On 19 October 2022, the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP), the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), and the International Student/Young Pugwash (ISYP) held a joint event titled “Engagement Opportunities in Arms Control, Disarmament & Non-Proliferation for Young Professionals & Students”. The event was organised within the framework of the Young Women and Next Generation Initiative (YWNGI), established under the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium (EUNPDC).
The event was open to young students and young professionals interested in opportunities in the arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation field, including youth-led groups and youth-oriented initiatives.
Opening remarks were delivered by Federica Dall’Arche, Senior Research Associate at the VCDNP, and Nicolas Ayala Arboleda, Leadership Team Member at ISYP, who both stressed the importance of joint initiatives between different organisations and the need to engage all generations and people with diverse national and cultural backgrounds to promote inclusion and diversity in the arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation field.
The event was moderated by Elif Erginyavuz, Leadership Team Member at ISYP, and saw the participation of seven youth-led groups who presented their work, initiatives and activities in this area.
The event was divided into two main sessions.
During the first session, the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium (EUNPDC) and six youth-led groups (EVN, UK PONI, CSIS PONI, Youth for CTBTO, Youth for TPNW, RTT) presented their work. Below is a brief description of each group.
The International Student/Young Pugwash (ISYP)
ISYP was introduced by one of its leadership team members, Daniel Ajudeonu. Ajudeonu explained that ISYP is a global, interdisciplinary network of students, young professionals and national groups that work on the topics of science, technology, society and ethics. Ajudeonu mentioned some current events that ISYP is organising in partnership with local stakeholders, such as the Third Nuclear Age Conference in Berlin, the forthcoming conference in Doha or the regular virtual South Asia roundtable. ISYP is eager to broaden its network and collaborate with other organisations. More information is available on ISYP’s website; for news and updates, you can subscribe to the ISYP newsletter or follow their social media profiles. For direct inquiries, please contact office@isyp.org.
As ISYP is also composed of national groups, representatives from four countries were invited to present the activities of their respective groups.
Founder and leader of Young Pugwash Italy, Alice Saltini, explained the mission of the organisation. With a focus on security-related issues, science diplomacy, peaceful uses of nuclear technology, non-proliferation and arms control, Young Pugwash Italy aims to promote the ethical use of science and new technologies. She invited participants to follow their activities, aimed at establishing creative approaches for tackling security challenges, and contribute to the network.
For more information, contact alicesaltini993@gmail.com.
Shay Rubinstein, Board Member of Israel Student Young Pugwash, highlighted the group’s three major fields of activities: recruiting members from different universities in Israel, working on the basis of the Abraham Accords between Israel and key nations in the Middle East aimed at normalising relations, and Track II diplomacy.
For more information, visit https://israelyoungpugwash.wixsite.com/ilyp or contact israelyoungpugwash@gmail.com.
Deputy Director of Student Pugwash USA, Jeff Porten, explained that the group aims to empower and equip students and young professionals to identify, critically analyse and shape ethical, policy and societal dimensions of science and technology. To do so, it convenes events that feature engaging presentations and interesting debates, bringing together high school, college and graduate students as well as students from professional schools.
For more information, visit https://www.spusa.org or contact contact@studentpugwash.org.
Shane Ward, National Coordinator of Student/Young Pugwash UK, presented the group’s aim as engaging and supporting students and young professionals in the United Kingdom to participate in workshops and conferences focussing on science, peace, technology and responsibility in the field of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. The group also organises webinars, offers skill-building programmes and hosts a podcast. Ward explained that membership of the historic association British Pugwash is free and encouraged participants to take advantage of available resources and opportunities.
For more information, visit https://britishpugwash.org/student-young-pugwash/ or contact syp@britishpugwash.org.
The EU Nonproliferation and Disarmament Consortium (EUNPDC)
Manuel Herrera, Researcher at IAI, provided an overview of the EU Non-proliferation and Disarmament Consortium (EUNPDC). The EUNPDC has a large network of research centres and universities and offers multiple opportunities for students and young professionals. Herrera mentioned two flagship activities of the Consortium in particular – The Next Generation Workshop and the YWNGI, which also includes the Young Women in Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Mentorship Programme. Herrera encouraged participants to browse the EUNPDC website; a list of job opportunities, information about the internship programme as well as research papers can be found there. Visit https://www.nonproliferation.eu/ or contact eunpdc@sipri.org.
