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Ban Ki-moon To Call for Progress and Accountability on Nuclear Disarmament
October 21, 2011
For immediate release
Contact: Greg Austin, EWI (212) 824-4100 and Jonathan Granoff, GSI: (484) 620-4967
On the occasion of United Nations Day, Monday, October 24, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will deliver a keynote presentation at a high-level consultation "Nuclear Disarmament: A Compass Point for Progress and Accountability," co-organized by the EastWest Institute, the Global Security Institute and the James Martin Center for Non-proliferation, to promote breakthroughs in accountability for reduction of nuclear weapons.
Parliamentarians vital in supporting a nuclear weapons-free Middle East
October 20, 2011
Contact: Alyn Ware +1 646 752-8702
"Parliamentarians have a vital role in supporting the establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and other Weapons of Mass Destruction," says Baroness Sue Miller, Member of the UK House of Lords and Co-President of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (PNND), a global network of parliamentarians from over 80 countries working to prevent nuclear proliferation and achieve a nuclear weapons-free world.
"A great step towards this goal was made last week with the appointment of a host country and facilitator for a UN-sponsored conference to establish such a zone," says Baroness Miller.
Nuclear Weapon States must reduce reliance on nuclear weapons,
say global parliamentarians
Thursday June 8, 2011
For immediate release
Parliamentarians from around the world appealed to the leaders of China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States to use the forthcoming Summit on Nuclear Security in Paris to reduce their reliance on nuclear weapons and make concrete steps toward fulfilling the vision of a nuclear weapons free world.
In a joint letter to the leaders of the five nuclear weapon States (NWS), the seven Co-Presidents of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament today commended the heads of government for convening such a meeting and noted that ‘there is a global expectation that the consultations you are commencing will result in significant advances in reducing the dangers posed by nuclear weapons and in making progress towards the achievement of nuclear disarmament.’
Nuclear Developments This Week
Media Advisory
March 17, 2011
Experts at the Global Security Institute are available for comment on this week's developments in Japan, Libya, the UK and the US.
Nuclear Developments This Week
Media Advisory
March 4, 2011
Experts at the Global Security Institute are available for comment on this week's developments in Libya, Iran, Pakistan, North Korea and in the US.
MPI Founder Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
February 10, 2011
The International Peace Bureau (IPB), itself a Nobel Peace Laureate Organization, has nominated for the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize the Hon. Douglas Roche O.C. for his lifelong devotion to the cause of disarmament -- notably nuclear disarmament.
United Religions Initiative (URI) Issues a "Call of Conscience" to Abolish Nuclear Weapons
February 7, 2010
Contact: Adam Nester, Global Security Institute: (610) 668-5470
The United Religions Initiative, a global community dedicated to promoting daily interfaith cooperation, ending religiously motivated violence and creating cultures of peace, issued the following "Call of Conscience" to abolish nuclear weapons. Several leaders of GSI's family of programs were instrumental in crafting this declaration.
Bipartisan Security Group Welcomes Senate Ratification of START
Media Advisory
December 22, 2010
For immediate release
Contact: Kevin Davis, Bipartisan Security Group: (202) 251-8294; kdavis@gsinstitute.org
The Senate ratification of the new START arms reduction treaty with Russia is a major step towards strengthening national and global security, according to the Bipartisan Security Group. In an era marked by increasing polarization, BSG welcomes the overwhelming support for START from both parties.
MPI Is Pleased to Announce the Appointment of its New Chairman, Ambassador Richard Butler AC
Media Advisory
December 21, 2010
The Hon. Douglas Roche, O.C., founding Chairman of the Middle Powers Initiative (MPI), announced today the appointment of Ambassador Richard Butler AC as Chairman of MPI, effective January 1, 2011. Senator Roche made this announcement on behalf of MPI’s International Steering Committee.
Deepak Chopra Hosts"The Road to Nuclear Disarmament": featuring Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, Valerie Plame Wilson, Lawrence Bender and Jonathan Granoff
NEW YORK – July 21, 2010 – This week, Deepak Chopra will host "The Road to Global Nuclear Disarmament: The Origin, the Evolution and the Future," a special edition of his weekly SIRIUS XM show on which Queen Noor of Jordan, former CIA Covert Operations Officer Valerie Plame Wilson, Academy Award-winning producer Lawrence Bender and Jonathan Granoff, President of the Global Security Institute, join him for a personal, in-depth conversation about nuclear proliferation and the importance of nuclear abolition.
Global Leaders Promote Abolition of Nuclear Weapons:
Free screening of new film at the Strand Theatre, Rockland
For Immediate Release
Contact: Rhianna Kreger: (347) 461-7901; rtkreger@gsinstitute.org
On Sunday, July 25, at 3 PM at the Strand Theatre in Rockland, the Global Security Institute (GSI), in partnership with Participant Media (An Inconvenient Truth, The Kite Runner), Magnolia Films, Paolina’s Way and the Ploughshares Fund, will host a free screening of the new film, Countdown to Zero, a fascinating and frightening exploration of the dangers of nuclear weapons, featuring insights from a host of international experts and world leaders who advocate total global disarmament.
NPT Review Conference ends in landmark consensus agreement
NEW YORK – May 28, 2010: The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference adopted by consensus a Final Document containing a blueprint for concrete actions and next steps towards a world without nuclear weapons. Global Security Institute President Jonathan Granoff offers the following comments and is available for interviews.
“The nuclear weapon states failed to make tangible and specific commitments in the document; however, they clearly legitimized thoroughly the principle that the world will be more secure and better off with the abolition of nuclear weapons. Moreover, they set forth principles and policies to which they have unanimously committed themselves that will help us get to a nuclear weapon-free world. The significance of this achievement must not be underestimated.”
NPT Review Conference Closes Today: Experts available for immediate comment
May 28, 2010
Media Advisory
NEW YORK – The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference will close today with significant implications for the global non-proliferation regime, regardless of whether the Conference will adopt a consensus document. The Global Security Institute has experts who have been following the negotiations on the ground and behind-the-scenes, and are available for comment today or tomorrow.
Nuclear Negotiations At a Turning Point: Experts available for comment
May 3, 2010
Media Advisory
NEW YORK – This week, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and a host of other world leaders will gather at the United Nations to kick off the month-long negotiations on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), what Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Friday "one of the seminal agreements of the 21st century."
European Parliamentarians call for withdrawal of US nuclear weapons
March 23, 2010
Media Advisory
Parliamentarians from four European countries are calling on the US President Barack Obama to withdraw nuclear weapons from their countries. US nuclear gravity bombs are still deployed in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey. A letter is presently being circulated in the parliaments of these countries that calls for nuclear weapons to be withdrawn with the aim of collecting as many signatures of parliamentarians as possible. The letter will be presented to Barack Obama in April.
Japanese Legislators Rebut Obama Opponents’ Arguments on Nuclear Policy:
Foreign Minister Okada, 200 MPs Support Obama’s Vision of Nuclear Disarmament
Media Advisory
February 22, 2010: Over 200 Japanese legislators endorsed a letter delivered to President Obama on Friday supporting his stated policy objectives of moving towards a world without nuclear weapons—undercutting a key argument against President Obama’s nuclear disarmament vision.
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GSI's 10th Anniversary Celebration: Kim Campbell, former Prime Minister of Canada, to Lead Free Afternoon Forum on Disarmament
October 6, 2009
October 6th, 2009, Napa, CA -- Bob Weir - founding member of the Grateful Dead - will be playing a special acoustic evening concert to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Global Security Institute, on Sunday, November 1st, 2009, at 7:30 PM, at the Napa Valley Opera House, located at 1030 Main Street in downtown Napa, CA. Appearing with Weir's "Scaring the Children" trio will be special guest musician, actress and social activist Lili Haydn, who is often referred to as "the Jimi Hendrix of the violin". The event also includes a mid-afternoon forum entitled "At the Tipping Point: Nuclear Disarmament Challenges and Opportunities Facing Our Global Community". The forum runs from 4:00 to 5:30 PM, and features panelists Kim Campbell, the former Prime Minister of Canada, Ambassador Thomas Graham Jr., and Jonathan Granoff, President of the Global Security Institute. Following the forum is a special VIP pre-concert wine reception beginning at 6:30 PM, featuring Ambassador Graham, Prime Minister Campbell, Bob Weir, Lili Haydn and other surprise guests.
