International Disarmament Institute News – Education and Research on Global Disarmament Policy

January 3, 2026
by mbolton
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The UN and Our Extended Path to Peace

Pace University student Emma Ohlson before delivering the civil society statement on biological weapons to the UN General Assembly First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) on 17 October 2025.

The following reflection is from Emma Ohlson, a Pace University undergraduate who participated in the POL270 Global Politics of Disarmament and Arms Control class in Fall 2025. Students had the opportunity to engage in civic engagement assignments with disarmament advocacy efforts in the context of the UN General Assembly First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) meetings in New York City.

As a young person, I do not often find myself in spaces of such elegance and worldliness as the United Nations in New York City. Dr. Matthew Breay Bolton’s Disarmament and Arms Control course and his own role at the UN allowed me to do just that. I was surprised to find myself so welcomed, rather than overwhelmed, by friendly security guards, soaring ceilings, beautiful artistic installments, and evocative disarmament paraphernalia.

In a childlike way, I was genuinely excited to go to the United Nations in the days leading up to it, a luxury I fear adulthood doesn’t always promise. I was particularly nervous that I was going to deliver a speech I would deliver to the same body of representatives I was watching for the first few days I was there.

When Dr. Bolton offered the opportunity to deliver a speech, I was quite excited, but the circumstances of that opportunity were very sobering. I delivered the civil society statement on biological weapons, authored by Dr. Filippa Lentzos of King’s College London.

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December 17, 2025
by mbolton
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Growing Trees for Future Shade

The following reflection is from Erin Huber, a Pace University undergraduate who participated in the POL270 Global Politics of Disarmament and Arms Control class in Fall 2025. Students had the opportunity to engage in civic engagement assignments with disarmament advocacy efforts in the context of the UN General Assembly First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) meetings in New York City.

Growing up my mother would always tell me an old Greek proverb that goes “A society grows great when old men plant trees who shade they know they will never sit in.” It always made me think and I decided to major in Early Childhood Education to create a better future and convince future generations of the never-ending need for progress.

The first day of Dr. Matthew Breay Bolton’s Global Politics of Disarmament and Arms Control class I feared that I would be like a square peg in a round hole. Unlike many in the class I was not a Political Science or Peace and Justice Studies major and I did not know where my passion for education and youth representation would fit into the framework of the United Nations. These fears were only exacerbated as I walked into the doors of the General Assembly Building. I wondered how it would be within these meetings, and what I would take away from them.

But in the lobby stood a painting gifted to the UN by Mexico, a piece called “La Fraternidad” painted by Rufino Tamayo. It’s a truly remarkable piece, filled with rich reds, oranges, and yellows, depicting a group of people circling around a fire holding one another’s hands. When I looked up the piece, I found an explanation from Tamayo about the ideas behind his work: “I try to represent time, I should say rather, eternity, in which I hope brotherhood will prevail.”

In that moment, I felt all the pieces shift into place, and it made me realize the need for youth representation within the framework and proceedings of the UN so that we can help shape the future we will live in.

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December 17, 2025
by mbolton
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My Lived Experience Is Important to Disarmament

The following reflection is from Karen Leguizamón, a Pace University undergraduate who participated in the POL270 Global Politics of Disarmament and Arms Control class in Fall 2025. Students had the opportunity to engage in civic engagement assignments with disarmament advocacy efforts in the context of the UN General Assembly First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) meetings in New York City.

Before this class, international disarmament and arms control policy seemed far away. It was something that diplomats worked out in secret, and I only remembered their names for tests. I never thought I would actually meet them.

Ironically, violence was never completely abstract to me. I was born in Colombia, a country where gun violence has had a big impact on history, politics, and everyday life. But for a long time, that violence seemed both real and far away. It was in stories, news headlines, and the memories of many people, but it wasn’t always easy to see in my own life. Through my civic engagement experience, disarmament became real, human, and impossible to ignore.

