b'SCIENTIFIC SOLUTIONS TO VIOLENCE AND GLOBAL CONFLICT 3The Global Union of Scientists for Peace is an emerging force in the prevention of terrorism, war, and social violence through the application of cutting-edge, field-tested solutions in the areas of conflict resolution, national security, and global peace.GUSP FOUNDING AND MISSIONT he Global Union of Scientists for Peace (GUSP) arose from the ashes of the failed Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference in 2005. This diplomatic breakdown underscored the political worlds dangerous addiction to weapons of enormous destructive powerweapons that threaten the existence of the human race and other planetary species.Alarmed and frustrated by the NPT stalemate, many conference participants, including foremost scientists and leaders most cognizant of the true consequences of nuclear weapons, converged to launch the Global Union of Scientists for Peacea global counterinitiative to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and to support alternative, peaceful means of conflict resolution. (See GUSP Directors, pages 45.)Today GUSP has become a driving force in international efforts to prevent terrorism and war and to promote global peace.The mission of GUSP is fourfold:Stop the spread of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction;Reduce the heavy reliance on violent means of conflict resolution;Prevent the buildup of societal tensions that lead to terrorism and social conflict;Research and promote the use of evidence-based, nonviolent approaches to preventing conflict,promoting national security, and achieving global peace.The need for a new approachSince the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, the primary threat to global security has shifted from superpower confrontation to protracted regional wars and the pervasive threat of terrorism. Today, every nation is vulnerable: even the mightiest nations have fallen prey to escalating terrorist attacks. Conventional military approaches appear unsuited and unable to prevent such attacks. Diplomatic efforts face similar challenges. In a world torn by deep-seated hostilities and regional tensions, compromise and diplomatic solutions have been elusive. Hard-won negotiated settlements and ceasefires typically afford only fleeting relief. Paper treaties among rival factions have proven too fragile a basis for lasting peace.Clearly, a fundamentally new approach is needed. It is gratifying to report that new, effective approaches to defense and conflict prevention existand in key respects, already have a better track record of success than conventional approaches to security and peace. These innovative, evidence-based approaches are the primary focus of GUSP today, and are described in detail below in the section Defusing World Crises (page 7).'