What does a cholera outbreak in Yemen have to do with the effective implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)? Everything.
The dark side of moon exploration
Landing on the moon 50 years ago was a major achievement. But, as Jessica West writes, renewing a space race without checks and balances only spells trouble
Open letter to the PM re: arms exports to Saudi Arabia
The undersigned, representing a cross-section of Canadian civil society organizations focused on arms controls, human rights, international security, humanitarian assistance and the protection of civilians in conflict, are writing to follow up on a letter that was sent you five months ago, outlining ongoing concerns about Canada’s export of LAVs to Saudi Arabia.
The Ploughshares Monitor: Summer 2019
Volume 40 Issue 2 A quarterly publication of Project Ploughshares Please click on attachment to view document:
Murray Thomson: Peace Warrior
Ploughshares Co-founder 1922-2019 “Murray modelled a life of commitment and high expectations. That covered active engagement in a wide range of causes aimed at human and planetary betterment, and while he was the progenitor of countless organizations and initiatives, those exemplary qualities shone through with particular intensity in his advocacy for a world without nuclear weapons—for a world, as …
The state of the nuclear disarmament/abolition regime
The last of three meetings in preparation for the 2020 Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), was held April 29-May 10 in New York. The fault lines in the architecture of the whole nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime seem to be growing deeper, more profound.
The “plutonium of AI”: Facial-recognition technology
San Francisco became the first city in the United States to ban law-enforcement and government agencies from using facial-recognition technology, which identifies individuals by facial features. Civil liberties advocates hope other cities and countries will soon produce their own versions of the “Stop Secret Surveillance” ordinance.
Simulating a crisis in space
Militaries use wargames to test concepts, assumptions, and processes; to inform future planning and decision-making. But what does such an exercise look and feel like from a peace perspective?
The protection of civilians: New process offers hope
Today, armed conflict is more often being waged in urban areas. Urban warfare increases the likelihood of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. Authoritative research has verified widespread use—by both state and non-state actors—in some of the most devastating contemporary conflicts.
Statement to the 3rd Preparatory Committee for the 2020 NPT Review Conference
Nearly fifty years after the entry into force of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the international community remains woefully distant from a credible process that would make even the most optimistic observer believe that the abolition of nuclear weapons is within sight. Read full text.