The only Nobel Peace Prize won by an Australian organisation was on display in Mount Isa on Tuesday.
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In 2017 the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) took out the Nobel prize and ICAN board member Dr Marianne Harrison was in town with the Peace Prize medal and to explain what they won it for.
She was there as as part of a celebration organised by the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom who had successfully lobbied Mount Isa City Council to sign the ICAN Cities Appeal, the first council in Queensland to do so, and joining cities such as Paris, London, New York and even Moscow.
Dr Harrison said the Cold War danger of nuclear weapons had not gone away with 40,000 such weapons in the world in the hands of nine countries, many on hairtrigger alerts.
"I don't want to give you nightmares but there have been many, many close calls," Dr Harrison said.
ICAN is trying to lobby the Australian government to sign and ratify the UN Treaty to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons but 85 countries have signed it and Dr Harrison said they were lobbying councils because cities would bear the brunt of any nuclear attack.
"Environments would be devastated, health systems and infrastructure would be totally destroyed," she said.
"City councils would have to deal with casualties and loss of infrastructure, etc.
"We need to get councils on board and we are so delighted Mount Isa is the first to sign up in Queensland."
Mayor Danielle Slade thanked WILPF and ICAN representatives for visiting Mount Isa.
"These ladies were a pleasure to meet and very passionate about their cause," Cr Slade said.
"I am proud that as a council we agreed to support the Cities Appeal."
Both WILPF and ICAN will make a short presentation to Wednesday's council meeting and will display the Peace Prize medal, which is normally held at ICAN's headquarters in Melbourne.
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Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
