Margaret Swink

Director of Communications

San Francisco

Margaret-Swink.jpg

Margaret Swink serves as Ploughshares Fund’s Communications Director. With a broad background in both international relations and communications, Margaret strives to make security issues understandable and compelling to both policy makers and informed citizens.

Prior to Ploughshares, she masterminded social change communications on a wide range of issues including rainforests, international climate policy, fisheries and human rights. She holds a Master’s degree in Comparative Foreign Policy and Human Rights from Yale University and a Bachelor’s in International Relations from Michigan State University’s James Madison College. In between degrees, Margaret served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cameroon, West Africa.

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margaret@ploughshares.org

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Recent content

White Paper: Changing Cultural Conceptions of Nuclear Weapons

Nuclear weapons have been around for almost 70 years. In that time, nuclear weapons have become just a synonym for “the ultimate weapon;” Hollywood’s trump card in case of dangerous terrorists, deranged dictators or alien attack.

It’s as if we have collectively forgotten the real horror...

July 22, 2014 - By Margaret Swink

Leading the Way Toward a Nuclear Weapon Free World

There are times when a party is more than just a party. When you have important speakers mingling with policymakers and DC influentials, a party can be a terrific way to encourage decisionmakers to pay attention to an issue that hasn't been getting enough attention.

October 31, 2013 - By Margaret Swink

If Boston had been nuclear

When I first heard of the Boston bombings, my immediate reaction was gratitude that the bombs weren't radioactive. Working at Ploughshares Fund, it's hard not to be aware of the very real possibility that radioactive materials could easily be part of any terrorist attack on the U.S. – domestic or foreign – and to think of how much worse that would be than the already horrible consequences of the type of IEDs used at Boston's marathon.

May 2, 2013 - By Margaret Swink

Baby Steps in Baghdad - Video

Everyone’s talking about the negotiations in Baghdad.

May 23, 2012 - By Margaret Swink

When Nuclear Spending Comes at the Expense of the Troops

Supporting the troops is an important value for many Americans. Unfortunately, both soldiers and veterans often get short shrift when it comes to actually allocating budgets.

May 10, 2012 - By Margaret Swink

Need a Gift for Mother’s Day? Send a World Without Nuclear Weapons - Video

Is Mother’s Day any one’s favorite holiday? We all love our mothers, but sometimes the pressure to find the right gift to express that love can be intense. To most of us, she’s one of the most important people in our lives, which is why it’s perhaps more difficult to find a gift that seems as important as she is. But what if Mother’s Day meant something more than commericialism? What if Mother’s Day was about peace?

April 10, 2012 - By Margaret Swink

Building Global Security, One Summit at a Time

Nuclear terrorism ranks at the top of many national security experts lists of possible nightmares. It’s hard to overstate the damage that could be caused by even a small nuclear weapon in one of the world’s major population centers. But just as terrorism has become a global phenomenon, efforts to prevent nuclear terrorism has to be a global effort. Thankfully, it is.

March 22, 2012 - By Margaret Swink

Negotiations Back in the Picture

This weekend saw an encouraging resurgence of the word 'negotiations' in the conversation around Iran's nuclear program. After several weeks where talk of military conflict has dominated the discussion, it is a welcome change.

January 24, 2012 - By Margaret Swink

A Promise Kept, A New Beginning

As a candidate, Barack Obama distinguished himself by his anti-war stance. It was a popular move in a nation that was fatigued by a multi-year conflict with no clear end in sight.

October 21, 2011 - By Margaret Swink