Issue 2, May 2005 - The international agreements that have long minimized the terrible danger posed by nuclear weapons are now threatening to unravel. Does the singular focus of the West on the issue of "rogue countries" like Iran and North Korea mask more deeply-rooted problems and its own hypocrisy? As governments meet in New York in May 2005 to take stock of nuclear risks, civil society groups argue that the complacency that has beset this vital issue needs to be overcome.

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Though far from perfect, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty being reviewed in New York this May has played a key role in keeping the world safe from these devastating weapons. But at this critical moment in history, its future is in jeopardy.

Though the dangers posed by nuclear weapons are as real as ever, the movement to encourage governments to give them up and slow their spread has waned since the end of the Cold War. NGOs have a key role to play in its resurgence.

Month-long U.N. talks on halting the spread of nuclear weapons have ended with no agreement on how to update and strengthen the 35-year-old Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Iran, North Korea, India, Brazil...Sarah Barr looks at how the nuclear landscape has changed over the past year since this edition of Perspectives was released.

"I speak on behalf of the youth of the world and for the children and generations to come. Mr. President, I am 16. You were 16 in 1962. That was the year when the world held its breath..."

As the world struggles to prevent the collapse of the "non-proliferation regime," says a nobel peace prize winning NGO based in Philadelphia, one of the most constructive ideas has come from Mexico, which suggests building on the model of the Land Mines Treaty.

Ending the nuclear threat must begin with the countries that already have them. Their citizens must make the first move.

In the long term, the United States must make it clear that it is serious about reducing its nuclear arsenal and abandoning new nuclear weapons if the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and its tenets are to remain relevant and ensure the safety of the world's citizens.

While a future free of nuclear weapons may seem a distant goal, it is achievable with the dedication of thoughtful citizens. If May's NPT conference ends in stalemate, a broad coalition of non-governmental organizations is expected to step in where governments have failed.