A note of gratitude

Ten years ago, in my very first column for The Ploughshares Monitor as Executive Director, I chose the title “A note of gratitude.” At the time, I was just beginning to grasp the weight and privilege of leading an organization with such a storied history and bold mission.

Today I have a deeper understanding. Project Ploughshares has not just been a job for me. It has been a true calling and a source of profound purpose.

As I write my final column, it seems only fitting — perhaps even inevitable — that I return to gratitude. It is the most honest and encompassing sentiment I can offer.

It is hard to capture in a few words just how much this organization, and the people within it, have meant to me. I have had the honour of working alongside brilliant, principled, and dedicated colleagues. They are not just coworkers. They are friends and partners in a shared mission to build a better world, each with a strong belief and conviction that it is possible.

So much has changed over the past decade — in the world, in Canada, in the disarmament and peacebuilding community. In my life. But one thing has remained constant: Project Ploughshares’ commitment to advancing peace with credibility, conviction, and clarity.

We have spoken out when it was difficult. We have pushed governments, including our own, to do better. And we have insisted, time and again, that lasting security cannot be built on the back of a gun.

The unfolding tragedy in Gaza stands as a devastating example of what happens when principles are abandoned. The mass suffering of civilians, the blatant disregard for international law, and the global failure to hold perpetrators accountable — all reflect a broader crisis of conscience in the international system.

In such a world, the work of Project Ploughshares is not just relevant — it is essential. Ours is a voice of clarity, rooted in facts but animated by compassion. We do not seek popularity. We seek impact. And we are not afraid to challenge powerful interests when the stakes demand it.

A time of change, a steady mission

So much has changed over the past decade — in the world, in Canada, in the disarmament and peacebuilding community. In my life. But one thing has remained constant: Project Ploughshares’ commitment to advancing peace with credibility, conviction, and clarity.

We are neither partisan nor political. But we are not neutral on matters of war and peace. All of us have stood firmly, consistently, and publicly on the side of disarmament, diplomacy, and the dignity of every human life.
Looking back, I am proud of what we have accomplished. We have deepened our expertise across multiple program areas. We have increased our visibility in global forums. We have influenced policy, supported activists, and educated the public. And we have done it all with integrity, independence, and a fierce commitment to truth.

Perhaps most importantly, we have stayed true to our foundational values. We believe in the power of norms to shape behaviour. We believe in Canada’s potential to be a force for good. We believe that civil society has both the right and the duty to engage in the global conversation on peace and security. And we believe that diplomacy, the rule of law, and multilateral cooperation — not military dominance — are the surest paths to a more secure world.

We have done so at a time when the very idea of global leadership for good often feels elusive. Many of today’s decision-makers are willing to bend principles for short-term gain. Many powerful states exempt themselves from the rules they expect others to follow. And many lives are lost as a result.

Principles in action

Over the course of the past decade, the mission of Project Ploughshares has taken many forms. We have been present in multilateral negotiating rooms where critical decisions were being made about the future of global security. We have been at civil-society strategy sessions where ideas and alliances were forged.

We have been in public forums and private briefings, in classrooms and on Parliament Hill, in Geneva and New York and Hiroshima — always with the same purpose: to bring principled, evidence-based analysis to the most pressing issues of war and peace.

We have worked tirelessly on nuclear disarmament, advocating for the abolition of weapons that pose an existential threat to human civilization. From the faltering Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review processes to the hopeful emergence of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), we have remained steadfast in our position that nuclear weapons are not only immoral and illegal, but incompatible with any vision of sustainable human security.

We have challenged the logic of nuclear deterrence and called out the hypocrisy of nuclear-armed states that preach non-proliferation while modernizing their arsenals. In doing so, we have often stood in contrast to dominant political narratives — but never alone. Our voice has joined those of a broader movement that refuses to normalize the threat of annihilation.

We have also worked relentlessly on the regulation of the global arms trade. We have scrutinized Canada’s arms exports, particularly those to regimes with egregious human-rights records — such as Israel and Saudi Arabia — and asked hard questions about legality, transparency, and complicity.

We have advocated for Canada’s robust implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty and called attention to loopholes, inconsistencies, and omissions in export oversight. We have been among the few voices to raise the alarm on the Saudi arms deal and other questionable transfers, always guided by international humanitarian law, not political expediency.

Our work on emerging technologies has grown significantly. The rise of autonomous weapons and military systems enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) represents one of the most consequential developments in the history of warfare. From early warnings about “killer robots” to our active role in international discussions on the governance of military AI, Project Ploughshares has helped to shape the conversation and push for meaningful, preventive regulation before it is too late.

