Our Mission

Our Mission

Council for a Livable World (CLW) is a Washington, D.C.-based 501 (c)(4) non-profit, non-partisan advocacy organization dedicated to reducing the danger of nuclear weapons and increasing national security. The Council was founded in 1962 by nuclear physicist Leo Szilard and other scientists who pioneered the development of atomic weapons and immediately became concerned about their use and spread.

Our mission is to advocate for sensible national security policies and to help elect congressional candidates who support them.

We believe that security in the 21st century requires not just the exercise of military might, but the active use of diplomacy to solve emerging security threats. We believe that new international challenges require new approaches. It is short-sighted and counter-productive to continue relying on Cold War measures, such as overwhelming nuclear arsenals that could destroy the world many times over, for our nation's security. As Council Chairman Sen. Gary Hart said, "you must properly understand what security is and how it is to be achieved, or all the military spending in the world will not make you more secure."

Our Advocacy

In advocating for sensible national security policies, the Council provides Members of Congress with sophisticated technical and scientific information that helps them make intelligent decisions about weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, chemical, biological), nuclear non-proliferation, and other national security priorities.

Through legislation, lobbying, seminars, media, online outreach, and collaborative projects with fellow advocacy organizations, the Council works toward its ultimate goals: deeply reducing and eventually eliminating weapons of mass destruction; stopping the proliferation of dangerous nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and technologies; and finding non-military solutions to international conflict.

The Candidate Fund

The Council’s Candidate Fund is unique because one hundred percent of contributions go directly to our candidates. Over the past 44 years, the Council has helped elect 113 U.S. Senators and 150 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Find out more about why giving through our Candidate Fund is the best investment in progressive national security you can make.