Margaret Engel: Why we need Nuclear Times magazine
Peace advocate Margaret Engel argues that while Gen Z faces paralyzing existential dread over nuclear annihilation and climate crisis, revitalizing the Nuclear Times can make disarmament feel urgent and personal through authentic storytelling that reaches beyond traditional activist circles.
I have never known a peaceful US foreign policy in my relatively young life. Growing up during the so-called “war on terrorism” meant being taught myths about American altruism and heroism that masked the violence, imperialism, and militarization embedded in our history.
Learning and unlearning these myths led to my decision to join the peace movement, and since then I have worked alongside advocates of all ages in demanding a nuclear-free future. I truly believe that a peaceful, just, and sustainable world is possible, but a peaceful tomorrow demands action today.
Help us relaunch the magazine for nuclear disarmament.
Anti-nuclear organizations today struggle to capture the world’s attention despite the alarming arms buildup and intensifying global conflicts. Critical junctures in history, combined with deliberate narrative manipulation has prevented the level of mass mobilization needed to demand our government and the world to bring an end to the nuclear age.
Nuclear weapons as a concept feels far away or dated to the general public, leaving many disengaged, particularly young people. At Peace Action New York State, we work to uplift the voices of young peace advocates and encourage them to educate their campus community about critical issues through creative methods, but there is still so much work to be done to combat the paralysis that so many young people experience in the face of peace and justice issues like nuclear proliferation.
The twin threats of the climate crisis and nuclear annihilation force Gen Z into a constant balancing act: pursuing career goals based on an antiquated and rapidly unraveling status quo versus slipping into existential dread. This tension can make us feel frozen and helpless. Without action, it becomes easy for those in power to take advantage of the system and stoke fear and polarization.
The defense industry, particularly companies developing nuclear weapons, profits off of our disempowerment. Revitalizing The Nuclear Times is an action that will not only normalize public discourse on nuclear disarmament beyond the peace community, but help heal the intergenerational gap within the peace movement by incorporating Gen Z perspectives. This magazine presents an opportunity to bring the far-away perceptions up close and personal, using accessible language, creative storytelling, and shedding light on the experiences of underrepresented communities; this kind of dialogue emphasizes the humanitarian cost of proliferation and value of disarmament. In the search for authenticity in the media we consume, The Nuclear Times has the power to shift cultural attitudes towards nuclear weapons and the possibility of disarmament.
Margaret Engel is an Artist, organizer, and peace advocate based in Syracuse, New York.