I lived in Colombia until I was 15. This taught me that weapons weren’t just ideas. Armed conflict, such as that between criminal groups, guerrillas, and cartels, destroyed people’s homes, families, and how they saw the state. Violence often seemed normal or was pushed to the side as if it were just there and couldn’t be stopped. This class made me think about how societies learn to deal with violence and how conflict can be handled. Continue Reading →

December 17, 2025
by mbolton
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Reflecting on a Changing International Political Landscape

Pace University students Celine Ioffe (left) and Erin Huber (right) visiting the UN to observe meetings of the General Assembly First Committee (Disarmament and International Security).

The following reflection is from Celine Ioffe, a Pace University undergraduate who participated in the POL270 Global Politics of Disarmament and Arms Control class in Fall 2025. Students had the opportunity to engage in civic engagement assignments with disarmament advocacy efforts in the context of the UN General Assembly First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) meetings in New York City.

As the daughter of religious refugees from Ukraine and Latvia, I carry with me a familial awareness of what is at stake in international policy spaces. My parents escaped from the collapsing USSR during a time of uncertainty and chaos, leaving behind everything they knew to come to America. Their goal was to ensure that their children would grow up in a place where they could choose their own path and live without fear of persecution. This sacrifice has shaped how I see the world and my place in it.

Following this immersion at the UN, I now know that I want to continue working in political spaces to ensure that the opportunities that I have been given because of my parents’ courage continue to be accessible not just to people in the US, but to people everywhere who seek safety and freedom.

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December 5, 2025
by mbolton
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Finding My Voice

Julia Cordova delivers the 2025 joint civil society statement on youth participation and disarmament education to the UN General Assembly First Committee (Disarmament and International Security).

The following reflection is from Julia Cordova, a Pace University undergraduate who served as the Teaching Assistant for the POL270 Global Politics of Disarmament and Arms Control class in Fall 2025. Students had the opportunity to engage in civic engagement assignments with disarmament advocacy efforts in the context of the UN General Assembly First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) meetings in New York City.

Growing up, I did everything I could to avoid drawing attention to myself. School teaches us to listen to those who are older than us because they “know” better and that the systems in place are fixed and indisputable. I rarely expressed my opinions and never spoke up because I felt like a young voice had no purpose. I always told myself it was okay because one day in the far-off future, when I was more mature, my voice would finally matter, and that is when I could make a difference.

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February 7, 2025
by mbolton
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‭ Our “Place” in Disarmament Conversations‬‬

The following reflection is from Rachel Kohley, a Pace University undergraduate who participated in the POL297L Global Politics of Disarmament and Arms Control class in Fall 2024. Students had the opportunity to engage in civic engagement assignments with disarmament advocacy efforts in the context of the UN General Assembly First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) meetings in New York City.

A 0.5 photo I took with Dr. Bolton’s POL 114, POl 297, and Youth Champion students!

Few words properly describe the excitement I felt about taking Global Politics of Disarmament and Arms Control. My enthusiasm was evident – I signed up for every side event, forum, opportunity. In addition to my three days within the UN General Assembly First Committee, I attended the entirety of the Humanitarian Disarmament Forum, as well as the Youth Champions UN event and a visit to the Jamaican Mission.

Weeks later, I’m still reeling from the excitement of it all.

This class offered us a glimpse of the future. We walked into events trying to network for future jobs, envisioning how to make ourselves a home in disarmament conversations. Our primary purpose in the First Committee was to learn as much as possible for what lies ahead, but this raises the question: what is our place in these conversations now? Why are we inclined to believe our opinions shouldn’t be heard until we’ve gotten the diploma or degree?

Of all the exhilarating opportunities, the UNODA’s Youth4Disarmament event was the most nerve-wracking, yet rewarding. Pace students were invited to listen to the presentations the Youth Champions had been working on all year, and I gave a very brief response. While I’ve never been known to be particularly shy, I found myself clamming up when these students began to present their work; they were incredible. These brilliant minds were our age, and they were already writing, teaching, illustrating, and demonstrating exactly why youth voices are vital to disarmament conversations. The shamefully vain part of me thought: how on earth am I supposed to speak after all that?

