Washington Institute for Values in Public Policy

The Washington Institute for Values in Public Policy (or 'The Washington Institute' for short) is a now-defunct think tank linked to Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church (UC). Richard L. Rubenstein wrote when he was a president of this institute
 * "Other organizations founded by Reverend Moon include the Professors World Peace Academy, a worldwide network of academics with chapters in over ninety countries; the Washington Institute for Values in Public Policy, a nonpartisan, research institution focused on the political implications of domestic and foreign policy issues with a strong emphasis on the ethical implications of public policy; ..."

It is unclear in what year this institute started. According to some sources it was founded by Moon in 1983, while the biography of Rubenstein mentioned that he was the institutes president from 1981 to 1992.

Michael Isikoff wrote on September 17, 1984 in an article in the Washington Post
 * "This year, the church has spent $15 million to launch a national edition of its Washington Times newspaper and earmarked $5 million over the next five years for a new academic-oriented publishing company called Paragon House that has ambitious plans to publish up to 100 books a year.


 * "The church also is spending $1.5 million a year on a new local think tank, the Washington Institute for Values in Public Policy, that is underwriting conservative-oriented research and seminars at Stanford University, the University of Chicago, the Institute for Energy Analysis in Oak Ridge, Tenn., and other institutions."

According to the 990 form of 1987
 * they financially supported Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Washington Institute Press, and the UC's Professors World Peace Academy
 * they were related "through common membership, governing bodies, trustees, officers, etc." to the International Cultural Foundation (ICF) and the Washington Institute Press
 * Board
 * Richard L. Rubenstein, president
 * Neil A. Salonen, director
 * Robert O. Sullivan, deputy director
 * Olivia A. Vieira, secretary
 * Larry Orman, treasurer
 * Anna Mizani, treasurer

The Science and Environmental Policy Project (SEPP) started in 1990 as an affiliate of the Washington Institute. S. Fred Singer's SEPP received startup funding and a one-year donation of office space from the Washington Institute for Values in Public Policy. Candace C. Crandall (Singer's wife) wrote as editorial director of the Washington Institute a letter about mandatory HIV testing for doctors which was published in the Wall Street Journal on August 16, 1991. 

According to the latest available 990 form at GuideStar (2001) the president of this institute is Niel A. Salonen. Mr. Salonen was from 1971 to 1980 the president of the Unification Church of America and is since 1973 ICF president. Neil Salonen became on January 1, 2000 the president of the University of Bridgeport, a position he took over from Richard L. Rubenstein. That university is also linked to the Unification Church:
 * "The Professors World Peace Academy, an organization funded by Moon, has supplied the university with about $100 million since 1992, when the school faced bankruptcy and nearly closed. In exchange, the PWPA was indefinitely allowed to name 60 percent of the university's Board of Trustees. Neil Salonen, a high-ranking member of the church, is now the university's president."

The Washington Institute's 990 form for 2001 mentioned 2 other people: Larry Orman (Director & Treasurer) and Rebecca J. Salonen (Director & Secretary). Rebecca is the wife of Niel A. Salonen.

Former Personnel

 * Candace C. Crandall, editorial director (wife of S. Fred Singer)
 * Larry Orman, responsible for the 'Washington Institute Press'
 * Richard L. Rubenstein, president from 1981 to 1992
 * S. Fred Singer, director Science and Environmental Policy Project (SEPP)
 * Jonathan Slevin, staff director
 * Gerhard StÃ¶hrer, director 'Chemical Risk Project'

Related Links

 * Michael Isikoff, "Church Spends Millions On Its Image," Washington Post, September 17, 1984
 * "Group Watch: Unification Church", Interhemispheric Resource Center, May 1989
 * "The Washington Institute for Values in Public Policy", unification.net
 * "Washington Institute for Values in Public Policy", Wikipedia