One Hundred Years of Nonviolent Resistance to War
October 19, 2023 marks the hundredth anniversary of the founding of the War Resisters League. We have an active WRL 100th History Committee working on a number of projects and we invite your participation.
WRL's 100th Anniversary Traveling Exhibit – Traveling set of banners featuring highlights of WRL’s history. There is also a book that reproduces all of the exhibit. Let us know if you are interested in hosting an exhibit and we will send more information.
Timeline: One Hundred Years of War Resisters League
Timeline: One Hundred Years of War Resisters League
Centennial History Book
WRL's Centennial History Blog – Regular posts of stories, images, etc from the archives and peoples' personal recollections
Oral History interviews – We are inviting members and friends to record your WRL stories through the practice of oral histories. We are organizing a number of oral history training opportunities, so let us know if you are interested in recording your own story and interviewing others.
Upcoming Events
WRL at the Peace History Society Conference
Held at Gwynedd Mercy University (near Philadelphia) the conference features WRL’s Traveling Exhibit. Saturday’s program includes “War Resisters League, 1923-2023: A Century of Revolutionary Non-violent Activism for Peace & Justice” and “War Tax Resistance Beyond Thoreau”. Both are expected to be streamed live and recorded. After the conference, links will be posted here.
Regional Events
- Plans are being made by folks who have been involved in the regional offices at WRL West, Southeast, and New England.
- If you are in the metropolitan area, join our anniversary planning group in New York City; for more information send an email to nycwrl [at] nycwarresisters.org (subject: 100th%20Anniversary%20planning) .
Other Projects
• Centenary artwork - new poster now available on our store!
• Direct Action - in the long and storied tradition of WRL, folks in NYC are discussing a possible nonviolent action in the fall of 2023 and we encourage others around the country to do the same.
• Compiling a bibliography of WRL histories and creating short biographies to highlight the people whose stories have gone untold.
Here are some recordings
• April 28, 2023 Conversation about war resistance past, present, and future at Judson Church in NYC with Vietnam Veteran Greg Payton, 1980's Draft Resister Edward Hasbrouck, Southern Organizer Mandy Carter and audience participants, moderated by International Peace Research Association (IPRA) student activist Habiba Choudhury and Matt Meyer, former National Chair of War Resisters League
• New England WRL hosted a visit of the Golden Rule, the boat that attempted to sail to nuclear test zones in the 1950s with support from WRL. Veterans for Peace is sailing it again for a nuclear-free world. For more info email joanne [at] warresisters.org (subject: Golden%20Rule) .
• "Mandy Carter: Scientist of Activism” The impressive work of Mandy Carter and her time on the staffs of War Resisters League/West, San Francisco (1969-1977), WRL/Los Angeles (1978-1980), and WRL/Southeast, Durham, NC (1982-1988) on exhibit at the Sallie Bingham Center for Women’s History and Culture at Duke University in Durham June 12-December 31, 2023.
