 |
 |
|
||
|
|
|
Maxwell Bruce, O.C., Q.C., a Pugwash stalwart, died in Toronto on 25 October 2001 as a consequence of injuries incurred in a tragic car accident, in which his wife, Nina, was killed instantly. Max was an extraordinary person with an active interest in many areas, such as the improvement of international relations, and the building of lasting peace in the world, contributing significantly to them. Canadian by birth, he had residences in Toronto, London and Valletta. Apart from commuting between these cities, he frequently traversed the globe, usually accompanied by Nina. These travels were not for sightseeing but to participate in international meetings of the various organizations of which he was a member. This made him a world citizen, a description justified by the nature of his activities. A lawyer by profession, his interests included the aquatic environment, particularly the oceans, and he took an active part in drafting international laws for the protection of the oceans. He was a member of the Planning Council of the International Ocean Institute based at the University of Malta, and participated in many Pacem in Maribus Convocations At the same time he was actively engaged in a variety of professional and voluntary organizations. Thus, he held the posts of President (later permanent Vice-President) of the Canadian Red Cross Society; served on the Council of the Canadian Bar Associates; and was Chairman of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. In 1977 he took up residence in London, as representative of the British branch of his firm. Soon afterwards, and purely by chance, he walked into a meeting of the British Pugwash Group at my College in Barts. This turned out to be a decisive moment in his life; he became enthusiastic about the objectives of Pugwash in its quest for global peace, and remained a devotee of Pugwash in its pursuit of nuclear disarmament until the end of his life. Although Pugwash is primarily a movement of natural scientists, the nature of our activities brings it to problems of international law, in formulating or interpreting international treaties and conventions. The collaboration between scientists, who have expertise in the technical aspects, and lawyers, with their knowledge of the legal side, proved to be a very efficient way to tackle such problems, and Max soon found his niche in Pugwash activities. Thus, together with a few other lawyers that he recruited, Max contributed to our project on the desirability and feasibility of a nuclear-weapon-free world, by setting out the legal aspects of a Convention on the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. He devoted much time and energy, in collaboration with me, on the World Energy Organization project. The idea was to set up an organization analogous to the World Health Organization, which would do for energy problems what WHO is doing for health. The paper we wrote drew the attention of experts in the field; and at a meeting we attended with the relevant UN authorities in New York, much sympathy was expressed for the project. However, it did not get off the ground because of the vested interests of other organizations concerned with energy. Believing that this was an idea whose time would come, Max Bruce organized a Pugwash workshop in 1995, in Malta, on the topic: "The Feasibility and Desirability of a World Energy Organization". Starting in 1981, Max attended 25 Pugwash Conferences and workshops, to many of which he made significant contributions. He was particularly active in the British Pugwash Group of which he was honorary secretary for a number of years. In that capacity he was mainly responsible for organizing the 40th Conference in Egham in 1990. His wife, Nina, who also took an interest in Pugwash, was in charge of the Ladies Programme. As a person, Max was charming, witty, invariably polite, extremely reliable, and though somewhat reserved, very caring. He was indefatigable in seeking and obtaining financial support for his various projects, even from people antagonistic to them. He never refused any task, however onerous, and worked on his causes for their own sake and not for his self-aggrandisement. Nevertheless, he was pleased when the Canadian Government appointed him recently an Officer of the Order of Canada. I cannot end this tribute to Max without mentioning two more examples of his care for Pugwash and his friends. One was the production, together with Tom Milne, of the book The Force of Reason, in honour of my 90th birthday; this required a huge effort, particularly since it was all done in the London Pugwash Office, without my being aware of it! The second was his idea of giving the Russell/Einstein Manifesto a wide circulation. This project has come to fruition only just now, in the production of the beautiful folio (inserted in this issue) and posters with the text of the Manifesto. Alas, he did not live to see the final product. He will be sorely missed by a large number of friends. - Joseph Rotblat |