NEW YORK, March 28 2005—Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev will present businessman and philanthropist Ted Turner with the 2005 Alan Cranston Peace Award on behalf of the Global Security Institute, April 20th at the United Nations in New York City.

The award honors leaders who, through their actions, demonstrate commitment to global security and nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament. Presiding over the ceremony will be The Rt. Hon. Kim Campbell, the former Prime Minister of Canada.

As part of the ceremony, President Gorbachev—in his first public speech at the United Nations since his historic “glasnost” address to the General Assembly in 1988—is expected to issue a call for world leaders to immediately address the continued, dangerous deployments of nuclear arsenals.

The timing of this extraordinary event is auspicious, coming less than two weeks before the beginning of the month-long quinennial Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The NPT is essential to global security because it sets the norm against the proliferation of nuclear weapons, sets controls over peaceful uses of nuclear technology, and advances legally mandated progress toward nuclear disarmament. Such progress includes incremental steps such as a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, a verifiable treaty constraining the production of fissile materials, and a reduced reliance on nuclear weapons in security policies.

As President Gorbachev said in his December 7, 1988 address to the U.N. General Assembly, disarmament is "the most important topic, without which no problem of the coming century can be resolved."

Mr. Turner expressed his concerns, "Every president since Lyndon Johnson has pledged to eliminate our nuclear weapons, as dictated by the Nonproliferation Treaty. If we are to reduce the threat from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons in all its forms, we need to raise public awareness and inspire leadership and cooperation in this country and throughout the world. There is no greater legacy we could leave our children and grandchildren than a peaceful and safer world. Each of us can make a difference."

The presence of Mr. Turner and President Gorbachev at the United Nations on the eve of the 2005 Review Conference of the NPT therefore represent an opportunity to highlight practical steps that can help bring security to our world.

The nonpartisan Global Security Institute hopes to use the occasion of the award ceremony, before an audience of diplomats and members of civil society, to impress upon the world the importance of continued, measurable progress on disarmament steps, for without such progress, any efforts to promote the norm of non-proliferation—an avowed goal of the United States—are doomed to failure.

“The Cold War ended over a decade ago, and still we live under an unacceptable risk that nuclear weapons could be used,” said Jonathan Granoff, President of the Global Security Institute.

"We must not forget that President Gorbachev's powerful ideas of glasnost—openness in addressing systemic social problems—and perestroika—a restructuring of economy and bureaucracy—led to the peaceful end of the Cold War. An essential part of Gorbachev's vision was disarmament. He urged the world to change 'from an economy of armament to an economy of disarmament,' in his 1988 address to the General Assembly. Yet we have a long way to go."

In 1988, President Gorbachev said, "The movement toward a nuclear free and non-violent world is capable of fundamentally transforming the political and spiritual face of the planet, but only the very first steps have been taken."

More than 16 years later, only the first steps have been taken. Indeed, in some regions of the world, progress is moving dangerously backward. Despite deep cuts, there are still thousands of nuclear weapons threatening humanity's future, and proliferation has not been adequately constrained.

The award recognizes Mr. Turner’s record of intellectual, visionary, and philanthropic leadership in the field of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, as well as his unmatched support for the work of the world's most important multilateral body, the United Nations.

Mr. Turner has made his mark as one of the most influential philanthropists in the United States, and around the world.

In September 1997, Mr. Turner announced an historic pledge of up to $1 billion to the United Nations Foundation, to support the goals and objectives of the United Nations, and to promote a more peaceful, prosperous and just world.

In early 2001, Mr. Turner launched the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a foundation he co-chairs with former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn, and through which he is working to reduce the threat from nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

In April 2003, Ted Turner Documentaries' eight-hour series, Avoiding Armageddon, about weapons of mass destruction, aired on PBS stations around the United States.

Previous recipients of the Alan Cranston Peace Award set a high standard for excellence, commitment and leadership. The first recipient was Jayantha Dhanapala, the former U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, and the second was Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi of California.

The Global Security Institute is dedicated to strengthening international cooperation and security based on the rule of law with a particular focus on nuclear arms control, nonproliferation and disarmament. GSI was founded by Senator Alan Cranston whose insight that nuclear weapons are impractical, unacceptably risky, and unworthy of civilization continues to inspire GSI’s efforts to contribute to a safer world. GSI has developed an exceptional team that includes former heads of state and government, distinguished diplomats, effective politicians, committed celebrities, religious leaders, Nobel Peace Laureates, disarmament and legal experts, and concerned citizens.

PRESS CONFERENCE to be held from 11:30 - 11:55 am in the UN Press Conference Room, S-226.

The 1:15 - 2:45 pm Award Ceremony, to be held in UN Conference Room 4, will be open to press with UN Press Passes.

That evening, Mr. Turner and President Gorbachev will also participate in an extraordinary dinner event at the United Nations where they will engage in a "dialogue of visionaries for a sustainable future." This event is by invitation only. If interested in attending please contact Mr. Allen.

Individual interviews with Mr. Turner, President Gorbachev, and other luminaries to be arranged on a priority basis. Please contact Zachary Allen at 415-397-6760 if you are interested.

NOTE: United Nations passes are required for entry into U.N. buildings.

For more information, visit http://www.gsinstitute.org/ .