Where is the history of the peace movements?

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Unfortunately, it seems at first view at the library shelves and in the library catalogues, that there has not been much writing about the history of the international peace movements. In particular this is true if one compares the number of publications about the peace movements and the history of the people connected to it compared to the number of volumes about international politics or armaments, weapons or military matters.

Why is it important?

Why is it important to study the history of the international peace movements? First, because the peace movements represent an alternative to the wisdom of the establishment.
Their policies are to end wars and armament by peaceful means and create peaceful alternatives in a world ridden with conflicts. Secondly, the peace movements have somewhat failed to reach their goals even though the good news of successes can be found. Like the peaceful separation of Norway and Sweden in 1905. More recently, the successful campaign of INFACT International against General Electric, which caused the company to cancel all activities in nuclear weapons.

Recycling of ideas

Wars and armaments continue still since the beginning of the peace movements. Therefore the lessons of history are important, if not to the politicans the more to their subjects, in helping us to understand the successes and failures of the peace movements.
By using the experience of the past one make sure that the former generations of peace workers not are forgotten and thus did not work vainly. By learning of successful actions, recycling of ideas and actions becomes possible. Learning about peace work in different countries can also help the growth of, and the need for, more international understanding and co-operation. That is: We in the different peace groups are not working alone, even though it sometimes seems like it.

Peace in Print

The apparently small numbers of publications on the history of the peace movement are classified under many different headlines: peace movements, social movements, non-violent movements, conscientious objectors, etc. These make searches for the relevant information rather difficult for those who unfortunately not are educated information mediators, computer freaks, historians or academicians.
The records on the history of the international peace movements will establish that there are quite a few books on organised peace work. Peace work is not limited to a single movement, a single country nor groups of countries, nor even that their activities are limited i time.
The recordings of books about the history of the peace movements and the persons who are, were active in it, forms the basis of this volume. However, the work is not complete, but rather illustrates the broadness of the many subjects concerning the different peace groups.

Download Peace in Print A bibliography about the history of the peace movements, written in WordPerfect 5.1 by Holger Terp (966.392 bytes).