The Russian Revolution started in Petrograd in February 1917 with a mass nonviolent uprising of women protesting against the lack of break on International Women's Day (pictured), and continued through to the overthrow of the Provisional Government in October 1917 and the triumph of the Bolsheviks. The role of mass nonviolent action - in the streets, in the factories, on the railways, and in the barracks - in the making of the revolution has never been properly emphasised.
Projects
As well as publishing a newspaper, Peace News runs events and projects and publishes books and pamphlets. Here are our main current and recent projects. Also see events and the shop for currently available books.
The Peace News Summer Camp started in 2009. A five-day participatory, family-friendly event that attempts to embody many of the characteristics of the future society towards which we’re working – inclusive, democratic, participatory, renewably-powered and environmentally sustainable.
An opportunity for a broad spectrum of people – activists, community organisers and other people working for and exploring radical social change – to come together and develop our intentions, priorities, knowledge, strategy, skills and networks in support of our different movements, be they anti-racist, environmental, global solidarity, anti-war, feminist, localisation, anti-cuts, counter-militarist, disability, LGBTQI, food sovereignty, radical health and other movements for transformation.
See www.peacenewscamp.info for more info.
The First World War centenary (2014-2018) was accompanied by a tidal wave of events, exhibitions, TV series, books and commemorations. However, one key aspect of the War’s history received little attention: the history and stories of the people and organisations that opposed the conflict.
Moreover, this history – of police raids and clandestine printing presses, disobedient soldiers and feminist peace initiatives, Maori princesses and striking German munitions workers – appears to be largely unknown even to contemporary activists.
[We] will break before we bend … The world is my country” – Derby anti-war activist Alice Wheeldon, who was framed for plotting to murder the Prime Minister, Lloyd George, in a letter from prison, February 1917.
As part of its First World War centenary project, The World is My Country, Peace News produced a series of ten colour posters and eight poetry / song broadsheets, celebrating key figures and events from the First World War anti-war movement. These can be viewed here.
We also produced a 100-page booklet celebrating key figures and events from the First World War anti-war movement. The book can be bought in our webshop.