Peacekeeping or rearmament? Ralph Urban discusses on September 12th

Peacekeeping or rearmament? Ralph Urban discusses on September 12th

Peace is a delicate plant, and in times when rearmament is once again popular, the discussion about a peaceful solution to conflicts becomes more important. On Friday, September 12, 2025, the Lüneburg Peace Alliance invites you to an exciting lecture with the neurologist and psychiatrist Ralph Urban. The event will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the room of the former “Lüne-Buch”, An den Brodbänken 7. Admission is free, but donations are welcome.

“Peacekeeping up to nuclear war – why rearmament increases the risk of war” is the topic of the evening, which Ralph Urban will examine. The speaker is not only an accomplished doctor, but also a committed member of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW). This organization is critical of the common logic of wanting to secure peace through rearmament and instead advocates detente and diplomacy. Urban will focus on the potential dangers of new types of weapons, such as the planned stationing of medium-range missiles in Germany in 2026.

The IPPNW: A convincing plea for peace

The IPPNW sees constant militarization as a serious risk that not only endangers the current peace, but can also lead to an escalation that, in the worst case, could even lead to a nuclear war. In the context of the Ukraine war, the organization demands that solutions should not be found through the use of weapons, but through diplomatic initiatives. According to them, war leads to countless deaths, injuries and psychological trauma. They want to use a collection of ideas to develop ways to negotiate solutions in order to find a way out of the conflict, and that doesn't just apply to Ukraine.

Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985, IPPNW's position represents an important voice within the peace movement, which has grown in influence since the early 1980s. This movement arose out of fear of nuclear war and marked an upsurge in public discussion about arms control and disarmament. Collective actions and demonstrations in which hundreds of thousands of people took part laid the foundation for bringing the issue back into society's consciousness.

Historical roots of the peace movement

Particularly in Germany, divided by the Cold War, the response to the peace movement was enormous. Let us remember the Krefeld appeal of 1980, which called for the rejection of new American medium-range missiles, or the weeks of action with peace camps and sit-ins. These events reflect a deep-rooted longing for peace that continues to this day. Even today, with the ongoing discussion about military buildup, it is important to hold on to these historical experiences.

The Lüneburg Peace Alliance meets regularly every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month in the Evangelical Family Education Center to work towards maintaining and promoting peace. The event on September 12th offers an excellent opportunity to discuss current challenges and look for solutions together. So let us work together to ensure that peace does not remain just a word, but is actively shaped.

For more information, see the links: Uelzen press, IPPNW, House of History.