There are many people who are unaware that the very first organized discussions on nuclear disarmament were held in Pugwash in 1957.
When World War Two ended Bertrand Russell, Albert Einstein and several scientists published the Russell-Einstein Manifesto calling for nuclear disarmament. They wanted to hold a conference to debate these issues in a location free from scrutiny from any government. Finding funding for the conference with “no strings attached” was problem until Cyrus Eaton stepped forward. He agreed to fund the entire project with one condition: they must hold the conference at his house in Pugwash. In his honour, the attendees named the conference the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. The first “Peace” Conference was held in 1957 at what is now known as the “Thinkers' Lodge,” before the conference met, Albert Einstein died. Illness kept Russell from ever attending a conference in Pugwash. The Pugwash Movement grew and is now held in cities throughout the world. However, important conferences are still held periodically at the “Lodge.”
Mr. Eaton received the Lenin Peace Prize in 1960. In 1995, the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs and Dr. Joseph Rotblat, a conference founder, won the Nobel Peace Prize. He and Giovanni Brenciaglia, Mr. Eaton’s nephew and an active member in the Pugwash Conferences, accepted the prize.
For mone information, please go to the Thinkers Lodge website.