John M. Miller, ¡Presente!

We are heartbroken to share the news that longterm WRLer John Miller has died unexpectedly. John’s work with WRL spans nearly 50 years, and will be missed by many. 

John M. Miller (August 1955-April 2026) was a foundational, “worker bee” activist in peace and solidarity movements, locally in New York City and globally. He could be found bartending at a WRL event as likely as working with the presidents of Timor-Leste, who recognized his contributions to the struggle for independence. 

One of 5 kids, he grew up in a close-knit family on Long Island, sharing his love of music and the Yankees with his siblings. He happily played the role of Uncle Johnny to his many nieces and nephews.

John credits his introduction to the movement by reading his roommate’s WIN in 1976. He wrote that he “was captivated by the then weekly magazine as it chronicled the Continental Walk for Disarmament and Social Justice and the beginnings of nonviolent direct action against nuclear power.” 

In 1979 John, who was on staff of the Washington Peace Center, participated in the War Resisters League Organizers Training Program. In 1981, he moved to Brooklyn to join the WIN staff, helped plot the launch of WRL’s Nonviolent Activist and later its transition to what would be called “the new” WIN, serving over the years in many roles in WRL’s publications. He was also editor and helped publish the National Mobilization for Survival’s The Mobilizer and helped edit and did the layout for the Metropolitan Council on Housing’s Tenant/Inquilino Newspaper among others. 

He served on the WRL National Committee for decades, and served on many committees including the International Task Force. He played a vital role as a steward and treasurer. He was WRL’s representative to War Resisters’ International (WRI), who contributed much to international solidarity and networking. 

He was a co-founder and Coordinator of the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) which works for democracy, justice and human rights in Timor-Leste, Indonesia and West Papua since 1991, receiving a number of awards and honors. He served as staff for a Parliamentarians for East Timor observer mission to the 1999 referendum in East Timor and made numerous visits to East Timor. 

He participated in campaigns to close nuclear power plants in Virginia and the Philippines and against the militarization of the seas and military bases in New York harbor, the Pacific region and North Atlantic. He fostered and modeled a kind of mutual respect and shared friendships that could allow people to connect.

John in his own words

John wrote a reflective piece about his experiences with WRL publications for the final issue of WIN Magazine: “My Favorite Issue: NVA on Solidarity & Self Reflection, 1999” and “Reflections on ETAN Upon Its 20 Year Anniversary” about the accomplishments of that group supporting self determination for the people of Timor-Leste and West Papua. 

You can also watch some of John’s appearances on Democracy Now! here: https://www.democracynow.org/appearances/john_miller

Tributes to John:

Democracy Now! tribute from May 1, 2026

On the Passing of Activist John M. Miller, Nobel Peace Laureate and East Timor’s President J. Ramos-Horta

We’ve seen so many touching remembrances and tributes to John over email and one his facebook page. One from his niece really summed it up: 

Yesterday I got the call that my Uncle Johnny passed away. He was an incredible human being who did so much quiet good for the world. You could always count on him to be there as long as he could bring his New York Times. He devoted his life to the belief that ordinary people, standing together, could bend the arc of history toward justice.

He did not seek recognition; he sought change.

Those who knew him understood that his strength was not loud, but steady. He stayed. He listened. He insisted that the world pay attention.

Now there is a quiet where his voice once was, but not an absence. What he set in motion continues to move, outward and onward. Not lost, only carried—through the people he stood beside, and those who will never know his name, but live in the wake of what he helped make possible. The country of Timor-Leste will mourn the death of their biggest advocate. Our family will mourn a beloved brother and uncle.

-Alana Miller-Engel

John M. Miller, Rest In Power