President’s Letter – Ice Floes and What You Can Do

Dear NAPF Community,

New York City has been so cold over the past month, that the Hudson River featured significant ice floes for the first time in more than a decade. Marveling at the frozen sights, I have been thinking about an article I wrote in 2023 about a meeting that occurred in my apartment now more than 80 years ago, between the Columbia Physics Nobel Laureate I.I. Rabi and J. Robert Oppenheimer. It is hard to believe just how relevant Rabi’s and Oppenheimer’s concerns at the dawn of the nuclear age remain today.

We are constantly bombarded by despairing news of lawlessness, dysfunction, and collapse, whether on Trump’s actions regarding Venezuela, Iran, and Greenland; Epstein and DOJ; or Minnesota and ICE. The individual, communal, and national tragedies that are spelled out in these different spheres hit all of us hard. In dealing with them, we come to rely on each other for support, connection, and action. I hope that you have been able to find such sources of kinship and meaning, whether in nature, or with human or furry friends.

What makes nuclear weapons so different from everything else occupying the news cycle is that the tragedy that they foretell would not just be individual, communal, or national, but planetary. As I stated last year at the Third Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons at the United Nations, the survivors would have no one to turn to. There would be no help to get to the other side. In fact, there would be no other side. Today, we stand at the nuclear abyss, staring at the apocalyptic ravine below, with expiration of New START, Trump’s threats of resuming nuclear testing, and ongoing conflicts involving nuclear armed states. But we must not lose hope that a better world, one that is free of nuclear weapons, is possible.

One way I have been dealing with the onslaught of negative news has been to write and speak as much as I can. Please see below for some of our recent articles and activities, but also for recommendation on what you can do to help address the nuclear threat.

We’re gearing up for important meetings at the United Nations this year, so be sure to follow updates on our website and social media! And save the date for the 21st Frank K. Kelly Lecture by Prof. Richard Falk, to be held on April 7 at the Music Academy in Santa Barbara. Richard is one of the world’s foremost public intellectuals and we are thrilled that he will be able to share his wisdom with our community in these unsettling times.

Thank you for being a part of our community and for standing together in hope of a better world! Your support gives us both the courage and the platform to act!

Ivana N. Hughes
President, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation

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Latest

**In The Nation: Speaking Out on the Insanity of Nuclear Weapons**

Dr. Ivana Nikolić Hughes and Prof. Peter Kuznick warn of nuclear dangers multiplying and call for widespread nuclear disarmament and abolition advocacy now.

To read the full article, please see HERE.

Responsible Statecraft: We are sleepwalking into nuclear catastrophe

Non-proliferation without earnest disarmament on the part of the nuclear weapons states and without a solemn commitment to international law does not work.

Read the full article HERE.

Review of Martyrs to the Unspeakable by James Douglass

Dr. Hughes reviews James Douglass’s Martyrs to the Unspeakable, detailing the assassinations of JFK, Malcolm X, MLK, and RFK and their links to systemic forces resisting peace and justice.

Read Ivana’s review HERE.

We know that figuring out what steps to take in the face of existential issues can be overwhelming. But you don’t need to be a diplomat or an expert to make a difference. Nuclear weapons are an issue that affects us all, and everyone can contribute! So, what can you do?

NAPF has put together a new page of recommendations and ideas for concrete action. We emphasize the importance of learning, acting locally, and advocating to your elected officials. Check out the page HERE!

What You Can Do for Nuclear Disarmament

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Video Interview on Neutrality Studies

‘They poisoned us’: Nuclear Legacy Report

Upcoming

TODAY: Webinar on Ukraine War

FEB 12, 2026 | Virtual Event

Dr. Hughes will join Massachusetts Peace Action (MAPA) for a webinar examining the urgent case for a negotiated end to the Ukraine war, the growing risk of nuclear escalation, and the future of New START, including the role of public pressure.

21st Frank K. Kelly Lecture on Humanity’s Future by Richard Falk

APR 7, 2026 | Santa Barbara

This year’s Kelly Lecture will be delivered by Professor Richard Falk, who will address the legal, moral, and political challenges shaping humanity’s future in an era defined by nuclear weapons, armed conflict, and global instability.

To reserve your free tickets and explore sponsorship opportunities, visit HERE.