Council for a Livable World
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Council for a Livable World is a United States arms control organization. Its aims are to:
- Halt the spread of weapons of mass destruction.
- Expand non-proliferation programs.
- Oppose the US missile defense system.
- Oppose the construction of a new generation of nuclear weapons.
- Cut perceived Pentagon waste.
- Reduce arms exports.
The Council is also a political lobby which endorses political candidates. Council supporters provide more funds to opponents of the arms race than any other arms control organization in America -- $1.6 million on 2003-4.
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[edit] History
The Council for a Livable World was founded in 1962 by nuclear physicist Leo Szilard and other scientists who helped develop the first atomic weapons. These scientists wanted to warn the public and Congress of the threat of nuclear war and start a debate about arms control and nuclear disarmament.
The Council provides senators with sophisticated technical and scientific information that helps them make intelligent decisions about nuclear arms control, strategic and conventional weapons, the military budget and United Nations peacekeeping. In 1980, the Council created the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation to support its mission by providing outreach to policy-makers, opinion-shapers and voters.
The Council was instrumental in passing:
- The 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention.
- The 1992 nuclear testing moratorium.
- The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
- The Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty.
- The START Treaties.
The Council was also instrumental in:
- Banning biological weapons.
- Terminating chemical weapons production.
- Terminating the Midgetman missile.
- Limiting deployment of the MX missile and B-2 Spirit plane than would otherwise have taken place.
The Council's national political program -- funded exclusively by over 30,000 supporters -- helps elect the Congressmen and women who support nuclear disarmament.
[edit] Working in Washington
The Council uses many tools to monitor and influence arms control legislation in the U.S. Congress.
Legislation. The Council helps initiate and draft arms control bills, monitors appropriate committees, arranges for expert witnesses for hearings, and keeps accurate head counts before votes are taken.
Lobbying. Arms control experts lobby Congress and the Administration on behalf of the Council's 30,000 supporters, many of whom have joined their Grassroots Network to lobby Members of Congress personally on key votes.
Seminars. Council board members and other knowledgeable authorities outside of government provide valuable technical, scientific, and tactical information to senators and their staffs. These off-the-record sessions are often attended by many of the Senators.
Information. To inform the public, political figures, and news media, the Council publishes fact sheets on arms control issues and major weapons systems; distributes voting records of senators and representatives on national security issues; and produces literature, articles, and reprints. This information is available through the Council's office, and on the World Wide Web.
Joint actions. The Council works closely with other peace groups to track major legislation, build coalitions for lobbying, and keep the public informed about nuclear disarmament and military budget issues.
[edit] Campaigning
The Council is the electoral arm of the peace movement. Its success in helping to elect 104 U.S. senators in 39 years is due to its dedicated supporters and unique political program.
Council supporters provide more funds to opponents of the arms race than any other arms control organization in America -- $1.6 million in 2003-4. Incumbents and challengers alike understand that Council supporters are very serious about eliminating nuclear weapons. The Council's political program begins with exhaustive campaign intelligence gathered months, even years, before elections take place. The nonpartisan Council does not get involved in every race.
The Council chooses races where the differences between candidates on arms control issues are clear-cut. It concentrates on smaller states and primary elections, where campaign dollars go farther. It recommends candidates in close races where Council dollars can be crucial to the outcome and candidates have true financial need.
Unlike other candidate assistance groups, the Council lets its supporters decide which of its endorsed candidates they prefer to support. A Council supporter makes out a check to a candidate and sends it to the Council, where it is pooled with hundreds of other contributions and delivered to the candidate. This guarantees that the candidate knows the contributions are from advocates for arms control.
In the 2004 election, the Council helped challengers such as Barack Obama in Illinois, Debbie Stabenow in Michigan, Maria Cantwell in Washington and Tom Carper in Delaware defeat conservative incumbents. The Council also supported pro-arms control Republican Jim Jeffords (VT).
For the 2006 elections, the Council is seeking candidates who support deep cuts in nuclear weapons, an end to the deployment of Star Wars and expansion of non-proliferation programs.
[edit] Issues
[edit] Missile Defense
The Council believes that it makes little sense to spend billions for a missile defense system that won't work, doesn't deal with the more likely threats from terrorists, and could be easily overcome by decoys and other counter‑measures. The United States has spent $150 billion since anti‑missile efforts were first launched in the 1950's. No workable system has yet been produced. The Council also believes that such an umbrella could lead to the weaponization of space and an international nuclear arms race, both dangers to U.S. security.
[edit] Non-proliferation
The Center's work on non-proliferation issues includes tracking U.S. programs and legislation that support efforts to secure and neutralize nuclear weapons and materials around the world. It follows developments in global proliferation "hot spots" such as North Korea, Iran, and South Asia and provide Congress, the media, and other organizations with regular issue briefs, news updates and analysis, and periodic briefings.
[edit] Campaign Iraq: Bring U.S. Troops Home
Having opposed both the War in Iraq and the underlying policy assumptions used to justify it, the Council began its Iraq campaign to pull U.S. troops out of Iraq in 2003. It calls on the Bush Administration to begin working effectively to stem proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The Council's statement describing this campaign is as follows:
"Withdrawing our military from Iraq is the just and honorable solution to an unjust war. While helping Iraq rebuild and achieve stability are worthy goals, after two years of war, our continued presence damages both the U.S. and Iraq more than it helps. “Do no more harm,” must be our guiding principle. The United States should continue assisting the Iraqi people to get back on their feet. But in the meantime, it is time to withdraw our troops to avoid causing more American and Iraqi casualties and creating more terrorists."
