THE YEAR 2000 CAMPAIGN

TO REDIRECT WORLD MILITARY SPENDING TO HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

TO: Endorsing Organization of the Year 2000 Campaign to Redirect World Military Spending to Human Development.

FROM: Pamela Richardson, Campaign Coordinator

DATE: March 28, 1996

RE: Meeting at the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency

On March 27, David Isenberg (Center for Defense Information), Jim Matlack (American Friends Service Committee), Caleb Rossiter (Demilitarization for Democracy), John Terzanno (Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation), Joe Volk (Friends Committee on National Legislation) and I met with Ambassador Ralph Earle, Deputy Director to John Holum, director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency to present the campaign plan and ask for the administration's support.

We expressed our appreciation of ACDA's role as a proponent of arms control with in the United States government and our disappointment with ACDA's recent performance in one area -- its opposition to the campaign to ban landmines. We highlighted the 6 proposals from the campaign, using the expertise of the delegation. Ambassador Earle was very receptive and favorable to the overall plan. He pointed out that NGOs have much influence pushing issues in today's world. He applauded the fact that foreign as well as domestic NGOs are pushing the initiative.

Ambassador Earle suggested that we should consider using regional organizations such as ASEAN or OAS complementing the United Nations. He added the plan might be accepted more readily coming from regional actors than from the United Sates. He thought we should do a cost analysis of the proposal for special envoys to see if the plan is feasible. He thought we should do a cost analysis of the proposal for special envoys to see if the plan is feasible. He suggested that we try to set up a voluntary fund to which countries could donate, so that money will not be taken out of the U.N. regular budget, since the U.N. is in a financial crisis.

Furthermore, he thanked NGOs for supporting ACDA and its efforts, which he asked the groups to continue to do.

If you have any questions about the meeting please contact me.

CONTACT:
Pamela Richardson, Campaign Coordinator
Demilitarization for Democracy
1601 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Suite 6000
Washington, D.C. 20009
202-319-7191 phone
202-319-7194/0937 fax
pdd@clark.net e-mail
http://www.fas.org/pub/gen/mswg/year2000/

Networking Project * Organizations * Proposition One