Dear PNA Supporter,
Looking back on 2009, there is much to celebrate in our common cause of nuclear disarmament.
The Project for Nuclear Awareness broadened its educational outreach on nuclear weapons to include youth, concerned citizens, and policy experts from around the world. Through direct Congressional education, we provided policy analysis to over forty members of Congress. Our supporters can access up-to-the-minute information through op-eds, radio interviews, our website, and social media. We strengthened our commitment to education with a significant increase in our creative approach to area high schools and colleges, both in person and by video-conferencing. To learn more about our programs and financial information, you can download "PNA: Year-in-Review".
Unfortunately, our successes in nuclear disarmament are shadowed by the continuing threat of those weapons. Few know how close we have come to a nuclear Armageddon. In 1995, Russian radars mistook a Norwegian weather rocket for a U.S. nuclear attack. Military officials prepared for a retaliatory strike while Russian President Boris Yeltsin frantically decided what to do. With less than two minutes left to make a decision, Yeltsin watched the rocket veer away from Russian targets. The next time that scenario or one like it occurs, the outcome may be different.
We ask you to reaffirm your commitment to the cause of peace and nuclear disarmament. Through focused programs, close collaboration with partner organizations, and purposeful engagement with government representatives, we are working to ensure that the disarmament movement gathers momentum. If we redouble our efforts, we can cement the U.S. commitment to nuclear disarmament and ensure a safer tomorrow. In the coming year, we will see action on a U.S.-Russian arms control treaty, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, and the Nonproliferation Treaty. The success of these treaties is essential to world peace and security.
PNA has helped to make progress in stepping away from the nuclear brink. And yet, 23,375 nuclear weapons still exist. Furthermore, we are confronted by a global economic crisis that has taken a hard toll on the non-profit sector and threatens to derail initiatives essential to the progress of the disarmament agenda.
Navigating these complex international challenges requires the very best of our intellectual and financial resources. You can directly support these efforts by responding before Dec. 31 with a fully tax-deductible, year-end gift. This holiday season and into the New Year, let us continue our work together for a bright and peaceful tomorrow.
In Peace,
Mark Lichty, Advisory Board Treasurer
Craig Eisendrath, Chairman
Edward A. Aguilar, Executive Director
