Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, 1957-1972

The Conferences on Science and World Affairs, otherwise known as Pugwash, "is a union of scientists who are concerned about the relations between science and society". Stated simply by Joseph Rotblat, secretary general of the movement, the aim of Pugwash is "to ensure that mankind will not destroy itself. Rabinowitch had an early influence in establishing the Pugwash Movement. In 1954 he opened discussions with Joseph Rotblat of Great Britain's Atomic Scientists' Association, which led to the 1955 International Conference on Science and Society. This conference endorsed the Russell-Einstein Manifesto which had been published shortly before. The Manifesto called for a conference of scientists to review the dangers of nuclear war and discuss means of achieving international understanding. This was fulfilled in the meeting of scientists in July 1957 at Pugwash, Nova Scotia. The name of the site became the name of the movement - Pugwash. The Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, 1957-1972, consist of a small, fragmentary amount of material dating primarily from the 1960s. The files are arranged in four categories-correspondence, conferences, symposia, and clippings. The conferences are arranged by date of meeting; the symposia are arranged alphabetically by title of meeting. Material within the files is arranged chronologically by year, month, and day. Partially dated items are placed at the end of the month or year; undated items are placed after dated material. Enclosures are placed after their letter of transmittal.

Rabinowitch attended this first conference and was selected to serve on the Continuing Committee whose purpose was to organize future meetings. Rabinowitch remained a member of the Committee until just prior to his death in 1973. Throughout his life Rabinowitch was active in the Pugwash Movement, attending every conference and serving as president of the 1970 conference held at Fontana, Wisconsin. The files consist of incoming and outgoing correspondence, minutes, agenda, reports, financial statements, conference papers, participant lists, and clippings. The correspondence chiefly concerns planning for the various Pugwash conferences. Among the correspondents are Cyrus S. Eaton, who provided the financial backing of the early conferences; Joseph Rotblat, the first secretary general of Pugwash; and Bertrand Russell, who was one of the initiators of the Pugwash Movement. There are small amounts of material concerning eight of the international Pugwash conferences. Of interest among this material is a statement drafted by Rabinowitch for the 1962 conference in London.

During Rabinowitch's lifetime the following conferences were held:

First Conference: Pugwash, Nova Scotia, July 7-10, 1957.

Second Conference: Lac Beauport, France, March 31 - April 11, 1958, "The Dangers of the Present Situation, and Ways and Means of Diminishing Them".

Third Conference: Kitzbubel and Vienna, Austria, September 14-20, 1958, "Dangers of the Atomic Age and What Scientists Can Do About Them".

Fourth Conference: Baden, Austria, June 25 - July 4, 1959, "Arms Control and World Security".

Fifth Conference: Pugwash, Nova Scotia, August 24-29, 1959, "Biological and Chemical Warfare".

Sixth Conference: Moscow, USSR, November 27 - December 5, 1960, "Disarmament and World Security".

Seventh Conference: Stowe, Vermont, September 5-9, 1961, "International Cooperation in Pure and Applied Science".

Eighth Conference: Stowe, Vermont, September 11-16, 1961, "Disarmament and World Security".

Ninth Conference: Cambridge, England, August 25-30, 1962, "Problems of Disarmament and World Security".

Tenth Conference: London, England, September 3-7, 1962, "Scientists and World Affairs".

Eleventh Conference: Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia, September 20-25, 1963, "Current Problems of Disarmament and World Security".

Twelfth Conference: Udaipur, India, January 27 - February 1, 1964, "Current Problems of Disarmament and World Security".

Thirteenth Conference: Karlovy Vary, Czechoslovakia, September 13-19, 1964, "Disarmament and Peaceful Collaboration Among Nations".

Fourteenth Conference: Venice, Italy, April 11-16, 1965, "International Cooperation for Science and Disarmament".

Fifteenth Conference: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, December 29, 1965 - January 3, 1966, "Science in Aid of Developing Countries".

Sixteenth Conference: Sopot, Poland, September 11-16, 1966, "Disarmament and World Security, Especially in Europe".

Seventeenth Conference: Ronneby, Sweden, September 3-198, 1967, "Scientists and World Affairs".

Eighteenth Conference: Nice, France, September 11-16, 1968, "Current Problems of Peace, Security and Development".

Nineteenth Conference: Sochi, USSR, October 22-2.7, 1969, "World Security, Disarmament and Development".

Twentieth Conference: Fontana, Wisconsin, September 9-15, 1970, "Peace and International Cooperation: A Programme for the Seventies".

Twenty-first Conference: Sinaia, Romania, August 26-31, 1971, "Problems of World Security, Environment and Development".