Course 3: War, Weapons and Conflict Strategies

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Course 3: War, Weapons and Conflict Strategies Lesson X.X: XXXXX MPW Course 3: War, weapons and conflict strategies General objectives This course describes the health effects of war, weapons and strategies of violent conflict. Beginning with weapons of mass destruction it then moves on to other weapons and strategies of war such as the use of landmines and mass rape. The course concludes with a number of lessons which give an historical and practical analysis of the response of health professional groups to war and militarisation. The Medical Peace Work textbook, 2 nd edition Course 3: War, weapons and conflict strategies Edited by Salvage J, Rowson M, Melf K and Wilmen A. Published 2012 in UK by Medact, London. ISBN 978-0-9571478-4-3 Design: Ianessa Norris © medicalpeacework.org 2012 All rights reserved. Permission is granted for noncommercial reproduction, translation and distribution of the whole or part of the courses, as long as medicalpeacework.org is given credit. medicalpeacework.org does not guarantee that the information in this course is complete and correct and shall not be liable for any damages incurred as a result of its use. The Medical Peace Work textbook was first published in 2008 as an integral part of the MPW online course with seven modules. The 2 nd edition (2012) consists of seven independent, but interlinked MPW Course e-books. Suggested citation of textbook lessons: [author] (2012). [lesson title]. In Salvage J, Rowson M, Melf K and Wilmen A (eds). The Medical Peace Work textbook, 2nd edition, Course 3: War, weapons and conflict strategies. London, Medact. Available at www.medicalpeacework.org, accessed [date]. The Medical Peace Work textbook was funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. Course 1 Course 2 Course 4 Course 5 Course 6 Course 7 2 Medical Peace Work | Course 3: War, weapons and conflict strategies Course 3: War, weapons and conflict strategies Contents Chapter 1: Weapons of mass destruction 8 Lesson 1.1: Nuclear weapons 9 What are nuclear weapons? 1 0 The destructive force of a nuclear explosion 1 1 The fireball 1 1 Firestorms 1 2 The blast 1 2 Fallout 1 3 The effects on health of the use of nuclear weapons 1 3 Burns 1 3 Mechanical (traumatic) injuries 1 4 Radiation injuries 1 4 Long-term effects 1 5 Exposure 1 5 Cancer 1 5 Genetic damage 1 6 Other long-term effects 1 6 The medical response and disaster management 1 6 Other medical, environmental and social effects 1 7 Climate change and nuclear war 1 7 Nuclear tests 1 7 Production of weapons and the nuclear fuel cycle 1 8 Costs of nuclear weapons 1 9 Scenarios 1 9 Scenario 1: Accidental nuclear war 2 0 Scenario 2: Large-scale nuclear attack 2 0 Scenario 3: ‘Limited’ nuclear exchange 2 0 Scenario 4: Attack on hardened underground target 2 1 Scenario 5: ‘Unauthorized’ use 2 1 Nuclear victims 2 2 3 Medical Peace Work | Course 3: War, weapons and conflict strategies Lesson 1.2: Biological weapons 2 4 History of their use 2 5 Biotechnology and biosafety 2 6 Health and environmental effects of biological weapons 2 7 Health system responses 2 8 Psychological implications 2 9 The prohibition of biological weapons 2 9 Conclusion 3 0 Lesson 1.3: Chemical weapons 3 1 Introduction 3 1 Use of chemical weapons 3 1 Health and environmental effects 3 2 1 Mustard or blister agents 3 3 2 Nerve agents 3 3 3 Blood agents 3 4 4 Pulmonary or choking agents 3 4 5 Incapacitating agents 3 4 Health system responses to chemical injuries 3 4 Protection against chemical warfare 3 4 Psychological implications 3 5 The prohibition of chemical weapons 3 6 Lesson 1.4: Radiological weapons 3 9 Radiological weapons 3 9 ‘Dirty bombs’ 3 9 Nuclear facilities 3 9 Health effects of radiation incidents 4 0 Uranium weapons 4 0 Health effects of uranium weapons 4 1 Legal status of radiological weapons 4 1 Physical protection 4 2 Conclusion 4 3 Chapter 2: The health effects of other weapons and conflict strategies 4 5 4 Medical Peace Work | Course 3: War, weapons and conflict strategies Lesson 2.1: Landmines 4 6 Introduction 4 6 What are landmines? 4 7 Mine-like weapons 4 8 How many mines? 