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The Streit Council for a Union of Democracies is Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit foreign policy think tank working to unite democracies as a path toward greater individual freedom, international solidarity, and global stability. It aims for the creation of an international order of, by and for the people.


History

As Federal Union, Inc. The Streit Council is a successor to Federal Union Inc., founded in 1939 by
Clarence Streit Clarence Kirschman Streit (; January 21, 1896 – July 6, 1986) was an American journalist who played a prominent role in the Atlanticist and world federalist movements.Imlay, Talbot (2020)Streit, Federalist Frameworks, and Wartime American Inte ...
– a ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' journalist and author of '' Union Now''. He proposed a union of democracies around the Atlantic that would be capable enough to deter, and if necessary defend, against any combination of totalitarian regimes - thus avoiding the outbreak of WWII. Streit also advocated this initial
federation A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...
of the world's leading democracies – with a common constitution, foreign policy, defense, and economy – as a strategy for world peace. This union of democracies would serve as a model for peaceful and democratic interaction among nations and their peoples, and remain open to accepting additional democracies as they emerged and expressed interest in joining. Federal Union was the first popular US-based transnational movement to advocate a union of democracies. Throughout the war, the organization insisted that increasing American material and political assistance to the
Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
without entering into a union with them would undermine the prospects for extending the democratic ethos and practices to international relations. Once the US intervened against the
Axis An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to: Mathematics * Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis *Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinate ...
, Federal Union campaigned for postwar structures that would lead to a democratic world order. During and after the war, the organization enjoyed support from prominent figures such as Supreme Court Justice
Owen Roberts Owen Josephus Roberts (May 2, 1875 – May 17, 1955) was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1930 to 1945. He also led two Roberts Commissions, the first of which investigated the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the seco ...
, Secretary of the Interior
Harold L. Ickes Harold LeClair Ickes ( ; March 15, 1874 – February 3, 1952) was an American administrator, politician and lawyer. He served as United States Secretary of the Interior for nearly 13 years from 1933 to 1946, the longest tenure of anyone to hold th ...
, and
John Foster Dulles John Foster Dulles (, ; February 25, 1888 – May 24, 1959) was an American diplomat, lawyer, and Republican Party politician. He served as United States Secretary of State under President Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953 to 1959 and was briefly ...
. In the postwar years, Streit’s ideas played a significant role in the formation of NATO. In 1949, Federal Union formed the Roberts-chaired Atlantic Union Committee (AUC) which pressed Congress to pursue a
federation A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...
of democracies. The AUC served as the political wing of Federal Union, Inc. This led to the introduction of the Atlantic Union Resolution in the US Congress in 1949, set forth by Senator J.
William Fulbright James William Fulbright (April 9, 1905 – February 9, 1995) was an American politician, academic, and statesman who represented Arkansas in the United States Senate from 1945 until his resignation in 1974. , Fulbright is the longest serving chair ...
, Senator
Joseph R. McCarthy Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican United States Senate, U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarth ...
, and others. When the Resolution was again introduced in 1951, among those introducing it was Senator Richard M. Nixon. In the early 1950s, AUC also formed the Atlantic Assembly as an annual consultative assembly of parliamentarians from NATO countries, which formally became the North Atlantic Assembly in 1966 and was later transformed into the
NATO Parliamentary Assembly Founded in 1955, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) serves as the consultative interparliamentary organisation for the North Atlantic Alliance. Its current President is Gerald E. Connolly from the United States, elected in 2019. Its curre ...
(the name it operates under today). For many years afterward, similar Atlantic Union Resolutions were introduced in every session of the US Congress, with Representatives
Paul Findley Paul Augustus Findley (June 23, 1921 – August 9, 2019) was an American writer and politician. He served as United States Representative from Illinois, representing its 20th District. A Republican, he was first elected in 1960. A moderate Repu ...
, Donald Fraser and
Morris Udall Morris King "Mo" Udall (June 15, 1922 – December 12, 1998) was an American attorney and Democratic politician who served as a U.S. representative from Arizona from May 2, 1961, to May 4, 1991. He was a leading contender for the 1976 Democr ...
as the lead co-sponsors. The resolutions called for the formation of an "Atlantic Convention" to draft a constitution for an Atlantic Union that would be open, worldwide, to other democracies. The Bill passed in 1960 “with the support of both candidates for President – Nixon and
John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
– and Senate Majority Leader
Lyndon Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
. In the House of Representatives, it passed by an overwhelming 288 to 103.” However, by the time the Convention was actually held in 1962, the US was only represented by a Citizen’s Commission, and was prevented by law from representing the US Government. Without American backing, the suggestions made by the Convention were never followed up on. Federal Union Inc. was renamed the
Association to Unite the Democracies The Association to Unite the Democracies (AUD), is an organization seeking closer cooperation and integration among the world's democratic states. AUD was founded in 1939 by Clarence Streit, ''The New York Times'' correspondent at the League of Na ...
(AUD) in 1985. As the Streit Council In 2004, the Streit Council was established as a successor to AUD. Since then, it has continued to work for the same principles, publishing research, analysis and commentary; hosting events; and contributing to the academic discourse on issues related to democratic integration and the democratization of the international order.


