NukeVerse Season 2- Trailer

Can the threat of nuclear retaliation keep us safe? What would security look like if we measured it by whether people have clean water, schools and healthcare? In Episode 3 of Season 3 of NukeVerse, Dr. Deepshikha Kumari Vijh sits down with Ms. Ela Gandhi, South African peace activist, former parliamentarian, and granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi. We begin at Sevagram, where seven-year-old Ela had a complaint for her grandfather: why was there pumpkin to eat every day? He laughed, listened and raised her concern at that evening's prayer meeting. What stayed with her was that he noted what she said and took it seriously enough to act. Ms. Gandhi reflects on how nine years under banning orders in South Africa tested her commitment to nonviolence during the struggle against apartheid. As the International Court of Justice marks its 80th anniversary, thirty years after its advisory opinion on nuclear weapons, in this episode we discuss what justice asks of us, why inequality makes people less secure, and what it would mean to redirect nuclear weapons spending toward the things people need to live. We close with the question Ms. Ela Gandhi would most like to ask her grandfather about the world that we have created: how does one stand firm against injustice and still find it in themselves to have love for their opponent?

In this second episode of Season 3 of NukeVerse, Prof. Siddharth Mallavarapu and Dr. Mohammad Umar join Dr. Deepshikha Kumari Vijh  (Deeps, Executive Producer and Host, NukeVerse) to explore the global nuclear order, the enduring legacy of the 1996 International Court of Justice (ICJ) Nuclear Weapons Advisory Opinion, Judge C.G. Weeramantry's influential dissent, and much more through a global south perspective. The conversation examines Indian political thought on nuclear disarmament, the inequalities embedded in the international nuclear order, and the continuing relevance of Gandhian thought, international law, and norms. The speakers explore the critiques of deterrence, the moral and ethical questions surrounding nuclear armament, and the intersection of international legal frameworks. The conversation emphasizes the importance of education and civic engagement in shaping future discourse on these critical issues, calling for a comprehensive and collective approach to disarmament and peace-building.

In the opening episode of Season 3 of NukeVerse and the first episode of the special series marking 30 years since the International Court of Justice's landmark 1996 Nuclear Weapons Advisory Opinion, Dr. Deepshikha Kumari Vijh speaks with peace activist and disarmament advocate Dr. Kate Dewes based in Christ Church, New Zealand. Drawing on her extraordinary involvement in the World Court Project, Dr. Dewes recounts how civil society, lawyers, scientists, physicians, parliamentarians, and governments came together to take the question of nuclear weapons to the world's highest court. The conversation explores the people and strategy behind the campaign, the significance of the 1996 Opinion, and what its legacy means for nuclear disarmament today. It also highlights her role as one of the few women involved in this historic campaign of taking the nuclear weapons questions to the highest court in the world i.e. the International Court of Justice.

In this Third Edition of the Special Series featuring Women Speakers in the nuclear field, we are joined by Dr Sayaka Shingu in her personal capacity. Dr. Shingu grew up in Hiroshima, and is the granddaughter of hibakushas or atomic bomb survivors. Dr Sayaka Shingu has a prolific career where she currently serves as the Head of Research Section of Disarmament, Non Proliferation and Science Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Dr Shingu holds a PhD in law and a Master's in Non Proliferation and Terrorism studies. In this episode, Dr. Sayaka Shingu in conversation with Dr. Deepshikha Kumari Vijh (Executive Director, LCNP & Executive Producer and Host, NukeVerse) shares her thoughts on her personal and professional journey in multilateralism, diplomacy, & arms control while underscoring the need for dialogue, and the power to overcome divisions.

