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Our Mission
Understanding national security is a litmus test for leadership in America. To have a seat at the table, we need leaders who understand the threats and opportunities of the 21st century, and can effectively communicate a new national security strategy to the American people, so that strong, smart, and principled security strategies become the bedrock of American foreign policy.
The Truman National Security Project was created to seize this historic moment. We are the nation's only institute dedicated to training progressives in national security.
Our work is best described through a few specific examples.
- The Truman Project makes an immediate impact today. A navy veteran from Oregon wants to run for State Assembly on a national security platform. He contacted the Truman Project: our Bootcamps are meant to assist leaders just like him. And no candidate wins without a strong staff: multiple presidential campaigns all called the Truman Project needing help finding staffers who were politically savvy, understood security, and could get right to work. The Truman Project's alumni network provided trained leaders for speechwriting, foreign policy, and communications staff.
- We are building the pipeline of future candidates. An army veteran in his 30s, believing in the crucial need to fight terrorists and appalled by what he witnessed in Guantanamo, decided to run for office. But the work to get elected in six years starts now. He applied to the Truman Security Fellowship, and spent a year gaining media and communication skills, building a network of future supporters and campaign staffers, and gaining broader knowledge of national security so he could make it the center of his campaign in a heavily military district. In five years, you'll be reading about him; he is the type of new candidate we need. He and others like him are being recruited and assisted by the Truman Project.
- And we are developing future generations of trained leaders. In 2004, there were more voters under the age of 30 than over the age of 65. By 2015, this generation will make up one-third of the electorate. One of those future leaders was the young founder of a 700 college coalition to fight genocide. She knew that she could organize on campus; but she wanted to take her skills to the next level to influence policy in Congress and the White House. She came to the Truman Project to gain the skills she needs. She said that progressive college organizers needed the training the Truman Project provides.
The Historic Moment
Today's world is a dangerous place. Our security is at risk from terrorists, states that support them, and the proliferation of weapons that can cause unimaginable, massive destruction. We are also threatened by less obvious foes such as the proliferation of deadly disease, weak and corrupt countries, and the spread of anti-Americanism.
The conservative strategy to meet today's threats is bankrupt. They have missed crucial opportunities. Their rhetoric has squandered world sympathy and support. Allies we need to conquer terror have been alienated. Poor strategic planning has weakened military morale and capabilities. Ideologically based Pentagon-focused policy-making is breeding instability abroad, exacerbating the conditions that make us vulnerable. The conservative strategy is making the world less safe. And the American people are searching for an alternative.
Now is the time to offer a strong progressive vision of national security. A vision forged in the 21st century, not rooted in the Cold War. A vision that is grounded in our values and a clear view of our security needs today.
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