Death of Joseph Rotblat - obituary

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Wednesday September 07, 2005 03:09 by Mairead Corrigan Maguire - Peace People

Nobel Peace Laureate dies at 96

Sir Joseph Rotblat – A man of Vision
(l908 - 2005)

Joseph Rotblat died on 3lst August, 2005 peacefully in hospital, in London. He was 96 years young. I will miss him very much, but take consolation from the fact that I had the blessing in my life of having spent some time with Joseph, and listened to him share his experiences, passion, and vision for a world without war and nuclear weapons.

He was born in Warsaw, Poland in l908. His love of science led him into the scientific world of atomic research and he worked as a scientist, first in the UK at the University of Liverpool and then at Los Alamos, New Mexico, helping to create an atomic weapon. When he discovered in late l944 that Germany would not succeed in developing an atomic bomb, he believed there was no reason to continue working on creating a US bomb. He then left the Manhattan Project on moral grounds.

As General Secretary of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, and later President of Pugwash Conferences, he dedicated his life to the abolition of nuclear weapons. In l995 Joseph and the Pugwash Conferences were joint recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize. Joseph believed receiving the Nobel Peace prize carried with it the responsibility to work for peace, and he did so every moment of his life, with a passion and with joy.

Two years ago he suffered a stroke, and I went to visit him in a London Hospital as he lay recovering. I was accompanied by his great friend and co-worker for Nuclear Disarmament, Bruce Kent. Joseph looked so ill and frail I thought surely he would not leave the hospital at all. But when he started talking to us I was awe-struck at the energy and passion he exuded. He asked me if I was going to the Gorbachev Conference in Rome in two weeks time, and said he wanted to get out to go to the Conference, as he had two speeches prepared to give. He said he had to get out of hospital soon, as there was so much peace work to be done! Six months later he traveled to Denver, Colorado, to deliver a two hour lecture to several hundred teenagers! The following year, (2004) when we met again in Rome, I asked Joseph what kept him working for Disarmament, with so much enthusiasm and joy. He said it was important for people to have goals and he had two goals in life. “My short-term goal” he said “is the abolition of nuclear weapons, and my long-term goal is the abolition of war”.

Joseph never saw his goals fulfilled, but he did fulfil the most important goal any human being can attain. 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.

Mairead Corrigan Maguire (Nobel Peace Laureate ) www.peacepeople.com