Nuclear weapons were built with human hands and can be dismantled with human hands. There are no technical barriers, only political ones. Tens of thousands of nuclear weapons have already been taken apart.

With leadership and political will, further progress towards disarmament could be achieved very rapidly. The fact that large geographic regions have already been declared free of nuclear weapons suggests that, one day, the entire world could be.

Historically, some of the greatest breakthroughs in the field of nuclear arms control were achieved at times of high international tension. A crisis can focus leaders’ minds and force them to explore new pathways forward.

But progress will always depend on a powerful grassroots movement for change, involving concerned citizens from all walks of life. The strong, enduring global taboo that exists today against the use of nuclear weapons is the result of decades of popular resistance.

There are many ways that individuals can contribute to the cause of eliminating the world’s worst weapons. Here are some of them: