"As the world's sole remaining superpower, the creator of the nuclear bomb and still the only nation ever to use it, the United States bears a special responsibility to lead the world away from the brink of Armageddon not only by removing its arsenal from hair-trigger alert but by redoubling its efforts to reduce the total numbers of weapons, with the ultimate goal of their total elimination."

- Former Senator Alan Cranston, 1914-2000
Working Toward a Safer World

For many, the world changed as a result of the terrorist attacks on the United States in September 2001. We had been focused on the dangers of nuclear proliferation prior to that date. After those events, however, we decided to scan the field more extensively to determine whether we should address the broader fields of chemical, biological and other weapons of mass destruction.

A collaborative U.S. Security Briefing for Silicon Valley, designed by the Foundation, the Ploughshares Fund, and Council for a Livable World Education Fund, was already in the planning stage in Summer 2001. Its timing was unfortunately prescient. After a slight delay due to the events of September 11th, former Secretary of Defense William Perry, Amy Sands, Deputy Director of the Monterey Institute for International Studies, and MIT Professor Ted Postol, participated in a panel that considered the options facing the U.S. in light of the actual attacks as well as other potential threats. Theirs was a sobering assessment. Taking into account the Foundation’s limited resources, we ultimately determined that a narrower focus on nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament was the only strategy that might enable us to have an impact on the issue.

Toward the end of the year, we worked with the Ploughshares Fund, a significant grant recipient as well as a major funder of peace and security issues, to design a new initiative that will be implemented in 2002-2003. We are jointly funding a two-pronged effort:
  • Contracting with a lobbyist in Washington, DC, to focus on nuclear disarmament and arms control on Capitol Hill.
  • Bringing several influential arms control organizations together to work with the lobbyist to develop and implement a common lobbying agenda.

Through this initiative, we are augmenting our financial and public policy lobbying resources with those of a fellow funder and policy-oriented organization to impact a national issue of grave importance. We are also encouraging true collaboration among funders, grant recipients and a professional lobbyist to reach a common goal. That is likely to prove both an exciting opportunity and a major challenge.