Middle Powers Initiative Issues Statement to the UN Security Council
September 14, 2009
NEW YORK: The Middle Powers Initiative (MPI) applauds President Obama’s convening of the 24 September 2009 UN Security Council Summit on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. This meeting presents an opportunity, first, to ensure that the 2010 NPT Review Conference strengthens the nuclear weapons regime and, second, to advance the achievement of a world free of nuclear weapons. We urge all middle power states to work for an outcome that meets those objectives. Among many important steps in UN and NPT commitments, the MPI regards the following as the Council’s highest priority.
Top University of Waikato award for disarmament campaigner
Media Release
August 17, 2009
A campaigner for peace education and against nuclear weapons will be honoured at the University of Waikato next month.
Alyn Ware, the global co-ordinator for Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, graduated from Waikato University in 1983 with a Bachelor of Education and Diploma in Kindergarten Teaching. He is one of three alumni to be given Distinguished Alumni Awards on September 4 at a university function hosted by the Chancellor, former Prime Minister Jim Bolger, and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Roy Crawford.
International Peace Activist to Receive Top Alumni Award at Rutgers School of Law–Camden
Media Advisory: For immediate release
June 05, 2009
CAMDEN -- Jonathan G. Granoff, an internationally respected leader and author on matters concerning the elimination of nuclear weapons, has been selected to receive the 2009 Arthur E. Armitage Sr. Distinguished Alumni Award from the Rutgers-Camden Law Alumni Association.
Click here to read well-wishes to Jonathan Granoff from world dignitaries
Christie Brinkley, model and philanthropist, will be a featured speaker at the United Nations on Wednesday, May 6, at 1:15pm.
Media Advisory: For immediate release
Contact: The Middle Powers Initiative, mpi-ny@gsinstitute.org, 1-646-289-5170
NEW YORK - With Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and US President Barack Obama taking on renewed leadership roles in promoting nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, hopes that progress can be made on this vital issue are on the rise.
A panel of distinguished international figures – including Christie Brinkley, model and philanthropist, and the Honorable Gareth Evans, the Co-chair of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament – will explore some of the dynamic initiatives opening up before the world at a panel entitled “Progress Initiatives” on Wednesday, May 6, at 1:15pm.
Putting an end to nuclear test explosions!
Press Release: For immediate release
Contact: Annika Thunborg, Spokesperson, CTBTO, +43-699-1459 6375, annika.thunborg@ctbto.org
Leading international figures will address a conference to promote the treaty that would ban all nuclear weapons testing on Earth.
The Fourth Ministerial Meeting to promote the early entry-into-force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) will take place, Wednesday, 24 September 2008at 09:30 at the United Nations Headquarters, Conference Room 2, in New York, United States. It will be followed by a press briefing at 11:00 in the Press Room (S-226), the second floor of the U.N. Secretariat Building.
Time for NATO to leave the nuclear dinosaur age?
Press Release: For publication May 24
Contact: Uta Zapf, MdB +49 30 227 7 49 73
Parliamentary leaders and nuclear non-proliferation experts today challenged members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and other countries ‘defended’ by nuclear weapons to abandon the outdated doctrine of nuclear deterrence and redirect nuclear weapons budgets to meeting social and development goals.
Nuclear proponents: "irresponsible in the extreme"
January 24, 2008
For immediate release
Five retired military leaders who have called for increasing NATO’s willingness to use nuclear weapons are “irresponsible in the extreme,” said Senator Douglas Roche, O.C., Chairman of the Middle Powers Initiative, releasing a new MPI Briefing Paper. Rather than planning to use them, NATO needs to show a “visible intent” to downgrade nuclear weapons.
Diverse Coalition Launches Campaign to Stop U.S. Nuclear Deal with India
January 16, 2008
For immediate release
WASHINGTON, DC –The Bipartisan Security Group is one of twenty-three organizations which today launched a coalition to stop the Bush Administration’s proposed nuclear trade agreement with India. The proposed agreement would exempt that nuclear-armed nation from longstanding U.S. and international restrictions on states that do not meet global standards to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.
International Policies to Reduce Bio Threats
November 11, 2007
For immediate release
Washington, DC- Former chief US weapons inspector in Iraq, David Kay, will be part of a lunchtime panel discussion on developing international policies to reduce the threats from biological weapons. The panel will explore the pressing threats from potential use of biological weapons by states and terrorists, as well as from accidental releases. The panel, organized by the Bipartisan Security Group, will examine the various cooperative responses the international community can take to counter these threats.
