"We must strive to break the calamitous cycle' which, if unchecked, could spiral into nuclear disaster; the ultimate insanity' we must find somewhere to begin." (President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Annual Message to the Congress on the State of the Union, January 7, 1960)

Initial Three Year Project
On November 25, 2002, the Kirsch Foundation and the San Francisco-based Ploughshares Fund launched the Arms Control Advocacy Collaborative, or AC2 (AC-squared). This project, funded by the two foundations, advanced a common nonproliferation and arms control agenda in Washington, DC. through coordinated lobbying and advocacy by a group of ten non-governmental organizations.

Former Senior Congressional Advisor for Arms Control and Nonproliferation at the Department of State, Terri S. Lodge, was the lobbyist retained by the two foundations for AC2. As Chairperson of the interagency Arms Control Treaty Ratification Working Group, Ms. Lodge was charged with formulating and implementing an effective legislative ratification strategy. She worked to win approval of a number of agreements including the START I and START II Treaties, the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty, the Nuclear Safety Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention. Ms. Lodge worked closely with former Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, General John Shalikashvili (ret.) on his independent review of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and has worked to ensure appropriations for the Nunn-Lugar programs in Russia and the former Soviet Union since their inception.

Phase Two – An Expanded Commitment
After an assessment of the three-year pilot project, both the Kirsch Foundation and the Ploughshares Fund decided to renew their commitment to AC2 as a unique and highly-effective contribution to the peace and security field. As a result of a competitive proposal process throughout the summer and fall, a new, and expanded AC2, began in December 2005.

Fourteen non-governmental organizations, and Terri Lodge, the dedicated lobbyist retained by the two foundations, form AC2. Each organization and its professional staff contributes extensive technical, policy, grassroots or legislative expertise that benefits the overall lobbying effort. The organizations are:

• Alliance for Nuclear Accountability
  
• Arms Control Association
  
• British American Security Information Council
  
• Council for a Livable World
  
• Friends Committee on National Legislation
  
• Global Green USA
  
• Global Security Institute
  
• Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
  
• Peace Action
  
• Physicians for Social Responsibility
  
• Taxpayers for Common Sense
  
• 20/20 Vision
  
• Union of Concerned Scientists
  
• Women's Action for New Directions
  
  

Current AC2 legislative efforts include:

• Stopping the progression of “Complex 2030,” a massive overhaul of the U.S. nuclear weapons complex, including the development of the Reliable Replacement Warhead;
  
• Decreasing the risk of nuclear terrorism by supporting funding for Cooperative Threat Reduction programs and locking up nuclear materials;
  
• Keeping space as “weapons free” and preventing further deployment of a missile defense system;
  
• Halting funding for the reprocessing of commercial spent nuclear fuel; and
  
• Resolving the issue of Iran’s nuclear program using diplomatic means.
  
  

Learn more about these AC2’s priorities along with key national security issues and major goals for the larger national nuclear nonproliferation community by reading the “2007 National Security Briefing Book,” assembled and sponsored by leading arms control organizations.

Read about AC2's past legislative efforts.

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