Daisy Alliance Lecture Series
Spotlight on Nuclear Weapons Issues
Daisy Alliance's lecture series features different speakers highlighting salient issues in international security, nuclear weapons policy, and nuclear arms control. We pull from our network of scholars and activists to bring you diverse views on topics such as the war in Ukraine, China’s nuclear weapons policies, nuclear weapons through the lens of competition and power, and the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons. Both virtual and in-person talks are free and open to the public—we look forward to seeing you!
For more information or to register for an upcoming talk, email Holly Lindamood at daisyalliance2006@gmail.com.
Upcoming Talks
No talks currently scheduled-please check back.
Past Talks
May 17, 2023 7:00pm EST
Dr. Gregory Hall, Daisy Alliance Executive Director and Associate Professor at UKY's Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce
"Examining US-China-Russia Foreign Relations: Power Relations in a Post-Obama Era"
Dr. Hall will be discussing his latest book, Examining US-China-Russia Foreign Relations: Power Relations in a Post-Obama Era. The publisher’s summary states, “Examining US-China-Russia Foreign Relations explores the changing nature and function of the US-China-Russia strategic triangle from the end of the Cold War up to the present. Gregory Hall uses neoclassical realist international relations (IR) theory to argue that, since the mid-2000s, the politics of the strategic triangle have been increasingly influenced by factors related to the Big 3 countries’ respective domestic environments. Hall utilizes agency and context for each of the three great powers, expanding on previously established frameworks to include a comparative analysis of each actor’s domestic environment for foreign policy and the interplay between the domestic and external contexts. In IR terms, the book identifies and illustrates how factors including systemic, state and societal, individuals, and small groups influence the foreign relations of the Big 3. Hall concludes by exploring the future prospects for great power relations and for global affairs. Incorporating both theoretical and empirical data to offer a fresh and timely look at the myriad challenges facing the three powers, this book provides an excellent companion to students of foreign policy, international security, and post-Cold War international politics.
April 6, 2023 7:00pm EST
Dr. Yuki Miyamoto, Professor, DePaul College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
"From St. Louis to Hiroshima: Nuclear Architecture, Colonialism, and Racism"
What is the relationship between St. Louis and Hiroshima? Unlike the government owned Manhattan Project sites of Hanford (WA), Los Alamos (NM), and Oak Ridge (TN), it is less known the role St. Louis played by enriching uranium, imported from Belgian Congo. The uranium was used to produce the Hiroshima bomb. The residue from the Manhattan Project and the subsequent arms race has been harming the residents and their environment in the St. Louis area to this day. Tracing back to the Manhattan Project, the talk will discuss how nuclear architecture—the structure based on colonialism and racism—prioritizes the production of nuclear materials over the destruction of human beings and our environment, instead of exclusively focusing on the nation-state framework. Nuclear architecture, thus, illuminates that the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki are not an isolated event in history, but should be placed in the dynamics of colonialism and racism that will illustrate the close link between St. Louis, Hiroshima, and all the sites where people suffer from radiation exposure.
March 15, 2023 7:00pm EST
Dr. Vincent Intondi, Author of African Americans Against the Bomb: Nuclear Weapons, Colonialism, and the Black Freedom Movement
"Saving the World from Nuclear War"
Dr. Intondi will be discussing his latest book, Saving the World from Nuclear War. A brief summary of the book states, “On June 12, 1982, one million people filled the streets of New York City and rallied in Central Park to show support for the United Nations’ Second Special Session on Disarmament. They demanded an end to the nuclear arms race and called for a shift from military funds to money allocated for human needs. In Saving the World from Nuclear War, Vincent J. Intondi draws on archival materials and interviews with rally organizers and activists in Central Park to explore this demonstration from its inception through the months of organizing, recruiting, and planning, to the historic day itself.”
"Challenging the Primacy of Nuclear Weapons in US Security Policy"
Holly Lindamood
February 15, 2023
Since the Cold War, the US nuclear posture has generally remained static, characterized by an over-reliance on nuclear weapons in national security policy. The Biden Administrations' nuclear posture review, which was publicly released in October 2022, maintains similar postures as past administrations, continuing with large-scale modernization plans initiated by the Obama Administration, as well as the low-yield SLBM program launched by the Trump Administration. But does the existing US nuclear posture really keep us safe? In her talk, Holly Lindamood will discuss how the existing national security framework guides US nuclear weapons policies, whether all aspects of US nuclear arsenal modernization plans are actually necessary, and the effects of current US policy on international security. She will also propose meaningful policy changes the US can take to reduce reliance on nuclear weapons.
"Challenges and Opportunities to Engage China on Nuclear Arms Control"
Dr. Tong Zhao
January 17, 2023
Dr. Zhao's talk, Challenges and Opportunities to Engage China on Nuclear Arms Control, will analyze the growing political obstacles that drive the US-China nuclear escalation and offers thoughts on potential mitigating measures. Evidence shows that the main goal of China’s nuclear weapons today is no longer only to maintain nuclear-level stability with the United States, but also to help achieve U.S.-China political stability. The new goal is broader and more ambiguous than the previous one, and creates new challenges for bilateral efforts to contain the risk of arms race and nuclear conflict. Technical-level factors can no longer fully explain the speed and scale of China’s current nuclear expansion and future efforts to maintain nuclear stability between Washington and Beijing may have to address the underlying political disagreements.
"On High Alert: An Insider's Perspective on the US Nuclear Posture"
Dr. Chuck Powell
November 16, 20222
Dr. Powell’s talk presents a fascinating look into the world of intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMS. From his days as an Air Force officer with co-authority to launch up to 150 nuclear warheads, Dr. Powell shares anecdotes from the field about what it was like to be faced with the daily moral dilemma of nuclear warfighting. He will discuss how the US ICBM force has changed over time, as well as how we think about our ICBM posture.
"National Insecurity: Rethinking our fundamental assumptions about national security"
Dr. Martin Hellman
September 13, 2022
In his talk, Dr. Hellman discussed how our thinking on national security is mired in assumptions from the pre-nuclear era that are dangerously obsolete today. He examined a number of such assumptions and applied them to the war in Ukraine. Dr. Hellman is a Professor Emeritus at Stanford University and a long-time expert and activist in the field of nuclear arms control. His current project, Rethinking National Security, questions the assumptions that form the foundation of our thinking on national security.
Learn more about Dr. Hellman's work
An Existential Discussion: What is the probability of nuclear war?
The Technologies Imperative for Ethical Evolution
A New Map for Relationships: Creating True Love at Home and Peace on the Planet
Playing Russian Roulette in Ukraine