty to mankind. It calls for the nurturing of a feeling of belonging to the human race. We have to become world citizens.”

“My short-term goal is the abolition of nuclear weapons; and my long-term goal is the abolition of war.”

What others said about him:

	Kofi Annan (UN Secretary General 1997-2006) “In a long life, Mr. Rotblat went from working on the nuclear bomb to founding the Pugwash conference, and continued for the rest of his days to champion the principle of scientists taking responsibility for their inventions. He leaves a legacy of inspiration and courage to his many friends and colleagues around the world,”
	Mikhail Gorbachev (former President of the Soviet Union, Nobel Peace Laureate 1990) “Participating in major public events was already quite difficult for my friend, and I felt it was my duty to support him by coming to London and speaking there with him. As always, his speech was passionate, logically argued and therefore convincing. The audience gave him a standing ovation. What a great and eventful life, I thought as I listened to him, what an example of serving the people! We must now continue the noble cause to which Joseph Rotblat gave his life. Time is of the essence; at stake is the future of humankind.”
	Mohamed El Baradei (Director General International Atomic Energy Agency, Nobel Peace Laureate with the IAEA 2005) “Sir Joseph Rotblat combined the best qualities of a scientist with those of a socially conscious statesman. He was inquisitive, reflective, incisive in his logic and direct in expressing his convictions. His tireless campaign against nuclear weapons was the more unique because of his earlier participation in the Manhattan Project. He knew the dangers of which he spoke.”
	Mairead Corrigan Maguire (Nobel Peace Laureate 1976) "He evolved and was transformed during his earthly journey into a truthful, joyous, compassionate, gentle kind human being. He was truly an inspiring and wise man for our time. As for his goals of nuclear disarmament and a world without war, I believe we can best pay tribute to our brother Joseph by continuing to work to make his dreams come true and build a world safe for the human family.”
	Martin Rees (President, Royal Society) “Jo Rotblat helped to make the first atomic bomb. But for decades thereafter, he campaigned to control the power he had helped unleash. Until the last few months of his long life, he pursued this aim with the dynamism of a man half his age, inspiring many others to join the cause. Even in his 90s, he still could captivate student audiences – inspiring them as he had earlier inspired so many of us.”
	Jody Williams (Nobel Peace Laureate 1997) “I imagine that almost everyone who had a chance to be in his presence developed a “crush” on him. What was there not to love? Intellect, intellectual elegance, moral clarity, and the courage to exercise all of those virtues in the face of a world where too many people hide behind “I didn’t know.” Or “I don’t want to know.” Or “Leave me out of this, my work is ‘pure science.’” Examples of moral mediocrity and intellectual dishonesty.”

Some years ago Joseph Rotblat was a guest on Radio Four’s Desert Island Discs.

For copyright reasons we cannot put the songs on our website
but these are the ones he choose:

Further Information

Obituary A wonderful description of Professor Rotblat’s life can be read in an obituary on the Times online website Click here

Video Clip Clip of Joseph Rotblat Launching the WMD Awareness Programme Click here