Struggle for a nuclear weapon-free world (Pugna por un mundo sin armas nucleares)
Press Release from Universal Cultures Forum, Monterrey, Mexico
Monterrey, Mexico: Jonathan Granoff, President of the Global Security Institute, speaks about the necessity to redfine universal values where armaments are not contemplated. Spanish only.
Jayantha Dhanapala Appointed President of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs
For Immediate Release
Bari, Italy, 26 October 2007--At a time of both opportunity and challenge for non-proliferation, the Pugwash Council, meeting in Bari, Italy, has unanimously elected Jayantha Dhanapala of Sri Lanka as the new President of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. Taking office on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the first Pugwash Conference, Dhanapala is the eleventh person to hold this title. He follows in the footsteps of such eminent scientists and thinkers as founder Bertrand Russell, and former presidents Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, M.S. Swaminathan, and Sir Joseph Rotblat.
Indonesia Lauds MPI's Article VI Forum for Identifying Key Priority Areas
Octoer 17, 2007
In his statement to the General Assembly First Committee on Disarmament and International Security, Indonesian Ambassador H.E. Mr. Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat voiced his country's staunch support for the priority areas identified by the Middle Powers Initiative through the Article VI Forum (A6F).
Christie Brinkley Joins Senior Parliamentarians and Civil Society Experts at UN Forum
For Immediate Release
New York- On October 11th, 2007, Christie Brinkley will join two senior women parliamentarians and a leading civil society expert in a special GSI-PNND panel event at the United Nations entitled “Amplifying the Moral and Practical Missions of the United Nations: Parliamentarians, Diplomats and Engaged Citizens Working to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.”
US/Iran Confrontation: Intensified Diplomacy and Adherence to International Law
For Immediate Release
New York - The Middle Powers Initiative today issued an appeal for a diplomatic and peaceful resolution of the Iran crisis. In a statement widely released to governments around the world, MPI appealed for their help in influencing the United States not to launch a military attack on Iran.
“To avoid unpredictable and extremely dangerous escalation arising both from the Iraq war and the nuclear dispute, the United States and Iran, bilaterally and with other concerned countries, must now negotiate on the range of issues dividing them,” said MPI. Following the precedent of the recent agreement with North Korea, MPI advocates “a maximum effort … to reach agreement over time with Iran on nuclear matters.”
Pitt's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs to Host Conference on Nuclear Weapons and Global Warming
September 18, 2007
For immediate release
PITTSBURGH-The University of Pittsburgh's Matthew B. Ridgway Center for International Security Studies will host a conference titled “Securing Our Survival-Meeting the Threats of Nuclear Weapons and Global Warming,” at 9 a.m. Oct. 12 and 13, in the Teplitz Moot Courtroom, Barco Law Building, 3900 Forbes Ave., Oakland. The event will bring together internationally prominent scholars and policy analysts and community members to discuss threats that challenge the security of the world. The conference is being organized by the Ridgway Center, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and the Stanley Foundation.
The conference will feature several internationally known speakers, including, Thomas Graham, former special representative of the President of the United States for Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament; Joseph Cirincione, senior fellow and director for Nuclear Policy at the Center for American Progress, William Hartung, director of the Arms and Security Initiative at the New America Foundation; and Lisa Schirch, professor of peace building at Eastern Mennonite University and program director of the 3D Security Initiative.
MPI Chairman to Receive Christian Leadership Award
Edmonton, Canada
Douglas Roche, O.C., is the 2007 recipient of the Kevin Carr Christian Leadership Award.
Named to commemorate Newman Theological College's seventh president, the award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the Christian community and beyond.
Pugwash 50th Anniversary Media Coverage
Pugwash, Nova Scotia, July 7-9 2007
Major media covered the historic conference in Pugwash, Nova Scotia, interviewing several prominent leaders within the MPI network, including Chairman Douglas Roche, O.C., Advisor Jayantha Dhanapala, GSI Advisor Mikhail Gorbachev and more.
Revitalizing Nuclear Disarmament: Policy Recommendations of the Pugwash 50th Anniversary Workshop
Press Release
For Immediate Release
Pugwash, Nova Scotia, 8 July 2007
As long as nuclear weapons exist, they will one day be used.
