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 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.
WRL's 100th Anniversary Traveling Exhibit – Traveling set of banners featuring highlights of WRL’s history. Let us know if you are interested in hosting an exhibit and we will send more information.
• Thursday - Saturday, October 19-21, 2023 - WRL's 100th Anniversary Exhibit and a display of historical WRL posters at the Judd Foundation, 101 Spring Street, NYC. Gallery hours will be 11 am - 5 pm. The exhibit is organized in collaboration with the Judd family, whose ancestor is WRL founder Jessie Wallace Hughan. There will also be a related panel discussion on art and WRL Wednesday, October 25 (more details soon).
• Centenary artwork - new screen-printed poster
• 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.
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) .
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.
If you are interested in any of these 100th Anniversary projects or have ideas about others, please contact us at wrl100history [at] warresisters.org. The committee’s task is to help coordinate projects being done by smaller groups.
