This issue of Disarmament Forum considers the question of civil society and nuclear abolition. How can the objective of nuclear disarmament and abolition once again captivate and motivate the public as it did during and even immediately following the Cold War? Are there lessons that could be drawn from more recent (and more successful) civil society movements in other areas of disarmament? What are the steps to building civil society partnership into the nuclear disarmament dialogue? How can we ensure a “seat at the table” for civil society on nuclear issues, as has been achieved recently with landmines and cluster munitions—where civil society was a valued partner in the process, not marginalized to the role of cheerleader outside the negotiating chamber? The expert contributions to this issue address these questions and more in a manner that is both thoughtprovoking and forward-looking.