4 8 Countries affected 4 9 Mine producers and exporters 4 9 Victims and their problems 5 0 Gender-specific problems 5 0 International action against landmines 5 1 Unresolved issues 5 1 What can be done? 5 3 Mine clearance 5 3 Mine-risk education 5 3 Victim assistance 5 3 Participation in mine action programmes 5 4 Lesson 2.2: New types of weapons 5 6 International humanitarian law 5 7 Non-lethal weapons 5 8 Lethal weapons 5 9 Categorization of technologies 6 0 Use of non-lethal weapons 6 2 Health system responses 6 3 Medical ethics 6 4 Conclusion 6 4 Lesson 2.3: Rape as a military strategy 6 7 Introduction 6 7 Sexualized violence in war – a definition 7 0 Root causes of sexualized violence 7 0 Physical and psychological consequences 7 1 Physical consequences 7 1 Psychological and social consequences 7 4 Post-traumatic stress disorder 7 4 Health care 7 6 Psychotherapeutic work 7 7 Burnout and vicarious traumatization 7 8 Establishing the truth and criminal prosecution 7 9 Advocacy for women’s rights 8 0 5 Medical Peace Work | Course 3: War, weapons and conflict strategies Lesson 2.4: The public health effects of war 8 2 Background 8 2 Immediate effects – death 8 2 Immediate effects – injuries 8 3 Epidemics and communicable diseases 8 4 Nutrition and food security 8 6 Mental health 8 6 Noncommunicable diseases 8 7 The environment 8 7 Conclusion 8 8 Lesson 2.5: Small arms and light weapons 8 9 Introduction 8 9 Dynamics of the epidemic 8 9 SALW as weapons of mass destruction 9 0 SALW and violent behaviour 9 1 Efforts to mitigate SALW problems 9 2 Conclusion 9 3 Chapter 3: The health professions’ responses to war and weapons 9 6 Lesson 3.1: Educating the public 9 7 Knowing your target audience 9 7 Knowing yourself 9 8 What is the message? 9 9 Who is delivering the message? 9 9 What methods can be used? 1 0 0 And finally … 1 0 3 Lesson 3.2: A history of health professional activism for peace 1 0 4 Introduction 1 0 4 Humanizing war 1 0 4 The first medical peace group 1 0 5 The First World War and medical pacifism 1 0 5 Dutch leadership of medical peace work between the world wars 1 0 6 The Medical Peace Campaign in the UK 1 0 7 IPPNW 1 0 8 IPPNW called for: 1 0 9 After the Cold War 1 1 0 Dilemmas 1 1 2 6 Medical Peace Work | Course 3: War, weapons and conflict strategies Lesson 3.3: Data-to-policy work 1 1 4 The search for credible evidence 1 1 4 Credibility example 1 1 1 5 Credibility example 2 1 1 6 Data on longer-term effects of violent conflict 1 1 8 Data-to-policy work and preventive action: predicting the future 1 1 9 Conclusion 1 1 9 Lesson 3.4: Health professional alliances with larger movements 1 2 1 Introduction 1 2 1 Example of an alliance 1 2 1 Medical opposition to the use of small arms 1 2 2 The Red Cross 1 2 3 Conclusion 1 2 4 Glossary Course 3 1 2 5 Go to Contents Go to Glossary Go to Previous View 7 Medical Peace Work | Course 3: War, weapons and conflict strategies Chapter 1: Weapons of mass destruction Intermediate objectives By the end of this chapter you will be able to: • describe the health effects of nuclear, radiological, biological and chemical weapons • assess how effectively the threat posed by these weapons is being dealt with by the international community. 8 Medical Peace Work | Course 3: War, weapons and conflict strategies Lesson 1.1: Nuclear weapons Author: Xanthe Hall Learning objectives The subject of nuclear weapons and By the end of this lesson you their effects is so large that this will be able to: lesson can only cover a small part of • describe the the available information. There are characteristics of nuclear links throughout to sources of further weapons information: you can use them if you • explain the dangers they have time or a particular interest, pose to human health but you do not need to read them to and the environment understand this lesson. • describe the situations in which they might be used and their possible Target X action: A medical student explains to a passer-by effects. in Amritsar, India, the medical effects of the use of nuclear weapons (Credit IDPD) Health professionals have worked for over 30 years to inform the public and world leaders about the health consequences of the use, testing and production of nuclear weapons, in order to convince people that they need to be abolished. The International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985 for this educational work. Weapons are generally divided into the categories ‘conventional’ and ‘non-conventional’; all the weapons described here fall into the latter category. Nuclear, biological, chemical and radiological weapons are classified as ‘weapons of mass destruction’ (WMD) because of their capacity to kill large numbers of living beings indiscriminately.
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