The tragedy in Ukraine is a stark reminder that bad actors still remain on the world stage. How is it that the world’s international organization, the United Nations, despite its overwhelming condemnation of Russian leader Valdimir Putin’s naked aggression against a sovereign state, has failed in its mission to prevent the senseless killing of innocent civilians? The answer is that it cannot do it alone. There is a lesson for all to learn.
In the aftermath of the War of 1812, the first organized peace societies were established in both the United States and Great Britain. In fact, the first peace society in the history of the world was created in New York City by the merchant David Low Dodge, who tucked peace tracts into the boxes of goods he sold to his purchasers. Over the years more sophisticated attempts to promote international law and arbitration were undertaken to find ways to prevent war. But the biggest stumbling block remained a nation’s desire to protect its sovereignty and interests no matter the costs. It is why the ballyhoo and adulatory rhetoric of the participants in the Hague Peace Conferences of 1899 and 1907 fell on deaf ears when, in 1914, Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire started, to that point, the worst war humankind had witnessed.
The chilling effects of World War I became a wakeup call not only for traditional pacifist peace societies, which were largely inspired by biblical and religious objections to war, but those including non-pacifists as well. In the aftermath of this horrible tragedy new, more secular, social-minded activist peace organizations appeared, such as the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, the War Resisters International, and the religious International Fellowship of Reconciliation. These groups, which continue to play a vital role on behalf of peace and justice, have been joined by others, most notably, Peace Action (formerly SANE). They have incorporated into their ranks sympathetic individuals who are opposed to war in general but not necessarily advocates of complete nonresistance. The roles of these organizations are more critical now than ever, especially in light of the reality of possible nuclear annihilation. These organizations carry out their daily duties on behalf of world peace and justice through a multitude of ways, including promoting awareness through print publications meant to inform and educate on matters related to arms control and global cooperation between citizens from different countries, countering false and misleading propaganda put out by government leaders, participating in public debates, widespread use of the Internet to mobilize citizen activism, and organizing humanitarian relief efforts. The thread tying together their stated goals has been and continues to be dependence upon private citizen activism.