This sober, inescapable truth continues to haunt the international community. Every minute of every day, more than 26,000 nuclear weapons - many thousands of them on hair-trigger alert - are poised to bring monumental destruction if they are ever used. Nuclear weapons have spread to more countries, and the international non-proliferation regime is perilously close to collapse. Poorly guarded stockpiles of highly enriched uranium and plutonium around the world could fall into the hands of terrorists who would think nothing of exploding a nuclear device in a major city.
Dhanapala, Johnson Named MPI Expert Consultants
Press Release
For Immediate Release
June 29, 2007
The Middle Powers Initiative, an NGO dedicated to the worldwide reduction and elimination of nuclear weapons, is pleased and honored to announce the appointment of two of the most distinguished figures in international arms control issues as Expert Consultants to MPI.
Ambassador Jayantha Dhanapala, the former UN Under-Secretary General for Disarmament Affair and commissioner on the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission, and Dr. Rebecca Johnson, the Executive Director of the Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy and Editor of the Institute’s journal Disarmament Diplomacy, will lend their expertise to MPI as it enters a new phase in its work to help revitalize the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation agenda as embodied in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Saving Our Nuclear Allies Despite Themselves
Embassy editorial
June 6, 2007
Senator Roméo Dallaire wants to remove Canada from NATO until it drops its dangerous nuclear weapons first-strike strategy. Former senator Doug Roche, who is the chair of the Middle Powers Initiative, remains one of Canada's most tireless advocates for nuclear disarmament. If anyone believes they are voices of the past when they speak out against nuclear weapons, they better think again.
Click here for a PDF version of the article
Click here to read the statement by Senator Dallaire in the Canadian Parliament
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A GENERAL CONCERN, A BURNING QUESTION: THE WEAPONIZATION OF OUTER SPACE
Dr. Hans Blix (WMD Commission, Stockholm) - Ambassador Robert Grey (BSG, Washington) – Dr. Patricia Lewis (UNIDIR, Geneva)
WEDNESDAY 9 MAY – Plenary Room A – ACV- The Global Security Institute, co-sponsored by the Government of Sweden and the Secure World Foundation, will host a lunchtime panel, entitled “Weapons in Space and the Disarmament/Nonproliferation Regime.” With increasing sophistication of dual-use technologies and plans on the part of the US Pentagon and other countries to weaponize space, the need for a multilateral regime governing peaceful uses of outer space is of unprecedented urgency. GSI, in its ongoing efforts to promote cooperative security in space, is holding this meeting to relay the importance of outer space security and its relevance to the legal regime of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Get rid of nukes, diplomat advises
by Roger Snodgrass, Los Alamos Monitor
July 9, 2006
A senior American diplomat with decades of international disarmament experience called on the United States to lead the world toward the elimination of nuclear weapons. Speaking to a Los Alamos arms control committee this week, Ambassador Thomas Graham Jr. warned the group that his views have evolved from those he may have had as a former Special Representative of the President for Arms Control, Nonproliferation and Disarmament.
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No One Wins in the Nuclear Arms Race
By David Hutter, Quinnipiac Chronicle
November 2, 2005
"The more we build these weapons to keep us safe, the less safe we become."
These words came from Jonathan Granoff, president of the Global Security Institute, an agency committed to the elimination of nuclear weapons, to students and community members on Oct. 29 in Alumni Hall.
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United Nations Holds Press Conference on NPT
United Nations Press Release
May 10, 2005
Watch press conference
“The United States could not preach temperance from a barstool”, United States Congressman Ed Markey said yesterday at a Headquarters press conference, referring to the United States’ interest in developing a nuclear “bunker-buster” weapon while seeking to suppress the nuclear threat elsewhere in Iran and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
At a late-day press conference in the midst of the month-long Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), ongoing in New York through 27 May, Mr. Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts first elected to Congress in 1976, said that the major energy bill that recently passed the House of Representatives lifted a 30-year ban on reprocessing of nuclear materials. “This is not the time for the United States to be sending a signal that we’re getting back into the business of nuclear reprocessing as we’re trying to convince other countries in the world, again, to disavow interest.”
