Association to Unite the Democracies

The Association to Unite the Democracies, or AUD, is an organization devoted to transforming the North Atlantic Treaty Organization from a military alliance into a full political union open to other established democracies as well. AUD was founded by Clarence Streit, New York Times correspondent at the League of Nations, who wrote the classic pro-world government work, Union Now. AUD was the main citizens' group supporting NATO's establishment following World War II. The organization's proposed union, limited to democratic nations, is in contrast to that of Citizens for Global Solutions and other world federalist groups that seek to establish an immediate worldwide federation. In either case, all nations would one day be eligible for accession (in AUD's case, if and when democratic). AUD's motto is "Freedom Comes First, Peace Follows". AUD is now merely an umbrella for two successor organizations, the Streit Council and the Ashburn Institute, mostly serving to direct funds from the Herb and Mayme Frank Educational Fund to each of those organizations in support of their educational efforts.