Advance praise for War is a crime against humanity

"War Resisters' International, born out of the horrors and stupidity
of World War I, has kept the banners of conscientious objection and
abolition of war flying through the most atrocious century of European
history. I am proud to have been a council member. For, like those,
also to a large extent informed and inspired by English Quakers who
ultimately brought slavery to an end, war resisters, organised or not,
will bring about the end to  war, ever more an insult to human dignity
and intelligence."

"Devi Prasad's work of War Resisters International, on which he has
worked so long, is going to be of great value to all scholars of the
pacifist movement. As one who worked with Devi over a period of many
years I am delighted the book is reaching the public. It will document
how important the role of the WRI has been."

"Today's peace movement in many parts of the world and especially
its pacifist orientation is hardly imaginable without the indefatigable
work of the War Resisters’ International. It is a great merit of Devi
Prasad to map out the history of this organisation and its experiences
and to make it accessible to today's generation of the peace movement.
Of course Devi Prasad himself has contributed so much to the
development and internationality of the WRI."

"This books turns the light on a long neglected chapter of Twentieth
Century history - the stories of many who spoke out and acted to bring
an end to the war institution. It is about ordinary people in many
European countries and in the United States of America who envisioned a
world free of war and militarism."

The author

Devi Prasad studied at Shantiniketan, Tagore's University, worked as a
teacher and artist in Sevagram, Gandhi's ashram, from the 1940s until
1962. From 1962-1972 he was General Secretary of the WRI.

During his time at the WRI significant changes took place. While still
concentrating on the work for conscientious objection it widened its
scope of work to nonviolence training and nonviolent action against
armaments and war. One of the highlights of this development was the
presentation of the Manifesto for Nonviolent Revolution at the
Triennial Conference of 1972, which then was a real challenge to many
people in the WRI.

Devi Prasad took a leading role in widening WRI's work towards
nonviolence social change for a world without war.

ISBN 0-903517-20-5. 560 pages, 67 photos


Publication date: 21 October 2005

Advance orders (before 20 October 2005): £18.00 plus postage
(then £28.00 plus postage). Order online at the WRI
webshop.

London event:

PUBLIC LAUNCH, 21 October 2005

War Resisters' International is organising a public launch of the book War
is a Crime Against Humanity. The Story of The War Resisters'
International on Friday, 21 October 2005. The event will take place
at Housmans Bookshop, 5 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DX.

Devi Prasad will be present at the launch. Joanne Sheehan, present
chair of War Resisters' International, and Michael Randle will give
brief presentations.

For further information, contact War Resisters' International, tel
+44-20-7278 4040, fax +44-20-7278 0444, email href="mailto:info@wri-irg.org">info@wri-irg.org