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2005 Alan Cranston Peace Award
Release: March 28, 2005
Media Contacts: Zachary Allen
Office: 415-397-6760
Mobile: 415-254-5306
Email: zack@gsinstitute.org
-or-
Contact: Troy Moore (DAY OF EVENT)
Office: 212-343-1733 ext. 214
Email: tmoore@212group.com
PRESIDENT MIKHAIL GORBACHEV TO PRESENT
2005 ALAN CRANSTON PEACE AWARD
TO TED TURNER Gorbachev Expected to Call for a New Era of Glasnost and Perestroika
for Addressing the Continued, Dangerous Existence of Nuclear Arsenals
Rt. Hon. Kim Campbell To Preside Over United Nations Ceremony
NEW YORK, March 28 2005—Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev will present businessman and philanthropist Ted Turner with the 2005 Alan Cranston Peace Award on behalf of the Global Security Institute, April 20th at the United Nations in New York City.
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Teens adopt global focus at mock U.N. session
By Mary Iarocci, The Journal News
March 20, 2005
Eric Ersequn is spending this weekend resolving a hostage crisis in the Ivory Coast.
The Hastings High School senior and other student delegates were given an hour yesterday to peacefully resolve the conflict as part of their participation in a model U.N. committee.
The 29th annual Westchester Model United Nations Conference began Friday and ends today at Hastings High School.
Students from nine area schools formed 12 model U.N. committees to debate and resolve global issues.
The student-run event gave teenagers a chance to discuss international law and learn how the U.N. operates.
"This is our time to watch TV and chill, but we're here at school. The conference makes it all worth it because we're learning in a fun environment," Ersequn said.
In addition to the delegates, more than 100 students participated in the conference as security guards, kitchen staff and office workers.
Younger students assisted the committees and researched topics such as India's independence from Great Britain.
Jonathan Granoff, president of the Global Security Institute, was the keynote speaker. He has been involved in a movement to ban nuclear weapons for the past 20 years.
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Nuclear Non-Proliferaton Treaty (NPT) Facing a Tough Road Ahead
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 18, 2005
Contact: Zachary Allen, Tel: 415-397-6760, zack@gsinstitute.org
SAN FRANCISCO—Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter recently hosted a consultation of diplomats and government officials at The Carter Center. The Consultation sought to preserve and strengthen the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) which President Carter said "was deeply wounded and whose very life is threatened." He called the policy of the nuclear weapons states "irrational" and gave eight "corrective actions" to save it.
Entitled "Atlanta Consultation II: On the Future of the NPT," the consultation was organized by the Middle Powers Initiative, a program of the Global Security Institute, in cooperation with The Carter Center, January 26-28, 2005.
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"The Sovereignty Revolution" by Alan Cranston, Edited by Kim Cranston
For Immediate Release: June 14, 2004
Contact: Zachary Allen
Tel: (415) 397-6760
"Senator Alan Cranston was a passionate public servant, a true citizen of the world and an inspirational force for peace. The Sovereignty Revolution, finished shortly before his death, gives voice to his visionary understanding of how to create a world with more friends and fewer terrorists. The Senator argues that we must revise our notions of sovereignty if we are to meet the global challenges of the 21st century. While we mourn his loss, how fortunate we are to have this book—a gift of his wisdom reflecting the lessons of a lifetime."
—President Bill Clinton
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An Appeal from Christie Brinkley
April 24, 2004
New York City
Dear Friends:
I am not an expert on nuclear weapons or global politics, but I do have enough common sense to know two things:
First, nuclear weapons threaten the lives of billions of people. And second, my country will be unable to persuade others not to acquire nuclear weapons while insisting on our right to plan and build new ones.
As a mother it is very clear that one can never change behavior with a “do as I say, not as I do” attitude.
Children see through this and surely nations see through the illogic of my country telling others not to develop weapons of mass destruction while we rely so heavily on them. It is not logical, nor moral.
Universal disarmament is the only sensible course.
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A Message of Hope from Pierce Brosnan
Dear Friends:
When I look into the eyes of my children, I remember why I am committed to working for a safer world, a world without nuclear weapons.
Imagine a world without organizations like the Global Security Institute. Could we survive if the voices of conscience, reason, law, security, and morality, advocating the elimination of nuclear weapons were silenced? Such silence in the face of present dangers is unacceptable.
When our leaders are pressing for preemptive military use of nuclear weapons, resumption of nuclear testing, and the creation of new more “usable” nuclear weapons, clear, competent, morally coherent voices must be heard at the highest levels of power and politics.
I know personally that the Global Security Institute has the expertise, experience, and the political access to move policy and decision makers in the right direction. Please join me in supporting their work with as much generosity as you can afford.