Emerging Voices Network (EVN)
The Emerging Voices Network, which was introduced by Declan Penrose, a member of the Inclusive International Security Team at the British American Security Information Council (BASIC), is a digital, global network of young experts and practitioners working across nuclear issues. The network emphasises the importance of cross-regional and cross-disciplinary collaboration, resulting in outputs such as a series of side events at international conferences and a working paper on youth, non-proliferation and disarmament, presented at the 10th NPT Review Conference.
Penrose explained that the EVN has just launched its newest Policy Cycle, centring on nuclear weapons and their relationship to climate justice, social justice, race and more. This Policy Cycle focusses especially on recruiting African and Middle Eastern early-career professionals to the network. The EVN also has a biweekly email broadcast, where young professionals can share their work and organisations can advertise exciting opportunities with EVN members.
For more information, visit https://basicint.org/tag/evn/ or contact emergingvoices@basicint.org.
The UK and CSIS PONI
Dr. Ana Alecsandru, Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and Programme Manager of the UK Project of Nuclear Issues (PONI), explained that UK PONI aims to develop a tightly-knit community of emerging voices with the potential to influence the nuclear field. Alecsandru encouraged participants to take advantage of activities and resources offered in order to navigate the complex field of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation. Events, workshops, conferences and other activities conducted by UK PONI are free. Announcements are made on the UK PONI website.
For more information, visit https://ukponi.rusi.org/the-project/ or contact ukponi@rusi.org.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) PONI was introduced by Suzanne Claeys, Research Associate and Programme Manager of CSIS PONI. Based in Washington DC, the project identifies and cultivates emerging leaders by building relationships, deepening understanding and sharing perspectives across the full range of nuclear issues and communities.
CSIS PONI provides inclusive, diverse and creative opportunities for emerging experts to learn about policy, technical and operational aspects of the nuclear enterprise, develop and present new concepts and ideas, engage in thoughtful and informed debates and tour and visit sites across the nuclear community. Their core programming includes the Conference Series, the Nuclear Scholars Initiative and the Mid-Career Cadre.
For more information, visit https://nuclearnetwork.csis.org/ or contact poni@csis.org.
The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) Youth Group
Kseniia Pirnavskaia, a graduate student at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and member of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) Youth Group, stated that the group has a lot of different formats and projects that aim to raise awareness and promote the CTBT’s entry into force. The recent CTBTO Research Fellowship is one of the leading projects allowing youth group members to conduct multidisciplinary research together with experts from the field. Another flagship project of the CTBTO Youth Group is mentorship for women from underrepresented regions. Pirnavskaia encouraged participants to apply and get involved.
For more information, visit https://youthgroup.ctbto.org/ or contact youthgroup@ctbto.org.
The Youth for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (Youth for TPNW)
Alice Filiberto, Vice-Chair of Youth for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (Youth for TPNW), underlined the organisation’s goal of achieving a world free of nuclear weapons. Working to amplify the voices of young people from all parts of the world, the group writes policy briefings, articles and opinion pieces, shaping the narrative about nuclear weapons and disarmament. The group conducts advocacy work, including letter-writing and social media campaigns, putting pressure on states to work towards disarmament. The group also creates educational materials for those seeking to learn more about nuclear weapons. There is a form on the Youth for TPNW website for people who are interested in getting involved.
For more information, visit https://youthfortpnw.net/ or contact info@youthfortpnw.net.
Reverse the Trend (RTT)
Sarah Rohleder, Youth Coordinator at Reverse the Trend (RTT), presented the RTT’s mission of educating young people about the intersection of nuclear weapons and climate change. Rohleder encouraged participants to use the toolkit on RTT’s website to help empower their peers to take action against nuclear weapons. The toolkit provides resources for young people to educate themselves on those issues and ways to get involved. Rohleder invited participants to join a community forum with space for youth from across the world to share their thoughts. Rohleder motivated participants to amplify their voices by publishing their work in the Reverse the Trend Journal.
For more information, visit https://rttreversingthetrend.org/ or contact reversethetrendnow@gmail.com.
The second session of the event was more interactive as it consisted of seven breakout rooms with representatives from all participating networks and organisations.
After delegates introduced their organisations and the opportunities they offer to young people, participants joined dedicated breakout rooms, having time and space to interact directly with young professionals from each group.
Closing remarks were delivered by Paola Tessari, Researcher at IAI, and Elif Erginyavuz, Leadership Team Member at ISYP, who thanked participants and organisers for their efforts in providing information necessary for individuals that seek to build a career and navigate the field of nuclear arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation.
