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 86) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupation	Physician, activist
Spouse(s)	William Caldicott
Children	Philip, Penny, William Jr

Helen Mary Caldicott, born on August 7, 1938, is an Australian doctor and writer. She is famous for speaking out against nuclear power and nuclear weapons. She started many groups to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and to promote peace.

Early Life and Education

Helen Caldicott was born in Melbourne, Australia, on August 7, 1938. 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 began studying medicine at the University of Adelaide. She became a doctor in 1961.

In 1962, she married William Caldicott, who is a doctor specializing in X-rays (a paediatric radiologist). He has often helped her with her campaigns. 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 the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. She also trained in paediatrics (children's medicine). This allowed her to open Australia's first clinic for cystic fibrosis at the Adelaide Childrens Hospital. This clinic now has the best survival rates in Australia. From 1977 to 1980, she 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 novel was about a nuclear disaster happening in Australia.

In the 1970s, she became well-known in Australia, New Zealand, and North America. She spoke about how radiation from nuclear activities can harm people's health, especially children.

Important Achievements

One of her early successes was convincing Australia to take legal action against France. France was testing nuclear weapons in the Pacific Ocean. Thanks to her efforts, these tests stopped in 1972.

She also told Australian worker unions about the dangers of mining uranium. Uranium is used to make nuclear weapons and fuel. 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 United States was planning to deploy new missiles. These missiles could reach Moscow very quickly. Because of this, Caldicott decided to leave her medical career. She wanted to focus on warning the world about the dangers of the nuclear arms race. This is when countries build more and more nuclear weapons.

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 won the Nobel Peace Prize. Helen Caldicott herself was nominated for the Nobel Prize by Linus Pauling, who had won it before.

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

Later Activities

In 1990, Caldicott ran for a seat in the Australian Parliament. She did not win, but her votes helped another candidate, Neville Newell, win the election.

In 2002, Helen Caldicott released a book called The New Nuclear Danger. This book talked about the military-industrial complex. This term refers to the close ties between a country's military and the companies that make weapons.

In 2008, Caldicott started 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 2014, she gave a lecture in Seattle, Washington. It was hosted by Physicians for Social Responsibility. The lecture was about the ongoing impact of the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Awards and Recognition

Helen Caldicott has received many honors for her work. She has been given 21 honorary doctoral degrees.

• 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 movement to reduce weapons.
• In 2001, she was added to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in Australia.
• In 2003, she won the Lannan Foundation Prize for Cultural Freedom.
• In 2006, she received the first Australian Peace Prize. This was for her dedication to 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.
• 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. This film won an Oscar.
• A 2004 film, Helen's War: Portrait of a Dissident, shows her life through the eyes of her niece, Anna Broinowski.
• She is also featured in the 2010 documentary Pax Americana and the Weaponization of Space. This film includes interviews with experts on foreign affairs and military officials.
• The 2013 documentary Pandora's Promise also shows parts of Caldicott's interviews. This film also presents different views on the health effects 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