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February 7, 2025
by mbolton
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A Postcard to Myself, from United Nations Headquarters

The following reflection is from Teresa Siniak, a recent Pace University graduate who participated in the POL297L Global Politics of Disarmament and Arms Control class in Fall 2024. Students had the opportunity to engage in civic engagement assignments with disarmament advocacy efforts in the context of the UN General Assembly First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) meetings in New York City.

I have always found the inner workings of governmental and international agendas to be an enigma. I was never taught about American diplomacy or seen such a job description. The decisions of the United Nations General Assembly rarely crossed my news feed let alone my sightline. And what negotiations and conversations convened within the gated fence of the United Nations headquarters were found only in the depths of my imagination.

Dr. Bolton’s class was like a step through the looking glass, from the moment it began. Three, eight-hour days briskly blew by as we all tried to ground ourselves within the experience each morning, simultaneously trying to daydream our lives as if we were the professionals we saw around us. Within a few hours, the facade of the petrifying iron fortress that is the UNHQ began to fall as we traversed its hallowed halls to find little moments of tranquility within the sea of stress.

Around every corner and up every Secretariat floor were kind delegates, NGO colleagues, and a certain UN official slyly slipping off her uncomfortable shoes under the table – adding some comfortability to a tense meeting.

Yet, behind the closed doors that were so kindly opened to us, reality was hidden.

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February 3, 2025
by mbolton
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Victory Loves Preparation

The following reflection is from Idris Johnson, a Pace University undergraduate who participated in the POL297L Global Politics of Disarmament and Arms Control class in Fall 2024. Students had the opportunity to engage in civic engagement assignments with disarmament advocacy efforts in the context of the UN General Assembly First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) meetings in New York City.

Display in the UN Disarmament Exhibit in New York

My experience in the Global Politics of Disarmament class can be summarized by what became a class catchphrase, “Victory loves preparation.”

We heard this quote from Ambassador Maritza Chan, chair of the UN General Assembly First Committee (Disarmament and International Security), at a side event meeting on Small Arms and Light Weapons. Through diverse experiences, we gained an understanding on the ways issues transcend state borders. Importantly, we were able to listen in on the challenges around disarmament and the disproportionate affects the proliferation of small arms and light weapons have on the global majority.

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February 2, 2025
by mbolton
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The Unkept Promise of Nuclear Disarmament

The following reflection is from Macy Hayes, a Pace University undergraduate who participated in the POL297L Global Politics of Disarmament and Arms Control class in Fall 2024. Students had the opportunity to engage in civic engagement assignments with disarmament advocacy efforts in the context of the UN General Assembly First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) meetings in New York City.

What is a weapon? In my first twenty minutes of Global Politics of Disarmament and Arms Control, I discovered that the word has a denser definition than most would think. While everything can be used as a weapon, does its use make it one? Or is a weapon something that is created with the intention of causing harm to someone, something, or someplace? This was one of many equally philosophical questions posed throughout the course of this class.

We debated the reasons why some people feel the need to arm themselves and why others feel an obligation to take action against weapons of all types. Everything we discussed was important to know and essential to hear, but it didn’t make it any less daunting. The lack of education about nuclear and autonomous weapons is frightening. My understanding of this issue only grew the more I learned.

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February 2, 2025
by mbolton
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Morality in an Age of Autonomous Weapons

The following reflection is from Lauren Kube, a Pace University undergraduate who participated in the POL297L Global Politics of Disarmament and Arms Control class in Fall 2024. Students had the opportunity to engage in civic engagement assignments with disarmament advocacy efforts in the context of the UN General Assembly First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) meetings in New York City.

The integration of AI into our lives is becoming more obvious every day. From ChatGPT, social media trends, the new iPhone 16, internet surfing, online shopping, and more, AI is becoming something so ingrained in society that it will soon be hard to imagine a world without it.

Similarly, autonomous technology is advancing– and not just by way of self-driving cars and the Roomba. It is being used to kill.

While autonomous weapons are not new, advancements in technology mean that their capabilities are accelerating rapidly. How will morality in war, if such a thing even exists, survive the introduction of autonomous weapons? Are autonomous weapons ethical? There are two major schools of thought being used to tackle the answer to this question.

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