Helen Caldicott facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Helen Caldicott
Caldicott in 2007
Born	Helen Mary Broinowski (1938-08-07) 7 August 1938 (age 87) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupation	Physician, activist
Spouse(s)	William Caldicott
Children	Philip, Penny, William Jr

Helen Mary Caldicott (born 7 August 1938) is an Australian doctor, writer, and activist. She is well-known for speaking out against nuclear power and nuclear weapons. She started many groups to stop the use of nuclear power, nuclear weapons, and other military actions.

Early Life and Education

Helen Caldicott was born on 7 August 1938, in Melbourne, Australia. Her father, Philip Broinowski, was a factory manager. Her mother, Mary Mona Enyd Broinowski, was an interior designer.

Helen went to public school and also spent four years at a private school called Fintona Girls' School. When she was 17, she started studying medicine at the University of Adelaide. She earned her medical degree in 1961.

In 1962, she married William Caldicott. He is a doctor who specializes in X-rays for children. They have three children: Philip, Penny, and William Jr.

In 1966, Helen and William moved to Boston, USA. Helen studied nutrition at Harvard Medical School for three years. In 1969, she returned to Australia. She worked at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Adelaide.

Later, she trained to become a children's doctor (paediatrician). She then started the first clinic in Australia for children with cystic fibrosis. This clinic is at the Adelaide Children's Hospital. It now has the best survival rates in Australia for this condition. From 1977 to 1980, she also taught children's medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Speaking Out Against Nuclear Dangers

How Her Activism Started

Helen Caldicott became interested in nuclear issues after reading a book called On the Beach in 1957. This book was about a nuclear disaster in Australia.

In the 1970s, she became famous in Australia, New Zealand, and North America. She spoke about how radiation can harm people's health, especially children.

Important Actions and Achievements

One of her early successes was convincing Australia to take France to court. This was because France was testing nuclear weapons in the Pacific Ocean. Her efforts helped stop these tests in 1971 and 1972.

She also told Australian trade unions about the dangers of mining uranium. Uranium is used to make nuclear weapons and power. This led to a three-year ban on mining and exporting uranium in Australia.

In 1979, Helen visited the Soviet Union. She learned that the US was planning to deploy new missiles. These missiles could reach Moscow in just three minutes. This news made her leave her medical career. She decided to focus on warning the world about the dangers of the nuclear arms race.

In 1978, she helped restart an organization called Physicians for Social Responsibility. She and others encouraged 23,000 doctors to join this group. They taught people in the US about the serious health risks of nuclear power and nuclear war. In 1985, this organization and many others she founded around the world won the Nobel Peace Prize. Helen Caldicott herself was nominated for the Nobel Prize.

In 1980, she started Women's Action for Nuclear Disarmament (WAND) in the United States. This group later changed its name to Women's Action for New Directions. It works to reduce government spending on nuclear energy and weapons. Instead, they want money to be used for social issues.

In 1990, Helen Caldicott ran for a political position in Australia. She did not win, but her votes helped another candidate win.

In 2002, Caldicott released a book called The New Nuclear Danger. This book talked about the military-industrial complex. Some people praised her criticisms of nuclear policies. Others felt some of her arguments were not well-supported.

In 2008, she founded the Helen Caldicott Foundation for a Nuclear Free Future. For over four years, this foundation produced a weekly radio show called "If You Love This Planet."

In 2011, Helen Caldicott had a public discussion with a British journalist, George Monbiot. He questioned the scientific evidence in her book Nuclear Power is Not The Answer. Caldicott argued that some people try to confuse others about radiation risks.

In 2014, she gave a lecture about the ongoing impact of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. This lecture was hosted by Physicians for Social Responsibility.

Awards and Recognition

Helen Caldicott has received 21 honorary doctoral degrees. These are special degrees given to people for their achievements.

• In 1982, she received the Humanist of the Year award.
• In 1992, she received the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award. This was for her leadership in the worldwide disarmament movement.
• In 2001, she was added to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women.
• In 2003, she won the Lannan Foundation Prize for Cultural Freedom.
• In 2006, she received the first Australian Peace Prize. This was for her work in raising awareness about the dangers of the nuclear age.

The Smithsonian Institution has named Helen Caldicott as one of the most influential women of the 20th century. She is also a member of the scientific committee for Fundacion IDEAS, a progressive think tank in Spain. In 2009, she was recognized as a Women's History Month Honoree.

Documentary Films About Helen Caldicott

Helen Caldicott has appeared in many documentary films and TV shows.

• In the early 1980s, two documentaries were made about her. One was the 1981 film Eight Minutes to Midnight: A Portrait of Dr. Helen Caldicott. The other was the 1982 short film If You Love This Planet, which won an Oscar.
• A 2004 documentary, Helen's War: Portrait of a Dissident, shows her life through the eyes of her niece, Anna Broinowski.
• She is also featured in Denis Delestrac's 2010 documentary Pax Americana and the Weaponization of Space.
• The 2013 documentary Pandora's Promise also includes footage of Caldicott. This film discusses different views on the health impacts of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

See also

In Spanish: Helen Caldicott para niños

• Antimilitarism
• Anti-nuclear movement in Australia
• Anti-nuclear movement in the United States
• List of peace activists
• Nuclear weapons of the United States
• Nuclear-free zone
• Nuclear-weapon-free zone
• Treaty of Rarotonga
• Akhtar Naraghi – founder of the International Organization of the Helen Prize for Women, named for Helen Caldicott