This four evening, eight session seminar is part of a larger project to revitalize and strengthen the voice of the Catholic community in the United States and beyond in the debate on nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament. The project aims to empower a new generation of Catholics – Church leaders, scholars, and students – to contribute to wider efforts to further reduce and ultimately eliminate nuclear weapons. 

This seminar will provide an overview of the history, current controversies and future prospects for nuclear weapons policies. Particular attention will be given to the challenges posed by nuclear weapons modernization programs, the demise of key arms control agreements, the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and the evolving Catholic position on nuclear deterrence and disarmament. The seminar will feature scholars and practitioners who specialize in the ethical and policy dimensions of nuclear weapons.

Applicants must be undergraduate or graduate students that commit to attend the sessions, January 11 to 14, 2021. The seminar aims to increase the capacity of participants in their cross-disciplinary knowledge base and in ethical arguments for nonproliferation and disarmament. The seminar will also introduce participants to key arms control institutions in Washington. Participants that complete all sessions will earn a Certificate of Completion.