We build and support a network of leaders and practitioners across defense, democracy, diplomacy, development, and domestic resilience. We connect them with each other and with the communities we serve, and we amplify the work they do. Our model runs on three things — community, communications, and action.
Build the Network
Community
We build a supportive community.
The most valuable thing we offer any member is the community itself. The relationships built across branches of service, disciplines, career stages, and lived experiences are the irreplaceable infrastructure of national security. Our members have crafted policy, run operations, and managed campaigns. Many of our members still serve in government despite today’s challenges, and we protect their trust carefully so we can be effective when working together, regardless of administration or political climate.
Watchfire CEO Bishop Garrison speaks at a “Nobody Is Above the Law” rally November 8, 2018 in Washington, D.C. — Larry French/Getty Images for MoveOn
Communications
We inform people and policymakers alike.
Being good at national security work does not guarantee the ability to explain it, defend it publicly, or move institutions toward better outcomes. We help members build the skills that bridge these gaps: writing clearly under pressure, speaking in rooms that don't already agree with you, navigating bureaucracies that are actively hostile to what you're trying to accomplish.
We're especially focused on rebuilding the public voice and policy fluency in the communities that need it most — particularly diplomatic and development professionals whose institutional homes have been gutted and who will be essential to any serious rebuilding effort.
Action
We strengthen national security policy.
Watchfire is focused on strengthening national security that works for all Americans. We expect our members to take action and contribute content that shifts the conversation on national security topics at the local, state and federal level. Testify. Brief decision makers in city halls, statehouses, and Congress. Write the op-ed. Record the podcast. Show up when an institution is under attack and don’t look away.
We develop people whose values align, who have positions worth hearing, and give them the platform they need to make an impact.