Announcing the Back from the Brink DC Hub

From Elena Finley, DC Hub Leader

My work in national security, foreign policy, and law has made one thing increasingly clear: the threat of nuclear weapons is too urgent—and too often overlooked—to be left unchallenged. It wasn’t until this past summer, as a participant in the Nuclear Politics Summer Program (hosted by Soka University of America’s Institute for Global Solutions in collaboration with Middlebury Institute of International Studies, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies), that I truly connected the dots. Nuclear disarmament is inherently interdisciplinary, fitting within many of the broader frameworks I’ve spent the past decade studying. 

My formal education includes a Bachelor of Science in Homeland Security, focusing on counterterrorism, emergency management, cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure. I earned a Master of Arts in Peace and Justice from the University of San Diego, tailoring my curriculum to issues of atrocity prevention and genocide. I am now mere months away from completing my Juris Doctor with a concentration in International Law at the University of San Diego, where I’ve been enrolled in a dual degree program. The threat of nuclear weapons profoundly shapes each of these fields. Yet, across national security, foreign policy, and law, the role of nuclear politics is far too often missing from the conversation. 

This gap was filled at the Nuclear Politics Summer Program. There, I met brilliant, inspiring, passionate individuals. Learning among them was such an energizing experience, and I wanted to continue the momentum as I came back to DC. I also had the pleasure to learn from leaders like Dr. Ira Helfand, whose involvement in the movement helped guide me on where and how I could contribute meaningfully. Dr. Tetsushi Ogata, who organized and led the group, left a lasting impression with his expertise, enthusiasm, and encouragement. He urged our cohort to mobilize, step forward, and take action in order to mitigate the ever-growing threat of nuclear weapons. I founded the DC Hub because I believe nuclear disarmament is not a siloed issue. It is a human rights issue, a security issue, and a survival issue. And the people shaping U.S. foreign policy need to hear that message from more of us. If you’re in the DC area, I hope that you’ll join us in taking that action. 

DC Hub Co-Leads

The DC Hub hopes to leverage their positioning in the nation’s capital by engaging with lobbying efforts and mobilizing the university community. The Hub will be co-led by Elena Finley and Maria Udalova. Maria is a first-year student at George Washington University and an advocate with Students for Nuclear Disarmament.

Both Elena and Maria were involved in a recent H. Res. 317 campaign letter drop on Capitol Hill on July 15, the anniversary of the Trinity test.

For folks who are in the DC area and want to get involved with the Back from the Brink Hub, please contact Elena Finley at elenaalexfinley@gmail.com.