Secretary of Defense William Cohen, Michael Douglas and Ploughshares Fund President Joe Cirincione. Photograph by Chajana denHarder.
The Ploughshares Fund and the Italian Embassy hosted a panel discussion last night to talk about the current state of nuclear policy and the continuing efforts against global proliferation. The discussion was moderated by actor Michael Douglas, an 11-year United Nations ambassador and member of the Ploughshares board, and it featured Senator Chuck Hagel, Georgetown Dean Robert Gallucci (referred to as “Dean Bob” by Douglas for most of the night), and a guest appearance by former Senator Sam Nunn, co-chair and CEO of the Nuclear Threat Initiative.
Italian Ambassador Giovanni Castellaneta introduced the discussion, which revolved around the “transformative” agenda of the Obama administration. “This appears to be a very exciting period in the long history of nuclear disarmament,” said Douglas. “Is it truly a transformational moment in time?” Senator Hagel was optimistic: “The world is reorienting and redefining itself in a way that rarely occurs,” he said. “I don’t know an issue as threatening to mankind as proliferation, but we’re at a unique moment with our new leadership in Washington and indeed in Moscow as well.”
Dean Gallucci took a more pragmatic stance: “I just sat through a Georgetown graduation,” he said. “I’ve been there 13 years now, and it’s like Groundhog Day. Each year we say, ‘This is a unique moment in history.’ I’ve said that 13 times. It just keeps getting more unique. We are faced with challenges, potential catastrophes that are somewhat pregnant. Iran could go bad in multiple ways, and the danger with Pakistan is not only that it could go bad, but that it could have gone bad yesterday, and we would have no way of knowing.”
Other subjects included the overwhelming dangers of nuclear terrorism, the nuclear status of Israel, and the need to involve other superpowers in the debate. “We keep meeting in Europe to discuss this,” one audience member said. “And that’s because Europe is really nice. But when are we going to meet in Beijing or New Delhi?” “We’re just not there yet,” said Gallucci. Despite the seriousness of the program, the panel members were in good spirits. “Thanks for including me as one of the few non-Italians,” Senator Hagel said. “This is a panel of really nice guys,” Ploughshares President Joe Cirincione said in a closing statement. “By next year, hopefully we’ll have some really nice women as well.”
After the discussion, guests and panel members adjourned to the main reception room, where Prosecco, Peroni, and Pellegrino were served along with mozzarella-and-tomato skewers, salami, cheese, focaccia sandwiches, and cannoli. “I think it went very well,” Douglas told us. “We’re in a transitional period, and there’s a lot of positive energy right now. It’s a grim subject, but at least we managed to have some laughs.”
Nuclear Warfare Meets Hollywood: Michael Douglas Hosts Proliferation Panel
The Ploughshares Fund and the Italian Embassy hosted a panel discussion last night to talk about the current state of nuclear policy and the continuing efforts against global proliferation. The discussion was moderated by actor Michael Douglas, an 11-year United Nations ambassador and member of the Ploughshares board, and it featured Senator Chuck Hagel, Georgetown Dean Robert Gallucci (referred to as “Dean Bob” by Douglas for most of the night), and a guest appearance by former Senator Sam Nunn, co-chair and CEO of the Nuclear Threat Initiative.
Italian Ambassador Giovanni Castellaneta introduced the discussion, which revolved around the “transformative” agenda of the Obama administration. “This appears to be a very exciting period in the long history of nuclear disarmament,” said Douglas. “Is it truly a transformational moment in time?” Senator Hagel was optimistic: “The world is reorienting and redefining itself in a way that rarely occurs,” he said. “I don’t know an issue as threatening to mankind as proliferation, but we’re at a unique moment with our new leadership in Washington and indeed in Moscow as well.”
Dean Gallucci took a more pragmatic stance: “I just sat through a Georgetown graduation,” he said. “I’ve been there 13 years now, and it’s like Groundhog Day. Each year we say, ‘This is a unique moment in history.’ I’ve said that 13 times. It just keeps getting more unique. We are faced with challenges, potential catastrophes that are somewhat pregnant. Iran could go bad in multiple ways, and the danger with Pakistan is not only that it could go bad, but that it could have gone bad yesterday, and we would have no way of knowing.”
Other subjects included the overwhelming dangers of nuclear terrorism, the nuclear status of Israel, and the need to involve other superpowers in the debate. “We keep meeting in Europe to discuss this,” one audience member said. “And that’s because Europe is really nice. But when are we going to meet in Beijing or New Delhi?” “We’re just not there yet,” said Gallucci. Despite the seriousness of the program, the panel members were in good spirits. “Thanks for including me as one of the few non-Italians,” Senator Hagel said. “This is a panel of really nice guys,” Ploughshares President Joe Cirincione said in a closing statement. “By next year, hopefully we’ll have some really nice women as well.”
After the discussion, guests and panel members adjourned to the main reception room, where Prosecco, Peroni, and Pellegrino were served along with mozzarella-and-tomato skewers, salami, cheese, focaccia sandwiches, and cannoli. “I think it went very well,” Douglas told us. “We’re in a transitional period, and there’s a lot of positive energy right now. It’s a grim subject, but at least we managed to have some laughs.”
More>> Capital Comment Blog | News & Politics | Society Photos
Most Popular in News & Politics
What It Felt Like for a Virginia Marching Band to Win Metallica’s Contest
Meet the 2023 Washingtonians of the Year
What’s IN and OUT in DC Restaurant Trends for 2024
Introducing 8 of DC’s Most Stylish
Washingtonian Magazine
May 2024: Great Getaways
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
13 Major Concerts and Music Festivals in the DC Area This Spring
Mary Timony on Her Emotional New Album, “Untame the Tiger”
The Beatles in DC: A New Exhibit in Maryland Looks Back on Early Beatlemania
Northern Virginia High School Wins Metallica’s Marching Band Competition
More from News & Politics
5 of DC’s Most Interesting Ideas for Revitalizing Chinatown
A “Corpse Flower” Is Currently in Bloom at the Botanic Garden
How Emma’s Torch Is Changing the Lives of Its Refugee Workers
Former Fiola GM Convicted of Murder Is Now in a Netflix Docuseries
These 5 DC Traffic Cams Are Issuing the Most Tickets Right Now
Farewell to Crystal City Underground, the DC Area’s Strangest Mall
Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People of 2024
Inside the Urgent Effort to Preserve Black Newspapers