Summary

Round badge with the slogan 'The Peaceful Atom is a Violent Myth', circa 1960s-1980s. This is one of a series of badges, t-shirts and peace movement posters acquired by the museum following the exhibition 'Peace: an Exhibition' which explored the Peace movement and was part of the Victorian Government contribution to International Year of Peace in 1986. It was made using Badge-a-Minit, a semi-automatic button-making machine. This meant that people and organisations could manufacture their own badges, bearing messages of their choice.

'Atoms for Peace' was the title of a speech that Dwight D. Eisenhower gave to the UN General Assembly in 1953. It was part of a Cold-War media campaign aimed at balancing the fear of impending nuclear warfare with the promise of peaceful future use of uranium. Just a few years after the events at Hiroshima and amidst nuclear testing in the early 1950s, this speech recontextualised a weapon of mass-destruction as a means to create a better, peaceful world. 'Atoms for Peace' also became a national programme in which the U.S explorted tons of uranium and atomic know-how to lesser developed countries in view of international security. This badge conveys opposition to the very ideology behind the speech and the programme.

Physical Description

Circular badge. White laminated front with grey nuclear stack and black and red inscription. Back is off-white plastic with wire pin and loop.

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