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Reaching Critical Will, the disarmament project of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), advocates and educates on issues related to nuclear disarmament and the reduction of military spending. Reaching Critical Will encourages citizens to demand accountability from government decision-makers on theses issues and engages citizens in debate with their leaders. In a world in which leaders have often grown complacent about their ability to make decisions (especially in highly technical arenas) outside the view of a questioning public, Reaching Critical Will re-introduces a critical public gaze. We advance transparent, accountable, and just policies on these important issues by:

• Promoting transparency and access to information from United Nations and other intergovernmental conferences related to nuclear weapons;
• Fostering greater public debate on critical issues related to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation;
• Educating key stakeholders about current trends and new opportunities for nuclear disarmament; and
• Engaging citizens in strategic organizing and advocacy that builds momentum in movements to demand nuclear abolition.

Reaching Critical Will is WILPF’s initiative to strengthen and empower individuals to act,by both inspiring and informing. Reaching Critical Will’s tools encourage individuals to get involved. Those who use Reaching Critical Will’sresources contribute actively to the goal of disarmament by engaging with their local grassroots organizations, advocating for change with their national governments, and collaborating with one another through a variety of international channels.

Reaching Critical Will:

Civil society participation is necessary for the success of nuclear disarmament, just as it was necessary to secure a ban on cluster munitions and anti-personnel landmines. The vast majority of governments have expressed support for the elimination of nuclear weapons, but these expressions have not been strong, loud, or coordinated enough to force those governments with nuclear weapons to get rid of them. These governments need the vocal and visible support of their citizens to make clear to them that the political will exists to abolish nuclear weapons forever.