A physical therapy aide who volunteers for the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) organization, which won the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize, attended the awards ceremony in Oslo, Norway, on December 10.
Maral Hassanshahi, a native of Iran, became active with ICAN after a 2012 internship in Serbia as part of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals campaign. Educating young people about disease prevention and cures opened Hassanshahi’s eyes to worldwide health epidemics. Hassanshahi is studying for her credentials as a physical therapist and works at the Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine Center in Greenbelt.
“After I went back home, I had new perspectives of what a young person like me can do to prevent public health issues,” she said.
After doing further research, Hassanshahi decided to focus on nuclear weapons. ICAN is a coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGO) from over 100 countries that work toward adherence to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which was passed by the United Nations in July 2017. The campaign’s goal is the total ban on nuclear weapons, according to its website.
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Greenbelt Physical Therapy Aide Attends Oslo Ceremony
Hassanshahi at a United Nations disarmament meeting. Photo courtesy of Maral Hassanshahi.