The Peace Pledge Union marks its 90th year in a world that needs it more than ever

As it marks its 90th year, the Peace Pledge Union (PPU) has reiterated its commitment to strive for a world without war.

The Peace Pledge Union: war is a crime

Back in 1934, the Peace Pledge Union (PPU) arose out of a campaign initiated by the pacifist Dick Sheppard who issued an open letter encouraging people to pledge they would never again support another war.

This was set against the backdrop of deteriorating relationships between European nations, bringing with it fears of another bloody and tragic conflict. Sheppard’s call elicited tens of thousands of replies within a few weeks from people whose pledge remains the basis of PPU membership to this day:

War is a crime against humanity. I renounce war, and am therefore determined not to support any kind of war. I am also determined to work for the removal of all causes of war.

By 1936, this movement had formally evolved into the Peace Pledge Union, open to “men and women of… divergent philosophic, religious and political opinions.” Its prominent members have included Aldous Huxley, Siegfried Sassoon, Vera Brittain, Benjamin Britten, Michael Tippett, Sybil Morrison, and Bertrand Russell.

Today the PPU is not only Britain’s oldest secular pacifist organisation, but also a leading voice in promoting pacifism and nonviolence, and resisting militarism and the causes of war.

The PPU is best known for distributing white poppies, which stand for remembrance of all victims of war, both civilian and military, and challenge the militarisation of Remembrance Day.

Actively engaging

From the time of its founding, the Peace Pledge Union (PPU) has actively engaged with issues of domestic and international importance. During the Second World War the PPU supported conscientious objectors, helped found the Famine Relief Committee, which was the precursor to Oxfam, and campaigned against the firebombing of German cities.

Later the PPU was part of the earliest opposition to the UK’s nuclear arsenal, organising demonstrations and civil disobedience which led to the arrest of PPU members.

Amongst many other instances of public opposition to militarism, the PPU opposed British atrocities in Kenya in the 1950s, spoke out against British involvement in the Nigerian Civil War in the 1960s, campaigned for nonviolent approaches to the conflict in Northern Ireland and led the resistance to the Falklands War in the 1980s.

Throughout its history the PPU has supported conscientious objectors, both in the UK and internationally as part of War Resisters’ International. Following a fundraising campaign, the PPU created the Conscientious Objectors’ Commemorative Stone in Tavistock Square, London, unveiled in 1994.

In recent years, the PPU has added its voice and pacifist perspective to calls for a ceasefire in the Middle East, condemned the British government’s complicity in the Saudi bombing of Yemen, and expanded its peace education programme.

Building on the Peace Pledge Union legacy

The Peace Pledge Union (PPU) is determined to build on its rich 90-year legacy while looking toward the future. To ensure the PPU’s continued relevance in today’s multifaceted unstable world, the PPU is working to highlight connections between pacifist, anti-militarist struggles and other key movements for justice, and to do so in ways that broaden its reach and deepen its impact.

Amy Corcoran, the PPU’s operations manager, said:

As we mark this important milestone in our history, it is important that we remain as relevant and forward-facing as ever. That’s why our new five-year strategy not only reaffirms our commitment to putting pacifism into practice, resisting war and the causes of war today, but will also see us do so in the current context of global conflict and a creeping domestic tide of militarism.

PPU council member Sarri Bater said:

Nonviolent approaches to conflict are becoming increasingly marginalised, which is why it is so vital that we put forward pacifism as an urgent message that addresses the need for deep-rooted, systemic change.

You can read the PPU’s new strategy here, and find out how to support the PPU’s work here.

Featured image via Wikimedia