Leadership

Richard Conn Henry, a physics professor at
Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...
, serves as the current President of the Streit Council Board of Directors.
Solomon Passy Solomon Isaac Passy ( bg, Соломон Исак Паси) (born 22 December 1956) is a Bulgarian scientist, politician, and innovator, founder and President of the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria (since 1990), Foreign Minister in the 20012005 Saks ...
, a former member of the
Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
n Parliament and Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs (2001–2005), serves as Honorary President. Tiziana Stella, a specialist in transatlantic relations,
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
,
European integration European integration is the process of industrial, economic integration, economic, political, legal, social integration, social, and cultural Regional integration, integration of states wholly or partially in Europe or nearby. European integrat ...
,
US foreign policy The officially stated goals of the foreign policy of the United States of America, including all the bureaus and offices in the United States Department of State, as mentioned in the ''Foreign Policy Agenda'' of the Department of State, are ...
and
federalism Federalism is a combined or compound mode of government that combines a general government (the central or "federal" government) with regional governments (Province, provincial, State (sub-national), state, Canton (administrative division), can ...
, acts as the Executive Director, responsible for all major projects, including overall program and research planning and management, as well as staff management.


Programs

The work of the Streit Council is divided into three core programs: Transatlantic The Transatlantic Program tracks and analyzes policy developments in the United States and Europe that affect the political, economic, and defense cohesion of the transatlantic area. This includes the rise of populism on both sides of the Atlantic, shifts in the orientation of US foreign policy, and internal and external pressures on the institutions that comprise the Euro-Atlantic system and the European Union. This program also promotes proactive policy options that address these challenges. World Organization The program on World Organization examines how the world’s democracies, and the transatlantic area in particular, can effect constructive consensus in the United Nations and other universal organizations to ensure that individual human dignity, freedom, and responsibility are permanently positioned at the center of world governance. Federal Paradigms The program on Federal Paradigms examines a) the historical and cultural factors that influence the formation and stability of federations, and b) federalism as a theory of international relations. As underexplored areas of study that shed light on the internal cohesion of democracies, potential areas for democratization in inter-democracy relations, democratic deficits in international institutions, and deficiencies in the international system, they carry significant implications for the future of democracy, U.S. foreign policy, transatlantic structures, and world organization.


Publications

The Streit Council regularly publishes research and analysis in the form of policy briefs, issues briefs and commentary. , the Streit Council published a journal
''Freedom & Union''
a revival of the magazine of the same name launched by Federal Union, Inc. in 1946. The Streit Council assisted in the English translation of former French Prime Minister Edouard Balladur's book ''For a Union of the West'', published by the
Hoover Institution The Hoover Institution (officially The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace; abbreviated as Hoover) is an American public policy think tank and research institution that promotes personal and economic liberty, free enterprise, and ...
in 2009.


Past Events

The Streit Council has held events featuring expert analysis from guest speakers on a variety of topics, with numerous papers subsequently produced. Topics covered have included “Euro-Atlantic Integration and Russia after September 11,” “Global Warming: Engaging the US at The G8 Summit,” and “Creating a Barrier-Free Transatlantic Market.” These events sought to address core concepts of the transatlantic relationship and global democratization. These events included numerous speakers, such as
Peter Rodman Peter Warren Rodman (November 24, 1943 – August 2, 2008) was an American attorney, government official, author, and national security adviser. Early life and education Born in Boston, he was educated at The Roxbury Latin School. He earned ...
, US Assistant Secretary of Defense; Jose-Maria Aznar, Former Prime Minister of Spain; Antonio Martino, Former Italian Defense Minister; General William Odom, former Director of the US National Security Agency; Vladimir Lukin, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma and former Russian Ambassador to Washington; Anatol Lieven, Senior Research Fellow at The New America Foundation; and Edouard Balladur, Former Prime Minister of France.


See also

*
Clarence Streit Clarence Kirschman Streit (; January 21, 1896 – July 6, 1986) was an American journalist who played a prominent role in the Atlanticist and world federalist movements.Imlay, Talbot (2020)Streit, Federalist Frameworks, and Wartime American Inte ...
*
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
*
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
*
OECD The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; french: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques, ''OCDE'') is an intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate e ...
*
World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Interna ...
*
Transatlantic relations Transatlantic relations refer to the historic, cultural, political, economic and social relations between countries on both side of the Atlantic Ocean. Sometimes it specifically means relationships between the Anglophone North American countr ...


References


External links

* {{Official website Foreign policy and strategy think tanks in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C. Nonpartisan organizations in the United States Political and economic think tanks in the United States United States–European relations