We believe nuclear weapons issues to be the most disturbing of our time and the largest threat to humanity, and that halting nuclear proliferation is a key solution. Below is a record of the Foundation's past policy activities in the nuclear disarmament arena. Learn more about the Foundation's current commitment to reducing the nuclear threat.
Arms Control Advocacy Collaborative (AC2)
Background on AC2
In November 2002, the Kirsch Foundation and the San Francisco-based Ploughshares Fund launched a public policy effort called the Arms Control Advocacy Collaborative, or AC2 (AC-squared). This project, funded by the two foundations, endeavors to advance a common nonproliferation and arms control agenda in Washington, DC.
The two foundations retained Terri S. Lodge, Former Senior Congressional Advisor for Arms Control and Nonproliferation at the Department of State, as the lobbyist for AC2. For the initial three-year pilot project, 10 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) participated in and contributed technical and political expertise to AC2.
In 2005, 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. An expanded AC2 began in December 2005 with 14 NGOs and Terri Lodge. Each organization and its professional staff contribute extensive technical, policy, grassroots or legislative expertise that benefits the overall lobbying effort. Learn more about AC2.
Prior Legislative Efforts
Since its inception, AC2 has concentrated its legislative efforts on a variety of critical nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament issues including:
- Preventing nuclear terrorism by locking-up all nuclear bomb-making material and reducing nuclear stockpiles;
- Stopping the development of new weapons, including de-funding the "bunker buster" and limiting funding for the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW), and enacting barriers to the resumption of nuclear testing;
- Maintaining space as "weapons-free" and preventing further deployment of a missile defense system;
- Promoting diplomatic efforts to end Iran's and North Korea's nuclear programs; and
- Opposing the proposed India-U.S. Nuclear Cooperation Agreement; and
- Bringing greater attention to the Strategic Offense Reductions Treaty (SORT) before it was adopted.