In Peace,
Pierce Brosnan
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UN Under-Secretary-General Nobuyasu Abe to Engage Parliamentarians in Reducing Nuclear Dangers
For Immediate Release: October 31, 2003
Contact: Kath Delaney
kath@gsinstitute.org
Tel: 415-397-6760
Vancouver…Ambassador Nobuyasu Abe, the recently appointed United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament, will join Dr. Jennifer Allen Simons and the Honourable Lloyd Axworthy, Co-Directors of the Simons Centre for Peace and Disarmament Studies at a conference at the Liu Institute for Global Issues, University of British Columbia, November 7-9, 2003 in Vancouver, British Columbia. International experts in nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, and parliamentarians from around the world will gather to address and reverse the growing dangers from nuclear proliferation and new nuclear war-fighting doctrines.
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Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (PNND) Gathers in Vancouver to Reduce Nuclear Dangers
Announcement
October 28, 2003
On Friday, November 7, 2003, Parliamentarians from around the world will gather in Vancouver for the inaugural conference of the Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (PNND).
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Washington, DC -- Michael Douglas, Dr. Jane Goodall Address Strengthening US and World Security at the US Congress
MEDIA ADVISORY
PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
September 30, 2003
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Kath Delaney, 415-383-7922 or 415-531-1642
Nadine Kjellberg, 610-668-5480 or 610-585-0844
What:
The House of Representatives Bipartisan Task Force on Non-Proliferation, in cooperation with the Bipartisan Security Group, will host a discussion on the limits of unilateralism at the U.S. Congress. In separate keynotes, Ambassador Thomas Graham,
Dr. Jane Goodall and Michael Douglas will urge U.S. policy makers to pursue greater cooperation -- both at home and abroad -- when addressing global security threats. Comments by Congressmen Ed Markey (D-MA), Christopher Shays (R-CT) and GSI President Jonathan Granoff as well as a dialogue with the audience will follow.
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EVENT RESCHEDULED: Michael Douglas, Jane Goodall Urge Greater Cooperation in Addressing Global Security Threats
Press Release
September 17, 2003
DUE TO HURRICANE ISABEL, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FROM SEPTEMBER 18 TO OCTOBER 2. PLEASE WATCH FOR UPDATES.
On Thursday, October 2, actor, producer, and director Michael Douglas and noted primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall will speak on Capitol Hill. In separate keynotes, they will urge U.S. policy makers to pursue greater cooperation -- both at home and abroad -- when addressing global security threats. A panel discussion, featuring Congressmen Ed Markey (D-MA) and Christopher Shays (R-CT), as well as Ambassador Thomas Graham, Jr. (Ret.) will follow.
The non-partisan event is sponsored by the House of Representatives Bipartisan Task Force on Non-Proliferation. The Bipartisan Security Group is pleased to cooperate in the planning of this event.
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In Memoriam: Anna Lindh, Foreign Minister of Sweden
Press Release
September 11, 2003
The world has lost one its brightest lights. Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh passed away from multiple stab wounds inflicted by an unknown assailant yesterday.
She was a tireless advocate for nuclear disarmament and human rights and considered a likely candidate for Prime Minister. She was appropriately immensely popular in Sweden.
At the 2001 Conference of the States Parties to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, where Secretary General Kofi Annan emphasized that moving toward the elimination of nuclear weapons should be accelerated in the shadow of 9/11, her character and courage shined.
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In Memoriam: Sergio Vieira de Mello and Arthur Helton
By Jonathan Granoff
August 22, 2003
Two great men, Sergio Vieira de Mello and Arthur Helton, were among the 20 people who died in the explosion at the United Nations in Iraq this week.
Sergio Vieira de Mello, United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights and leader of the UN efforts in Iraq, had helped bring stability and self governance to Kosovo and East Timor and was beginning his work to accomplish the same end in Iraq. Mr. de Mello accomplished much with limited resources by inspiring exceptional commitments and cooperation. His leadership style demonstrated generosity and confidence.
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BSG Panel Underscores Core Role of NPT, Presents Action Plan
Press Release
June 19, 2003
Photo: Grey, Graham, Granoff, Markey, Gottemoeller, Holum
WASHINGTON, DC--On June 18, the Bipartisan Security Group (BSG) held a Capitol Hill briefing on the central role of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and obtaining their ultimate elimination. Stressing the Treaty's successful track record over the past 30 years, the panel offered recommendations on how to pursue multilateral security post the Iraqi war.
