Researchers
The William J. Perry Project educates and engages the public on the dangers of nuclear weapons to the safety and security of the world. Founded by former Secretary of Defense William J. Perry, the WJPP’s core product is Perry’s memoir – expected out later this year – which tells his story of coming of age in the nuclear era, his role in trying to shape and contain it, and how his thinking changed about the threat these weapons pose today.
The Perry Project is using a variety of approaches to educate the public – particularly youth, through his summer seminar with students from universities and high schools – to ensure that nuclear weapons will never be used again. He taught a class this winter term at Stanford University, “Living at the Nuclear Brink: Yesterday & Today,” which took students along a personal journey from his first days as a soldier in the aftermath of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan, through his work procuring nuclear weapons delivery systems for the Carter administration and then working to dismantle those weapons around the world as the 19th secretary of defense for President Bill Clinton.
The course featured a wide variety of experts on security from CISAC and Stanford and beyond. It will be the foundation for an online course (MOOC) to expand the reach to a global audience.
The culmination of the WJPP will be an archive that is eventually accessible to the public. The WJPP is sponsored by the Nuclear Threat Initiative and funded with contributions from private individuals.
To learn more, contact Robin Perry at robin@wjperryproject.org.