Project Ploughshares has expanded our attention to the militarization of outer space, and is now recognized globally as a key voice on the issue. Early on we recognized that what was once a peaceful domain was becoming increasingly contested and weaponized. In a world that depends on space-based infrastructure for civilian, commercial, and military purposes, we have been advocating, urgently, for arms control in space.

We have also deepened our commitment to the protection of civilians in armed conflict, ensuring that global norms on civilian harm, indiscriminate weapons, and accountability are not just discussed, but defended. As part of the International Network on Explosive Weapons (INEW), we have helped drive a historic new political declaration that addresses the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. And as norms erode in real time, from Syria to Sudan to Gaza, we have not hesitated to name the violations and demand redress.

Project Ploughshares has more fully engaged with the intersection of climate, peace, and security. As the destabilizing impacts of climate change intensify around the world, we have added our voice to a growing chorus that insists that climate-related risks be addressed, not only as environmental challenges but as core security concerns.

International leadership needed

Recent and ongoing humanitarian crises have exposed a profound failure of international leadership. Vast humanitarian catastrophes are often enabled in part by the silence or equivocation of states that could do dramatically more to stop them. They are a sobering reminder that the rules-based international order cannot be taken for granted, and that the work of norm-building, accountability, and principled advocacy remains not only necessary but urgent.

Today, the very rules meant to protect civilians in conflict are being trampled with impunity. In Gaza, entire neighbourhoods have been reduced to rubble, hospitals attacked, and basic humanitarian norms disregarded. The level of destruction and civilian death we are witnessing is not a tragic byproduct of war — it is a direct consequence of choices made and enabled by governments that continue to arm and excuse those responsible.

In a recent piece titled “Rules for Others,” I reflected on this dangerous double standard — the notion that norms are for the weak, and that might makes right. Such a mindset, which corrodes the foundations of international cooperation, is one that Project Ploughshares has consistently resisted. And this resistance will not end with my departure.

Onward

I leave with full confidence in the future of this organization. Our team is extraordinary. The work is urgent. And the vision is as clear and compelling as ever. I know that Project Ploughshares will continue to lead — with integrity, with courage, and with an unwavering focus on the common good.

To everyone who has supported Project Ploughshares during my tenure, whether through financial contributions, collaborative advocacy, partnership, or moral support, I offer my deepest, most sincere thanks. Your belief in our mission has made all the difference. I urge you to continue standing with this organization.
I want to extend heartfelt thanks to the Project Ploughshares Management Committee and our friends at The Canadian Council of Churches for their guidance, leadership, and support over the years.

I have also been privileged to work with countless individuals, networks, and coalitions in Canada and around the world, whose commitment to peace and justice continues to inspire.

I thank the many government officials, both domestic and international, with whom I have had the opportunity to engage. Their openness to dialogue, even in moments of profound disagreement, has enriched our work and advanced the cause of common security.

My family, in Canada and abroad, has been fully supportive and always patient — through thick and thin. To them, my thanks and my love.

The challenges ahead are daunting, and the need for principled, fearless voices has never been greater. But the work of Project Ploughshares will continue, as it must. Project Ploughshares, driven by its talented staff, will remain a voice of clarity and reason in a troubled world.

It gives me great hope to know that Project Ploughshares is not alone. Across Canada and around the world, there are scholars, diplomats, students, faith leaders, citizens, who refuse to accept that this world is the best it can be. They demand better. And so does Project Ploughshares. With these people as partners, Project Ploughshares will keep building a more just and peaceful world.

To my colleagues past and present: you have been the best part of this journey. I have learned from you, leaned on you, and been inspired by you. Your talent, dedication, and decency are the beating heart of Project Ploughshares, and I will remain your greatest admirer and supporter.

To those who will lead and shape this organization going forward: I have every confidence in your ability to meet the moment. You inherit not just a legacy, but a responsibility — and I know you will cherish it with strength and purpose.

I leave with a full heart. What an honour it has been to serve this mission. To work alongside such exceptional people. To be part of something that has always aspired to leave the world better than it found it.

I will remain, always, a friend of this organization and a champion of its cause.

Let us continue the work. Let us continue to imagine, and build, a world where swords are turned into ploughshares.

With deepest gratitude,

Cesar Jaramillo
Executive Director
Project Ploughshares (2015–2025)

Published in The Ploughshares Monitor Summer 2025