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Capitol Hill Briefing on Future of Arms Control Treaties
Press Release
June 17, 2003
WASHINGTON, DC--On Wednesday, June 18, the House of Representatives Bipartisan Task Force on Non-Proliferation will host a Bipartisan Security Group panel for Members of Congress and their staff on the future of arms control treaties.
Panelists will include:
Rose Gottemoeller, Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and former Deputy Undersecretary for Defense and Nuclear Proliferation, DOE;
Ambassador Thomas Graham, Jr. (ret.), who was involved in the negotiation of every major international arms control and non-proliferation agreement of the past 30 years; and
John Holum, former Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.
Moderator: Ambassador Robert T. Grey, Jr., former U.S. Representative to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.
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The Active Opposition's
The Nuclear Lullaby: What We Are Not Being Told
Airs on June 18
Media Advisory
WorldLink TV
June 17, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Kim Spencer (415) 457-5222 or Jennifer Spoerri (510) 757-3321
Cornerstone of WorldLink TV’s "Red Alert" Week,
Show Features Leading Nuclear Experts Discussing New Nuclear Threat
(San Francisco, June 16, 2003) Who is the greatest nuclear threat in the world? Is it North Korea, Iran, Pakistan, Israel or perhaps the United States itself? After decades of cold war, superpower parity and carefully constructed nuclear arms agreements, the Bush Administration has now again begun thinking the unthinkable: the development and use of nuclear weapons as a viable means of warfare and counter-terrorism assaults. Meanwhile, critics at home and around the world fear this may increase the possibility of nuclear war by sending a green-light signal to other countries with nuclear capability that the use of "tactical" nuclear weapons is acceptable.
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GSI's Short Film "Vision and Voice" Praised at SF Gala Debut
Download the QuickTime Video
SAN FRANCISCO—“Vision and Voice,” a new GSI short film, celebrated its debut at San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel during the April 12th Alan Cranston Peace Award Ceremony, which honored Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.
The 400 guests at the gala, including actors Pierce Brosnan and Peter Coyote, praised the video as one of the highlights of the evening. The fast paced and informative six minute film is now available to download and share from the Global Security Institute website (http://www.gsinstitute.org/gsi/about.html).
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Capitol Hill Panel on Bio-Weapons
Press Release
June 6, 2003
Photo: Amb. James Leonard, Suzanne Spaulding, Prof. Barry Kellman, Hon. Ed Markey, Jonathan Granoff. Photo by N. Kjellberg.
WASHINGTON, DC—The Bipartisan Security Group organized a Capitol Hill panel discussion on biological weapons dangers. It was hosted by the Congressional Bipartisan Task Force on Non-Proliferation on March 25. Congressmen Ed Markey (D-MA) and Chris Shays (R-CT) later sent letters to Administration officials including John Ashcroft, Condoleeza Rice, Tom Ridge and Tommy Thompson, calling for specific policies to strengthen the legal prohibitions related to biological weapons.
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Proclamation
City and County of San Francisco
WHEREAS, Senator Alan Cranston (1914-2000) dedicated his life and work to peace, justice, environmental sustainability, human rights, the rights of veterans, the rule of law and cooperation amongst peoples, and above all, the elimination of nuclear weapons; and
WHEREAS, Senator Cranston founded the Global Security Institute in the city of San Francisco in 1999, concerned deeply that it is unworthy of civilization to base security on terror, on the threat to annihilate millions of innocent civilians, and to carry on a mission and a vision to create a world free from the perilous dang
ers posed by nuclear weapons; and
WHEREAS, the Global Security Institute created the Alan Cranston Peace Award to honor leaders who share Senator Cranston's vision; and
WHEREAS, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi has publicly urged the President to initiate multilateral negotiations leading to the early conclusion of a nuclear weapons convention; and
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Bipartisan Security Group Capitol Hill Seminar on Biological Weapons
Press Release
\On March 25, the Bipartisan Task Force on Non-Proliferation of the US Congress will host a panel on The Biological Weapons Convention: Relevance for International and National Security.
The Bipartisan Security Group (a program of the Global Security Institute) has organized this panel, which includes:
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GSI Press Conference at UN: Former U.S. Diplomats Deeply Concerned
Press Conference
United Nations
March 10, 2003
\Photo:
