The Fourth Freedom Forum is a nonpartisan, nonprofit operating foundation that seeks to provide discussion, development, and dissemination of ideas focused on solutions to global security threats. Its primary focus is the use of economic incentives and targeted sanctions to establish the rule of law, provide a reliable and humane system of enforcement, and promote international cooperation for the progress of civilized society. The Forum was founded in 1982 by Howard S. Brembeck to advance the idea that economic power, not military power, is the power that rules the world.

Background

The name of the organization comes from President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

's 1941 Annual Message to Congress as he outlined his vision for four essential freedoms that all people deserve –

freedom of speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recogni ...

freedom of religion Freedom of religion or religious liberty is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance. It also includes the freedom ...

freedom from want The right to an adequate standard of living is a fundamental human rights, human right. It is part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that was accepted by the United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations on De ...

, and

freedom from fear Freedom from fear is listed as a fundamental human right according to The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On January 6, 1941, United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt called it one of the "Four Freedoms" at his State of the Union, whi ...

of war.

Programs

Since the Forum was founded nearly forty years ago, it has earned the trust of governments, international organizations, and experts around the world for policy-relevant research and advice as well as innovative work to encourage regional cooperation around common security goals. The Forum has designed and implemented programs on five continents that have forged partnerships to help governments and civil society organizations to effectively address the most urgent global security threats. The Forum established and provided core support to th
Global Center on Cooperative Security
and it is now thriving as an independent organization. The Forum also continues to work on international security issues including nonproliferation, sanctions and incentives, and preventing violent extremism. The Forum and the

Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies The College of Arts and Letters is the oldest and largest college within the University of Notre Dame. The Dean of the College of Arts and Letters is Sarah Mustillo. History The College of Arts and Letters is the oldest in the university, and i ...

at the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...

formed a partnership to create th
Sanctions and Security Research Program
that played a key role internationally by recommending the shift from general trade sanctions that can harm civilian populations to the use of more targeted measures (also called smart sanctions). Today smart sanctions are employed with increasing frequency and sophistication by the U.S. as well as by the UN, the European Union, and the African Union The Forum has also consistently focused on protecting national security without the use of weapons of mass destruction. The Forum collaborates with senior military officers and other experts to stimulate discussions in local communities across the country and have engaged community leaders, policy experts, and ecumenical groups to encourage the U.S. and other governments to reduce reliance on nuclear weapons. The Forum publishes articles, reports, and books assessing the dangers posed by nuclear weapons and offers practical suggestions to reduce or eliminate these dangers.

References

{{Authority control Non-profit organizations based in Indiana Organizations established in 1982 Goshen, Indiana 1982 establishments in Indiana Think tanks established in 1982 Foreign policy and strategy think tanks in the United States