Physicians for Global Survival
Physicians for Global Survival (PGS) is the Canadian chapter of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW). It is a physician peace activist group that has existed since the early 1980s.
Its main principles are:
A) The abolition of nuclear weapons
B) Promoting the prevention of war
C) Promoting nonviolent means to resolve conflict
D) Working towards social justice
E) Developing a more sustainable world
Recent issues that have been addressed are:
- Preventing Canada from joining the recent war in Iraq
- Addressing Canada's role in the 2001 war in Afghanistan
- Addressing Canada's role in US "Ballistic Missile Defense" (BMD) system
While PGS is mostly focused on educational issues, Peace Through Health is a related academic discipline.
Peace Through Health is an emerging academic discipline to study how health interventions in actual and potential war zones may contribute to peace. Often low-key and unadvertised, peace through health initiatives have taken many forms such as humanitarian ceasefire, the use of health expertise to restrict weapons and war strategies, and the combining of individual and social healing in war zones.
Focus Group on Small Arms and Light Weapons
The Focus Group on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) is part of Physicians for Global Survival. It is made of a small group of activists based in Toronto who hope to address the growing problem of gun violence through advocacy and research.