Leo Szilard
Biography
FBI Files
Einstein's Letter of 1939
The Franck Report
Szilard's Petition of 1945
"Are We On the Road to War?"
The Elections of 1962
Toward Abolition
Through 1953
1954-1970
1971-1990
1991-Present
Council Staff
Lacinda Fields
Peter Galbraith
Robert G. Gard
John Isaacs
Renee Jackson
Kimberly Spriggs
Guy Stevens
Gilbert Wilson
Council Board
Julian Bond
Paul Castleman
David Cohen
Alice Day
Jonathan Dean
Roger Fisher
Margaret Gage
John Kenneth Galbraith
Jerome Grossman
Dudley Robert Herschbach
John Isaacs
John H. Johns
Vera Kistiakowsky
Terry Lierman
Priscilla Johnson McMillan
Mathew Meselson
Gene Pokorny
Philip G. Schrag
Sarah Sewall
James Walsh
Edith B. Wilkie
Herbert York
Jules Zacher
Affiliates
WHO WE ARE
why the council exists
Council for a Livable World was founded in 1962 by eminent nuclear physicist Leo Szilard and other scientists who worked in the pioneer days of atomic weapons.
The goal of these men and women, who knew firsthand the nature of nuclear weapons, was to warn the public and Congress of the threat of nuclear war and lead the way to rational arms control and nuclear disarmament.
The mission of the Council has remained simple and pragmatic.
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 & Non-Proliferation to support its mission by providing outreach to policy-makers, opinion-shapers and voters.
The Council was instrumental in blocking work on nuclear bunker busters in 2005; passing the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention and the 1992 nuclear testing moratorium, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty, the START Treaties; banning biological weapons; terminating chemical weapons production and the Midgetman missile; and limiting MX and B-2 deployment.
The Council's national political program -- funded exclusively by over 30,000 supporters -- helps elect the Congressmen and women who support nuclear disarmament.
Council for a Livable World will continue to advocate deep reductions and elimination of weapons of mass destruction. As we broaden our mission in the 21st century, we will focus on ending the proliferation of weapons, promoting a non-military economy and strengthening international peacekeeping.
why our work is essential
The Council uses many tools to monitor and influence arms control legislation in the U.S. Senate.
Legislation. The Council helps initiate and draft arms control bills, monitors appropriate committees, arranges for expert witnesses for important 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.
why we succeed in elections
The Council is the electoral arm of the peace movement. Its success in helping to elect 107 U.S. senators in 40 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 on 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 new candidates such as Barack Obama in Illinois and Ken Salazar in Colorado. The Council also supported pro-arms control Senators such as Barbara Boxer of California, Russ Feingold of Wisconsin and Patty Murray of Washington. Our total won-loss record was 13 - 4.
