As a discussion forum, SPUSA does not adopt advocacy positions on substantive issues. The organization posits that, in order to create effective social change, students must first understand the issues at stake, then contemplate their ethical and moral responsibility to themselves and to society as a whole.
History
Ethics in scientific and technological development inspired the formation of SPUSA. Specifically, Albert Einstein, Bertrand Russell, and other eminent scientists' 1955 manifesto urging scientists to "think in a new way" about their moral responsibilities provided a major impetus for the organization. In 1957, the first Pugwash Conference (on Science and World Affairs) was held in Pugwash, Nova Scotia, bringing together some of the most prominent scientists of the day to address nuclear weapons issues and the social responsibility of scientists. SPUSA was founded by a student in 1979 to provide a form for young people to play a vital role in determining the socially responsible application of science and technology.
SPUSA is the US student affiliate of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, recipients of the 1995 Nobel Peace Prize.