In this second edition of our "Special Round Table Series 2025" highlighting women speakers, we are joined by a very special guest from New Delhi, India -- Dr. Manpreet Sethi. Dr. Sethi is a Senior Research Adviser at the Asia Pacific Leadership Network, and a Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Air Power Studies, New Delhi,India where she leads the nuclear vertical. Dr. Sethi is an expert on a range of nuclear issues with over two decades of experience in this field. Dr. Sethi is also a member of the International Group of Eminent Persons set up by, the Prime Minister of Japan, to identify pathways to a nuclear weapons free world. In this episode, Dr. Manpreet Sethi is in conversation with Dr. Deepshikha Vijh, (Executive Director Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy) and Executive Producer/Host Nukeverse where they discuss nuclear norms, the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), India's policy and stance as well as the importance of dialogue, and the role of civil society members in bridging the gap between nuclear weapons states and non-nuclear weapons states. 

In this "Special Roundtable Series 2025" launched on International Women's Day, NukeVerse will highlight women speakers in the field of nuclear issues, and policy. The idea was to bring in diverse women, but also diversity of thought to discuss nuclear issues and policy from different perspectives. In this inaugural episode "Knowledge and Advocacy on Nuclear Issues: the U.S. Congress, Legislation, and More," Dr. Deeps (Executive Director, Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy and Executive Producer & Host, NukeVerse) is in conversation with Ms. Brenna Gautam, who joins in her personal capacity, and has previously worked in the House Office of Legislative Council and will bring in a perspective from the "inside" so to say. Our second speaker is Ms. Sofia Guerra who is currently a Government Relations Associate at Win Without War, and engages in Congressional outreach from the "outside" so to say. This episode covers a range of issues on advocacy, knowledge, the U.S. Congress, and legislation in the context of security, and nuclear policy.  

In this Episode 1 of Season 2, Dr. Kimiaki Kawai, professor at Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition (RECNA) at Nagasaki University speaks with Dr. Deepshikha Vijh, Executive Director (Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy) and shares his thoughts on the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings, emphasizing the precarious nature of nuclear deterrence, and the need for international cooperation to prevent nuclear conflict. Dr. Kawai shares his journey from activism to academia, and from Tokyo to Nagasaki focusing on international humanitarian law and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Dr. Kawai highlights the challenges in universalizing the TPNW, the importance of effective dialogue, and the role of civil society in raising awareness about the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons. Executive Producer and Host, Dr. Deepshikha Vijh Podcast editor, Miranda Shafer

2024 set in motion the momentum for our work in 2025. The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the Japanese grassroots organization Nihon Hidankyo, a movement of atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This year, as the world commemorates the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we hope it is a humble reminder of the need to strengthen the norms and laws that reinforce the illegality of nuclear weapons. At NukeVerse we remain committed to this! Join us to navigate Season 2 of NukeVerse with a keen mind and a legal lens! Executive Producer & Host of NukeVerse is Dr. Deepshikha Vijh PhD., Oxford University Podcast Editor for Season 2 is Miranda Shafer.

Dr. John Burroughs Senior Analyst, Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy and Prof. Charles J. Moxley, Jr. a seasoned lawyer and Professor of Law with expertise in Nuclear Weapons speak with Dr. Deeps ( Executive Director, LCNP and Host for Nukeverse) in this Episode 4 of NukeVerse to discuss their published work on law and nuclear weapons, the intersection of the legality of nuclear weapons threat, use and possession, the challenge of normalization of nuclear weapons, the ICJ opinion of 1996, and the need to strengthen legal arguments as it pertains to nuclear weapons policy.  

Award-winning director & filmmaker Andrew Davis and award-winning historian, playwright, & journalist Jeff Biggers discuss their co-authored novel, a political thriller, 'Disturbing the Bones,' with Dr. Deeps Vijh (Executive Director, LCNP and Executive Producer and Host, NukeVerse). The authors share how they came together to write this political thriller that combines themes of nuclear disarmament with justice, as we discuss the complexities of personal and political justice, the importance of storytelling in driving disarmament initiatves, and the role of creative media and artists to inspire action against the backdrop of nuclear threats and environmental issues.