WRI network

We are excited to announce that the War Resisters' International network is preparing to gather in London, in June 2023. We will hold a public conference called Antimilitarist Roots: nonviolent resistance for a world in crisis.

In late 2022, WRI launched an initiative to develop a regional network of peace workers, pacifists and antimilitarists in Asia.

The Pan African Nonviolence and Peacebuilding Network (PANPEN) was born on 30th July 2012 and reorganized in June 2014. The PANPEN  connects and empowers African civil society and grassroots peace movements and activists to take nonviolent actions to transform conflicts and promote peace and democracy reforms. steering committee was developed at the side event of War Resisters' International (WRI) conference held in Cape Town, South Africa in 2014. Over the last couple of years, PANPEN has through its individual members and member organizations contributed to peace and political reforms in the region.

Today is our 100th anniversary! Our international network of pacifist and antimilitarists was formed on 23-25 March 1921 at a meeting in Bilthoven, the Netherlands. Since then we have grown into a global network of war resisters with over 90 affiliated groups across 40 countries committed to our founding declaration:

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

At our annual meeting (held online this year) we were very happy to welcome two new organisations to our international network.

In May we were very happy to welcome two new organisations to our international, antimilitarist network!

At WRI's recent conference and meeting in Colombia, we were delighted two welcome six new affiliates to our international network.

In August 2019 we were excited to welcome a new affiliate to our international network - Pasifika, based in West Papua. In late August the Indonesian military began a violent crackdown in West Papua, prompting a mass nonviolent response across the region.

From July 30th to August 1st 2019, activists from across Colombia, Latin America and the wider world gathered in Bogota for the Antimilitarism in Movement conference, a three day gathering to explore the intersecting experiences of war and militarism - and our movements’ resistance to militarism – from around the world.

PEACE was founded over 30 years ago as Concerned Educators Allied for a Safe Environment. The Safe Environment being the classroom and the world. We have worked against war toys and for the War Toy Boycott, we have talked to teachers about violent play in the classroom, we have drawn up curriculum for on how-to teacher children about native American tribes which is anti-bias and inclusive, we have supported the growth of peace camps for young children to learn conflict resolution skills.

Another year has passed for WRI and with it lots of work to do our part to be a wrench in the workings of the war machine.

The Antimilitarist Network of Latin America and the Caribbean (Red Antimilitarista de América Latina y el Caribe, RAMALC) have published a statement in solidarity with antimilitarists, conscientious objectors, nonviolent and pacifists in Venezuela (an English version is forthcoming). It extends support to the community of human rights defenders being persecuted for their work. The statement has been endorsed by the WRI Executive Committee.