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

February 7, 2025
by mbolton
0 comments

‭ 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?

Continue Reading →

February 7, 2025
by mbolton
0 comments

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.

Continue Reading →

February 3, 2025
by mbolton
0 comments

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.

Continue Reading →

February 2, 2025
by mbolton
0 comments

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.

Continue Reading →

February 2, 2025
by mbolton
0 comments

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.

Continue Reading →

February 2, 2025
by mbolton
0 comments

Focus on Youth in Disarmament Discussions Gives Me Hope for the Future

The following reflection is from Julia Cordova, 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.

Before this course, I will admit my knowledge of global issues was very limited. I knew of the major conflicts that were occurring worldwide. But I didn’t have much grasp on the extent of the violence, let alone all the details of how it was occurring. I often found myself overwhelmed by the stream of news in the media and discouraged from doing anything.

However, through this course, I came to understand global issues more deeply.I studied non-proliferation agreements, international treaties, and major organizations dealing with these weapons. It totally changed my outlook.

Continue Reading →

January 26, 2024
by mbolton
0 comments

Living in an Interconnected World and Addressing Challenges Like Disarmament Requires Collective Effort

The following reflection is from Sera Andrugtsang, a Pace University undergraduate who participated in the POL297L Global Politics of Disarmament and Arms Control class in Fall 2023. 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.

“In front of the world sculpture at the United Nations headquarters with my classmates” — Sera Andrugtsang

As I embarked on the Civic Engagement assignment for the Global Politics of Disarmament and Arms Control class, I was unsure of what lay ahead. Little did I anticipate the journey that was to follow would not only broaden my understanding of global affairs, but also lead to a state of self discovery. And as a classmate pointed out, much of my professional and career aspirations reached a place of clarity.

Delving into disarmament policies exposed me to the intricate network of international politics, providing a glimpse into the delicate balance nations work towards to achieve and maintain global peace and security. Through engagement with experts in the field, such as Seth Sheldon, the United Nations Liaison at the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) among others, I was able to gain insights into the complexities of arm control, non-proliferation agreements, as well as the geopolitical dynamics that shape these policies. The experience yielded a myriad of takeaways.

I’ve come to realize the significance of engaging with diverse bodies and individuals, seizing opportunities and the value of networking. It quickly became clear that effective civic engagement requires the ability to listen, learn, and adapt one’s perspectives based on new knowledge. I found that being open to diverse perspectives not only enriched my understanding of disarmament as a whole but also fostered personal growth. Owing to the collaborative nature of the assignment, working in small groups underscored the importance of teamwork in navigating complex issues, and sometimes, collective effort may just bring about better results, a lesson applicable not only in my academic endeavors but in the workplace.

Continue Reading →

January 23, 2024
by mbolton
0 comments

Nuclear-free NYC: Disarmament Institute Research Featured in Bulletin of Atomic Scientists

An article in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists this month highlighted the research by Pace University’s International Disarmament Institute on nuclear disarmament policy in New York City. Co-authored by Institute co-director Dr. Matthew Breay Bolton with disarmament campaigner, Kathleen Sullivan, the article, “Nuclear-free NYC: How New Yorkers are disarming the legacies of the Manhattan Project” outlines the history of nuclear weapons in New York City, as well as local advocacy, activism and policymaking that have made it a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone.

January 23, 2024
by mbolton
0 comments

Seeing beyond the Glamor of Diplomacy

The following reflection is from Chadha Nacer ’24, a Pace University undergraduate who participated in the POL297L Global Politics of Disarmament and Arms Control class in Fall 2023. 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.

Like many young people, I have spent my time consuming carefully curated social media posts of my dream career; I was starry-eyed with the dreams of diplomatic work, and it was punctuated with a perfectly curated Pinterest vision board.

Each picture held a token of my association with diplomacy and work within the United Nations. One was a stack of books and messy, ink-smeared writing. Another was a woman speaking with deep conviction. Another was the timberland and gold General Assembly room that seemed to shine in its threaded opulence.

Continue Reading →

January 19, 2024
by mbolton
0 comments

Advocating for Humanity in the Face of Violence

The following reflection is from Jane Ilona Ressa ’24, a Pace University undergraduate who participated in the POL297L Global Politics of Disarmament and Arms Control class in Fall 2023. 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.

Author Jane Ressa in the General Assembly Hall, United Nations Headquarters

Taking the disarmament class last semester was a privilege, to put it simply. Not only in the ability to visit the powerful in the places that international decisions are made, but to become privy to processes that rule my life in ways that I never could have anticipated. I came into this class unaware— of the process, of the context, my place in it all, and what I could do to help.

I have learned that I am much more fearful of the institutions that rule my life than I realized. I know that this fear can be utilized to greater purpose, as a spark that leads to action. I have found more clarity in that I may not actually pursue a future in government, and may be most effective in soft power sources that assist the government in these processes. I have learned that my heart is still cold to those that abuse their powers over the vulnerable, and ever-reaching towards said vulnerable. I have also rediscovered a third character— the righteous folks that protect and create true security beyond weaponry. I seek a kinder, and safer world because I have to believe that it is possible; I will accept nothing less.

Continue Reading →