Our History

The Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space was founded in 1992 by the joint efforts of the Florida Coalition for Peace & Justice (FCPJ); Citizens for Peace in Space (Colorado Springs); and New York-based Journalism professor Karl Grossman. The inaugural meeting of the Global Network (GN) was held in Washington D.C. City Council Chambers.

Between 1992-1997 the GN was housed in the offices, and subsidized by, the FCPJ. Bruce Gagnon, at that time the Coordinator of the FCPJ, served as Co- Coordinator of the GN with Bill Sulzman from Colorado.

In 1998 Gagnon left the FCPJ wanting to work full time on space issues and began serving as Coordinator of the GN. The GN is governed by a Board of Directors which is elected at its general membership meetings.
 

Since its 1992 founding the GN has met each year in order to bring together key activists who are working on, or are interested in, space issues. It was the intention of the founders to create an organization that would serve as a clearinghouse for space issues and act as a spark to ignite education and organizing in order to build an international citizens movement.

The 1997 Cancel Cassini Campaign (that launched 72 pounds of plutonium into space and was featured by the TV program 60 Minutes) was a visible and successful effort.

In 2000 and 2001 the GN organized an International Day of Protest to Stop the Militarization of Space. In 2002 the GN expanded it to an entire week of activities called Keep Space for Peace Week which annually draws events in over a dozen countries.

Today there are about 150 organizations all over the world that are affiliated with the Global Network.

The Global Network has been very successful in helping to create a growing constituency of people around the world who now understand and are active around the space issue.  As more and more nations become involved in developing space technology this expanding base of activists are having an impact in shaping the debate about the need to keep space for peace.