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July 3, 2024

Interview with Melissa Parke

This document was made possible with support from Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY)

The interview covers Melissa Parke's background and involvement with the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), the challenges ICAN faces in getting countries to disarm and join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), ICAN's strategies and advocacy approaches, and Parke's views on the importance of eliminating nuclear weapons to protect the planet and humanity. This transcript was lightly edited to ease understanding. At a number of occasions, the debate was interrupted by noise from outside, these are marked by […] sign. During the editing process, Melissa Parke added a few notes. These are marked with ‘Note:’

This document summary was generated by an artificial intelligence language model and was reviewed by a Wilson Center staff member.

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2024-11-01

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Interview

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301091

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Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY)

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Exploring the role and effectiveness of civil society in mitigating nuclear risks, this paper emphasizes the varied ways impact is defined and measured. The paper highlights achievements such as the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), spearheaded by ICAN, which successfully stigmatized nuclear weapons but has yet to yield significant disarmament outcomes. Drawing on global interviews, it reveals a spectrum of civil society contributions, from shaping policy discourse and raising public awareness to increasing visibility for marginalized voices. While direct reductions in nuclear risk are limited, the paper underscores the importance of civil society’s broader efforts in advocacy, network-building, and creating pathways for future policy change.

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