Council for a Livable World is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit, advocacy organization dedicated to eliminating the U.S. arsenal of nuclear weapons. It strives for "progressive national security policies and helping elect congressional candidates who support them." The Council was founded in 1962 as the Council for Abolishing War by Hungarian nuclear physicist Leó Szilárd. Its research arm, the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, provides research to members of Congress and their staff. In February, 2016, John F. Tierney was appointed the executive director of the Council for a Livable World and the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, the council’s affiliated education and research organization. For more than 50 years, the Council for a Livable World has been advocating for a more principled approach to U.S. national security and foreign policy.
Policy influence and lobbying
Every election cycle, the Council endorses congressional candidates who are arms control advocates and who support the Council's outlook on national security issues. Since its inception, the Council has helped elect 134 U.S. arms control advocates to the Senate and 226 to the House of Representatives. Council supporters raised over $1.6 million in 2014. Candidates seeking endorsements are required to answer questionnaires on issues and to defend their positions in interviews. The Council endorses candidates for the House of Representatives through PeacePAC. The Council endorsed both President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden in their first runs for U.S. Senate seats.
The Council has influenced U.S. arms control and national security policies for over fifty years by working on or supporting several issues including:
Rallying support on Capitol Hill in favor of the Iran nuclear dealRatifying the Chemical Weapons Convention and Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, Conventional Forces in Europe, Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) and the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) Establishing a U.S. nuclear testing moratorium in 1992Banning biological weapons and terminating chemical weapons programs Limiting the deployment of the MX missile and B-2 bomberBlocking deployment of National Missile Defense by the Clinton administrationEliminating funding for the nuclear "Bunker Buster" and "Reliable Replacement Warhead," two new generations of nuclear weaponsFather Robert F. Drinan National Peace and Human Rights Award
Since 2006, Council for a Livable World and its research center and sister organization, Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, present the Father Robert F. Drinan National Peace and Human Rights Award to individuals who exemplify the late Father Drinan's commitment to peace and human justice. The award broadly focuses on U.S. politics, political science, physical science, biology, peace studies, and peace and human rights activism.
Robert K. Musil, Chair, Council for a Livable WorldJules Zacher, Vice-Chair, Council for a Livable WorldTimothy L. Brennan, Secretary, Council for a Livable WorldLorin Walker, Treasurer, Council for a Livable WorldAron Bernstein, Professor of Physics Emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Council for a Livable WorldPaul Castleman, Business Executive, Council for a Livable WorldAlice T. Day, Sociologist, Council for a Livable WorldLaurie Dewey, Activist; Philanthropist, Council for a Livable WorldKatherine Magraw, Foundation Consultant, Council for a Livable WorldGene Pokorny, Consultant, Council for a Livable WorldPhilip G. Schrag, Professor of Law, Georgetown University, Council for a Livable WorldDr. James Walsh, Research Associate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Security Studies Program (SSP), Council for a Livable WorldDaniel Wirls, Professor, Merrill College, University of California, Council for a Livable WorldLt. General Robert Gard (ret. USA) PhD, Chairman of the Board, Center for Arms Control and Non-ProliferationNicholas Clark, Business executive, and adjunct professorMargaret Gage, President and Executive Director, Proteus Fund, Council for a Livable WorldSen. Gary Hart, Former U.S. Senator, Council for a Livable WorldLawrence Hess, Businessman, Council for a Livable WorldJohn Isaacs, Senior Fellow, Council for a Livable WorldGeneral John H. Johns, retired brigadier general, Council for a Livable WorldColonel Richard Klass, U.Ss Air Force (ret.), Council for a Livable WorldPriscilla Johnson McMillan, Associate, Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University, Council for a Livable WorldMatthew Meselson, Professor, Natural Sciences, Harvard University, Council for a Livable WorldRichard Schiff, Actor, Council for a Livable WorldThe Honorable John Tierney, Executive Director, Former Member of Congress (1997-2015)John Isaacs, Senior Fellow, Council for a Livable WorldCain Farmer, Controller, Council for a Livable WorldHazel Correa, Communications Director, Council for a Livable WorldGreg Terryn, Policy Analyst, Council for a Livable WorldJames McKeon, Policy Analyst, Council for a Livable WorldKhalil Cutair, Staff Accountant, Council for a Livable World
