This month, the Horse Hospital in Russell Square is launching an exhibition, From Fear to Sanity, which is on the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the art of protest. Taking its rightful pride of place in the centre of the mantlepiece is the peace symbol, which has been CND's 'logo' since 1958 - that's before the hippies hijacked it. We got in contact with Kate Hudson, the current chair of the CND, to ask her some important questions like how to do something about the fact that there are over 250,000 weapons of mass destruction out there.

From the CND march to Aldermaston, England in 1958

There seems to be some confusion about the origin of Gerald Holtom's iconic sign for peace, ranging from semaphore to communism and satanic worship - could you shed any light on this?

I'm not sure how these alternative interpretations have emerged - the symbol is made up of the semaphore signals for 'N' and 'D', standing for Nuclear Disarmament. Afterwards, Holtom also interpreted it as a man standing with his arms outstretched downwards, open-palmed in a gesture of despair. A simple plea for peace.

Aldermaston, 1958

How important is the continuing fight for nuclear disarmament?

It couldn't be more important. Today there are more than 25,000 nuclear weapons in the world, many at least 100 times the size of the Hiroshima bomb, and that single bomb alone killed 240,000 people from blast and radiation. We have the ability to destroy the world many times over. That is just too risky, as those weapons could be used by accident or by design. There would be no second chance, no-one would be able to escape the consequences.

The atomic bomb detonated at Bikini Atoll, 1946. See those little black shapes? They're warships. New weapons will cause at least one hundred times this damage.

Why do you think the nuclear disarmament symbol was taken up so wholeheartedly by people worldwide?
Wherever you go in the world you see the symbol and it has come to mean peace, not only nuclear disarmament. It's popularity shows how powerful the vision of peace is to ordinary people worldwide. It stands for hopes of a better future without the fear of war and nuclear annihilation.

The symbol even caught the attention of Banksy, in a typically political mood.

What are the most pressing concerns at the moment relative to the nuclear threat?
It is most important that the countries which have nuclear weapons begin to discuss how they are going to achieve nuclear disarmament. They are obliged under international treaty to do so, and if they take those steps it will be possible to prevent further nuclear proliferation. At the moment, some of these countries are talking about more 'usable' nuclear weapons and about using them against countries that don't even have them. This is a disaster and will only encourage countries that don't have them to try and get them. We need to get out of this vicious cycle of nuclear weapons before it all ends in disaster.
Just as the Gerald Holtom's sign as become an emblem of hope, the mushroom cloud has become one of despair. How important has the use of arresting imagery been to the CND campaign?
Images and design have been very important to CND's work. We are lucky to have been supported by outstanding artists and designers throughout the decades. One very striking image which we have used is Peter Kennard's Boken Missile, where a missile is broken in half through a CND symbol. That was very powerful in the 1980s against cruise missiles, and we have used it again recently against Trident replacement. It retains all its power and punch in the new context.

Broken Missile by Peter Kennard

Has the nature of protest changed since the march to Aldermaston in 1958?
There are many fundamental similarities, because protest is primarily about mobilising people to demonstrate their views and influence people in power. Whether that is mass demonstrations, or smaller direct action events, they are continuing methods across the decades. But there are some new forms of protest, too, where we can use electronic methods to communicate, both with politicians that we wish to lobby and with people that we wish to mobilise. Whatever the method, it's still all about changing people's minds.
The two million person march in London failed to dissuade Tony Blair from going to war with Iraq. The political world rarely seems to reflect public opinion or desire - how can this be changed?
Although the march on 15 Feb 2003 did not stop the war on Iraq, I think it has had a significant impact on British politics. People are much more open to thinking for themselves and not just trusting what the Government says. People feel that they have a right to accurate information and that decisions about issues like war should not be made behind closed doors. I also believe that it has made it much more difficult for our Government to pursue other wars - such as Iran. In their majority, the British people favour policies which support peace and justice, not war and exploitation and the British Government must get in linewith public opinion. People must be active to push their ideas home to the Government. Don't let them off the hook! We are in the majority, and we must never forget that!

Aldermaston, 1958

How can the public get involved with anti-nuclear protest?

There are many different ways to get involved, from writing to the Prime Minister, your MP or local paper, to doing a local street stall, or holding an exhibition or film show, to protesting at a base or nuclear site. Visit CND's website at WWW.CNDUK.ORG or phone us at 0207 700 2393 to join or get involved in any way you like.

From Fear to Sanity runs at The Horse Hospital until Saturday 30th August. For more info, go to www.thehorsehospital.com

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