Dear Friends,

Last month, my good friend Selim and I had the pleasure to represent the CTBTO Youth Group at the 2017 Carnegie Nuclear Policy Conference in Washington, D.C.!

I had a marvelous experience during “Nukefest”, as the conference is affectionately called. I got to work with Selim, a Youth Group member at Brown University, and Dr. Jenny Nielsen, who represented the CTBTO during the event. It was such a delight to see so many Youth Group members in attendance at the conference! It was amazing to see how much the group has grown in the past few months, and the growth was evident. Every hour, I would spot a Youth Group member walking down the halls of the Ronald Regan International Trade Center, drinking coffee in-between panel discussions, and asking questions during the plenary sessions. I saw Shervin, Sylvia Mishra and Sarah Bidgood, three superstars whose CTBT research is superb; Alicia, who now works at the Brookings Institute; Sarah Eustace, an intern at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies in D.C.; and many more members! It was energizing to see so many of these incredible individuals over the course of the two-day conference.

One of my favorite moments came at the beginning of the conference. H.E. Federica Mogherini was giving the opening keynote of the conference, and within the first five sentences of her speech, she mentioned the CTBT! I was stunned, a smile spreading across my face as she enthusiastically called for its entry into force, touting its value to U.S. national security. It was exhilarating to see such a prominent figure give a sense of urgency to CTBT ratification, and her words energized me throughout the rest of the day.

I was also delighted to see Lord Des Brown, one of the CTBTO GEM members, at the conference. He stopped by the CTBTO booth to say hello, and we were able to sit down for lunch the next day! Angela Kane also made an appearance during a panel at the conference to discuss the future of nuclear security, and met with CTBTO Youth Group members the next day to listen to their research presentations.

We kicked off Day 2 with a session dedicated solely to the CTBTO! The lovely folks at CNS and the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Nonproliferation organized a special panel discussion about the CTBT. Jenny Nielsen delivered a wonderful set of remarks focusing on the value that the CTBT brings to the global security agenda, and the two other speakers were clear in stressing the benefits that the CTBT provides to the United States. I got to see a few Youth Group members during that session too, including Shervin, Joe, and Raymond!

A humorous moment came on Day 2, during the Q&A session with Dr. Chris Ford, who heads the counterproliferation section at the National Security Council. I was in line to ask a question, but, all of a sudden, the person in front of me (a prominent scholar from the Center for Strategic International Studies) asked Dr. Ford a question about the CTBT. I gulped. That was supposed to be my question! I stepped up to the mic, and decided to frame my question in a different way. I focused on the value that the CTBTO’s International Monitoring System provides, given its reliability and verifiability. As a result, Dr. Ford answered with a fairly positive response!

I came away from Nukefest 2017 with a greater appreciation for the Youth Group. Together, we are an antidote to the toxic current of distrust that has swept across the globe. Many of the speakers at the conference were clear in expressing their uncertainty about the future of nuclear security. I’m full of hope, however, because I saw the energy of so many Youth Group members during the conference, who are all committed to working together in pursuit of a more peaceful world.

We are spread out across the world, but we are united in a common mission, and our voice is one. It’s crucial that we continue raising that voice in support of the CTBT, and I’m excited to continue this journey with you. Let’s make 2017 our best year yet!