Reducing the nuclear threat and fighting child hunger

Representatives Sam Farr and Chaka Fattah are the latest members of Congress to co-sponsor the Global Security Priorities Resolution (H.Res 278). The idea is to reduce the number of nuclear weapons around the globe and divert savings toward fighting child hunger.

Here are some key portions of the resolution:

(1) meet the objective of the eventual elimination of nuclear weapons as prescribed in article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the vision of a nuclear-weapon-free world of Presidents Reagan and Gorbachev at the Reykjavik Summit of 1986;

(2) reduce the number of nuclear weapons subject to diversion or theft by terrorist groups; and

(3) eventually make available additional funds in the range of tens of billions of dollars to further enhance international security by reducing world poverty, thereby addressing one of the factors contributing to international terrorism;

Whereas addressing the needs of the very poor in the world, particularly children, reduces a source of international tension and local despair that contribute to terrorist initiatives;

Whereas providing nutritious meals in schools has proven to be one of the most effective strategies to increase school attendance and enrollment, particularly among girls, decrease the incidence of hunger and malnutrition in school-age children, and help create literate, self-sustaining, and healthy societies;

Whereas the United States supports programs to address chronic hunger and malnutrition and promote universal education among adolescent and school-age children;Whereas the World Food Programme and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations estimate that an additional $5,000,000,000 annually in global assistance for school feeding and other food supports could eliminate hunger and malnutrition among the world's school-age children;

Representative Jim McGovern of Massachusetts put forth the resolution. There are now 15 co-sponsors.

See also my article How Ike Can Help Obama's No Nukes Quest which discusses some steps toward reducing proliferation, including the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).