Patrick Kinney (pictured here, on the right) joins the Disarmament and Security Centre in the role of part-time researcher / project support. He is an undergraduate student at the University of Canterbury in his third year studying Law and Political Science. He is currently president of UCDisarm – the campus peace and disarmament club – and has already worked closely with the DSC in that role.
“I’m really excited to work with the DSC to raise youth awareness about disarmament issues in Aotearoa and in the world beyond and also to be part of Ōtautahi’s wonderful disarmament community.
It actually wasn’t until my last year of high school and attending a Christchurch Heritage Festival event run by the DSC that I became aware of disarmament issues and New Zealand’s nuclear-free status. The evening really helped me to gain a better understanding of our history and national identity and I was surprised (and still am!) that it’s something not really touched upon during our schooling.
When I started studying at the University of Canterbury, I became involved with UCDisarm. This was a new peace and disarmament club started up by Marcus Coll, a PhD student and longtime friend of the DSC. At the time most of the members were his busy PhD friends and at the inaugural general meeting formally setting up the club I was elected club treasurer, much to my surprise!
Since then, I’ve been part of UCDisarm as we’ve been learning how to run a club on campus and raise awareness among students about disarmament and non-proliferation issues. UCDisarm has always worked closely with the DSC, which is why I already feel so welcomed within the organisation and am happy to join the team.”
Welcome to the team Patrick! We're excited to work with you.
To get in touch with Patrick, especially regarding UCDisarm, you can contact him on: ucdisarm (@) gmail.com
