Antimilitarists remember world war one

Over the next four years, this page will advertise events and initiatives that peace and antimilitarist movements across the world are undertaking to around the hundred-year anniversary of World War One.

Many pacifist groups are using this anniversary as an opportunity: an opportunity to remind people of the opposition that existed to the war at the time, a chance to counter the patriotic and militaristic commemorations that many governments and other groups will be promoting, and finally to remind people that this war, which attracted names such as 'The Great War', and the 'war to end all wars', has in fact been followed by a century of militarism that has caused the deaths of millions. We will show another way.

Please tell us about your events so we can add them!

Email hannah@wri-irg.org with details 

Britain

• International Conscientious Objectors’ Day: 15th May (each year)
• No Glory: campaigning to stop the World War One centenary being used to "celebrate" nationalism but to promote peace and international co-operation: events around Britain in 2014 and 2015

• Network for Peace's are collating many British WW1 peace events here

Germany

• Wir Bleiben Dabei: Frieden Schaffen Ohne Waffen! 'Peacebuilding without weapons'. This page lists many events in German for the 1914-2014 commemorations.

Other resources

Aotearoa New Zealand

World War One Centenary Peace Project http://www.ww1.org.nz

Belgium

An initiative to remember deserters and refusers of WWI: http://www.desertie.be/index.php/nl/

Canada:

• PeaceQuest -  a hub providing information about events and resources for Canadians to host their own events http://peacequest.ca/events/
• Canadian Quakers will be using this page to share information about events they are involved in http://quakerservice.ca/our-work/peace/commemoration-war/

International

Arming All Sides: After the First World War many believed the arms trade to be a primary cause of war. The unprecedented scale of death and destruction wrought by modern weaponry led a majority of people to support disarmament and international conciliation. Arming All Sides questioned what role the arms trade played before, during and after the war, what opposition was mounted to the trade and how the war affected what people thought about making and selling armaments.

Memory beyond Rhetoric: WWI and the growth of the pacifist movement in Europe. Looking back 100 years to understand the present we face and build the future we yearn. From Service Civil International

Past events

Aotearoa New Zealand

Aotearoa Peace Movement presents 'Remembering war / ending war: challenging militarism and building peace': National Peace Workshops, 17 - 19 April 2015. The programme for the Peace Workshops will be available in February, along with registration details. Further information is available on the World War One Centenary Peace Project site www.ww1.org.nz or from Peace Movement Aotearoa email pma@xtra.co.nz https://www.facebook.com/events/972037769491199

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Peace event Sarajevo: June 6 - 9 2014

Britain

• Play: England, Arise! A brand new stage play that gives and alternative, radical & anti-war contribution to the WW1 centenary. Showing in Huddersfield, Hull, Halifax, Leeds, Wakefield, Doncaster, Manchester, Sunderland and Rochdale in October and November.
• Commemorating the Peacemakers, 15th November, Oxford: Day conference with Fellowship of Reconcilitation, Oxford Quakers, Movement for the Abolition of War and Ruskin College. More info: http://www.for.org.uk/events/commemorate/

• Being Human presents World War One and Dissent: Help improve Wikipedia articles on World War One by editing articles on dissent and pacifism, 22 November 2014

• The World Is My Country: an exhibition and  speaking tour in the autumn and winter of 2014. Including: Thursday 2 October, LONDON NW5 2RX. ‘An evening celebrating First World War resister Alice Wheeldon’. 7.30pm, Torriano Meeting House.
  Saturday 25 October, LONDON WC1H 0AL. MTG
  ‘Feminist opponents of the First World War’, at the Feminism in London conference. Saturday 1 November,COLCHESTER CO1 1NF.‘The World is My Country’ 6 Church St.
• Remembering WW1: The Darkest Days: 23 September, London. Entry fee: In The Darkest Days, historian Douglas Newton uncovers how key figures rushed the nation into war against vehement opposition in parliament, the press and in the streets. Douglas Newton will be joined in discussion with Professor Vron Ware (Kingston University) and Joe Glenton (journalist and author of Soldier Box). The event will be chaired by Daniel Trilling (Editor, New Humanist).
• London Film Showing: 4th April: Radical Islington showing anti-war film 'King and Country', followed by a talk from London Remembering the Real World War 1
• Liverpool Maritime Museum hosts 'Constructing conchies', a Lois Bibbings talk on COs in World War One. Followed by a workshop led by Quakers. 21st May
• Peace News Summer Camp: 31 July - 4 August
• Radical History Network, Resistance to World War One, 10 September, London. Speakers include Nick Heath (Anarchist Federation) "Resistance to World War One"; Jennifer Bell (Hornsey Historical Society / Haringey First World War Peace Forum) "We will not fight! -  Conscientious objectors in North London" PLUS: Discussion on all aspects of local (NE London) resistance to the war as well as the wider national and international context.

