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Remembering World War 1 – the movement for peace – theme for December 2014

This year and for the next three years, the world will remember World War 1. There will be significant commemorations in many countries, honouring those who died. There will also be the opportunity for militarism to flourish, and people can readily become confused between respect for those young lives, ended so tragically, and the militaristic ideals of ‘glory’ associated with war.  Those who invest in weapons will be rubbing their hands together in anticipation of the profits from the next war.

But many, many, people will respect and make use of this commemorative period to advance the world movements for peace, and against war. These movements have a long and honourable history, going back well before world war one.

Very often, it has been organisations of women, who have most strongly resisted and opposed war. “Some of the many groups that protested against the war, as well as the traditional peace churches, were the Woman’s Peace Party (which was organized in 1915 and led by noted reformer Jane Addams), the International Committee of Women for Permanent Peace (ICWPP) (also organized in 1915),^[19] the American Union Against Militarism, the Fellowship of Reconciliation, and the American Friends Service Committee.^[20] Jeannette Rankin, the first woman elected to Congress, was another fierce advocate of pacifism, the only person to vote no to America’s entrance into both WorldWars.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_movement

Today, the peace movement is active, across the world, with organisations too many to name here. We know that we are up against those who profit from war – the companies that make weapons, especially nuclear weapons.  We are up against the nuclear power industry, with its pretense that it has nothing to do with nuclear weapons. We are up against the militarists in every country – who will be glorifying World War 1.  We are up against the strange so-called ‘religious’ ideas, of those who would kill unbelievers.

Today’s world threats, especially the chaotic conditions resulting from climate change, are being met by a world reasonable movement for co-operative action to deal with global problems, and by the growing understanding of the need for conflict resolution methods, and diplomacy, to deal with our differences

December 1, 2014 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's themes