Security and Peace Institute Releases New Poll, Book
The Center for American Progress and The Century Foundation today announced the launch of the Security and Peace Institute (SPI), a joint initiative of the two organizations. The new institute today released its first two publications: a survey of American attitudes towards U.S. foreign policy and national security, and a policy book offering analysis and multilateral solutions for 13 critical global issues facing the world today.
The Security and Peace Institute (SPI) will build on the work of both of its parent organizations by promoting a shared foreign policy agenda for the United States and its international partners. It will give particular emphasis to bringing together the relevant policy communities in Washington and New York. SPI will be led by Executive Director Morton H. Halperin. Gary Hart and Madeleine Albright will co-chair SPI's Advisory Board.
The post-election survey on American attitudes toward National Security, Foreign Policy, and the War on Terror was conducted by the Marttila Communications Group. It finds that Americans harbor deep misgivings about the current direction of U.S. foreign policy and America's fraying relations with other countries.
The book, Restoring American Leadership: 13 Cooperative Steps to Advance Global Progress-a joint project with the Open Society Institute-provides analysis and recommendations on 13 critical issues, including international cooperation in the war on terror, curbing proliferation of nuclear weapons, and advancing the rights of women across the globe. Each paper offers a specific set of recommendations for action by the president consistent with his stated values. Restoring American Leadership is offered as a constructive contribution to the ongoing debate about how America can best assert responsible leadership in a new era.
SPI will work to advance a responsible U.S. foreign policy based on a strong defense, collective security, capable international institutions, and effective promotion of democracy and the rule of law. SPI places special emphasis on identifying and promoting emerging voices in progressive foreign policy, thereby building the next generation of foreign policy thinkers.
To amplify this effort, the Institute has launched www.Democracyarsenal.org, a blog devoted to opinion, commentary and sparring on U.S. foreign policy and international affairs. Critics such as Matthew Yglesias have called the bloggers of Democracy Arsenal "voices that need to be heard." Suzanne Nossel, a contributor and fellow at the Institute, has assembled a group of some of the top professionals in the field: Michael Signer, Heather Hurlburt, Lorelei Kelly, and Derek Chollet. Drawing on their diverse expertise and experience, the contributors offer daily fresh perspectives on current events and global politics, long-term strategies for progressives, and the inside story on the foreign policy community. With links from nearly every major blog, Democracy Arsenal received over 20,000 visits in its first week alone-an average of nearly 3,000 visitors per day.
SPI has already held one roundtable with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation on the proposed new U.N. peace-building commission. SPI is also organizing a series of roundtables on issues in foreign policy, ranging from implementation of the Millennium Development Goals to meeting the challenge of climate change. The first such roundtable will address the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) during its five-year review conference. Finally, in May 2005, SPI will hold a seminar on democracies' efforts against terrorism and in October SPI will join with TCF and American Progress to host a major all-day conference on the nexus between security and democracy.
The Institute has established its website at www.securitypeace.org.