Canada

• The Group of 78 and Project Ploughshares are hosting a two day conference “World War 1 and Contemporary Policy on War and Peace”, September 26 - 28, 2014 http://group78.org/

France

• Pacifist Tribunal, April 5th 2014, Maison du peuple of Limoges. More info. 10.00am - 6.00pm

Germany

• Wieder Krieg? Die Ukraine, der Nahe Osten, die Europäische Union und die Lehren aus den beiden Weltkriegen <War Again? Ukraine, the Middle East, the European Union and Lessons from the two World Wars> Vortrags - und Diskussionsveranstaltung mit dem Historiker und Politologen Dr. Gernot Lenner <Lecture and discussion with Gernot Lennert> Neustadt/W., Germany, Dienstag, 18. November 2014 <Tuesday 18th November 2014> 19.30 Uhr, Gaststätte Konfetti, Seminarraum (Wespennest), 67433 Neustadt, Friedrichstraße 36 Veranstaltet von <organised by>  DFG-VK Pfalz & Friedensinitiative Neustadt
• Kriege und Kriegsverherrlichung beenden! <Stop Wars and Glorification of War!> Kundgebung am Kriegsmarinedenkmal <Rally at the Navy Memorial> Mainz, Fischtorplatz, am Rheinufer <bank of the Rhine> Samstag, 15. November 2014, 15 Uhr <Saturday, 15th November, 2014, 15 h> Organised by DFG-VK Mainz http://www.dfg-vk-mainz.de/aktuell/kriegsverherrlichung-in-mainz/kundgebung-15-november-2014/
• Weltgericht: Lesung von Satiren und Polemiken von Karl Kraus <Reading of Satires and Polemics by Karl Kraus> zum Gedenken an den Beginn des Ersten Weltkriegs vor 100 Jahren <commemorating the beginning of World War I 100 years ago> vorgetragen von Dr. Bruno Kern <presented by Dr. Bruno Kern>

  FRANKFURT/M.
  Freitag, 10. Oktober 2014, 19.30 Uhr
  DFG-VK, Mühlgasse 13 (S Frankfurt-West / U Leipziger Str.)

  Veranst.: DFG-VK Frankfurt & DFG-VK Bildungswerk Hessen Begleitveranstaltung zur Frankfurter Buchmesse <on the occasion of the Frankfurt Book Fair>

  http://www.dfg-vk-hessen.de/bildungswerk/weltgericht/

• Konzerte in Zusammenarbeit mit der Internationale der Kriegsdienstgegner/innen (IDK), dem Anti-Kriegs-Museum und der Freien Arbeiter/innen Union (FAU/IAA). Konzert – Termine mit dem TrioPaco Lieder für denFrieden, Widerstand gegen den Krieg.Zum Gedenken: 100 Jahre Weltkrieg (1914-1918), und die Folgen.  Eintritt frei / Spende erbeten. 24. Mai 2014 – 17 Uhr. im Lokal der FAU, Freie Arbeiter/innen Union. Lottumstraße 11, 10119 Berlin (Nahe U2 Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz / U8 Rosenthaler Platz)31. August 2014 – 19 Uhr, Anti-Kriegs-Museum, Brüsseler Str. 21, 13353 Berlin,(Nahe U6 Seestr. / U9 Amrumer Str.)
• 1-3 August, Konstanz: 100th anniversary of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation. Info in English