Creative Santa Fe (CrSF), the Nuclear Threat Initiative, and N Square announced this week The Santa Fe Nuclear Weapons Summit, designed to engage a new type of discussion about nuclear security and proliferation. Over the course of three days, 20-30 next generation leaders in a wide variety of fields will travel to New Mexico to be immersed in the history of nuclear weapons, discuss present day nuclear threats and - most importantly - explore ‘what if’ scenarios about the future of global security.
Facilitators of the summit include former covert CIA operations officer Valerie Plame, actor Farshad Farhat, data scientist Chris Diehl, Diplomat Robert Gallucci, former US Senator Jeff Bingaman, and physicist Geoffrey West.
The week will kick-off on Sunday, December 4th with a public dialogue at the Lensic Theater: AT THE NUCLEAR BRINK with NTI founding board member and former US Secretary of Defense William J. Perry and journalist, author, and filmmaker Eric Schlosser
“I am looking forward to participating in this inaugural event,” said Dr. Perry, “I can think of no better place to discuss rising nuclear dangers than in New Mexico given the state’s important history and contribution to the security of our country.”
One of CrSF’s primary economic objectives is to shine an international spotlight on Santa Fe. The Santa Fe Nuclear Weapons Summit is a part of the newly launched Disruptive Futures series. The Disruptive Futures series is dedicated to making Santa Fe a global destination for leaders to tackle some of the world's most challenging issues by leveraging the city’s key assets: art, culture, science, technology, environment, and heritage.
Santa Fe Mayor Javier Gonzales said today that “Santa Fe’s culture is one of bringing people together, and that, combined with our role in the nuclear story and our proximity to two major national laboratories, makes our city the perfect place to host this conversation.” He added, “Since its inception, Creative Santa Fe has built a reputation for bold ideas, and the Disruptive Futures series is an exciting way to keep Santa Fe in the vanguard of national and international thought.”
“The thought leaders we are bringing to Santa Fe for this event include US Senators, diplomats, nuclear weapons experts, authors, actors, filmmakers and artists,” said Creative Santa Fe Executive Director Cyndi Conn. “Not only will this group make progress on an issue critical to the future of nuclear security, but they will also get a first-hand experience of all that Santa Fe has to offer. We believe this is the path to securing Santa Fe as a global destination for excellence.”
William Perry served as Secretary of Defense from 1994 to 1997, and in more recent years, he's become a strong advocate for reducing the risks of nuclear weapons. In addition to his many accomplishments and achievements, Perry was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1997. He recently released the memoir My Journey at the Nuclear Brink.
Eric Schlosser is an American journalist and author known for investigative journalism, such as in his books Fast Food Nation (2001), Reefer Madness (2003), and Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety (2013), which has now been produced as a documentary feature.
This event is being developed in partnership between Creative Santa Fe, the Nuclear Threat Initiative, NSquare, and Pop Tech.
This event is sponsored in part by: Century Bank, Garcia Automotive Group, The Lensic Performing Arts Center, New Mexico True, New Mexico Tourism, N Square, Ploughshares Fund, and Sandia National Laboratories.
Media contact:
Cyndi Conn, Executive Director of Creative Santa Fe
505-288-3538
conn@creativesantafe.org