From Dissent to Diplomacy: The Pugwash Project During the 1960s Cold War

This book explores the internal development of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs (the PCSWA; Pugwash) and its role in international nuclear diplomacy during the 1960s Cold War. It argues that Pugwash scientists formed the vanguard of Track II diplomacy and that informal modes of working and a code of confidentiality accorded the leadership enormous power and autonomy. However, by 1967, competing interests were fueling tensions and instability within Pugwash, placing its future in doubt.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 140 pages
Publication date: 23 October 2022
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

This book offers fresh and insightful perspectives on the internal evolution of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs (the PCSWA; Pugwash) and its pivotal role in international nuclear diplomacy during the 1960s Cold War. The conferences, initiated by Western scientists who disagreed with their government's stance on nuclear weapons, brought together esteemed scientists from both the East and West to pursue nuclear disarmament and foster peace. The analysis unfolds in two interconnected strands. Firstly, the book charts the emergence during the conferences of a distinctive form of technopolitical communication that played a vital role in Pugwash's function as an informal cross-bloc dialogue on disarmament. This communication style enabled Pugwash to realize its paradoxical vision of working both with and against governments to promote disarmament, which was crucial to its role as a forum for and actor within the realm of informal diplomacy. It is argued that Pugwash scientists constituted the vanguard of what later became known as Track II diplomacy. The relevance of the contemporary concept of Science Diplomacy to Pugwash is explored. Secondly, the book delves into the internal dynamics of the international Pugwash organization. It is argued that informal modes of working and a code of confidentiality granted the leadership substantial power and autonomy, allowing them to control the Pugwash agenda and priorities and launch diplomatic initiatives beyond the conferences. However, by 1967, competing interests were fueling tensions and instability within Pugwash as it grappled with the political challenges posed by the Vietnam War and European security. This crisis highlighted the limitations of the Pugwash project.

Weight: 244g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031121340
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022