‘Commemorating the Peacemakers’ was the name of an all-day conference at Friends Meeting House on November 15, an event not to miss in the calendar of events about the First World War. Thanks in part to your and the city council’s support with publicity, we had more than 80 people attending the day-time conference, and another 80 coming to the ‘peace concert’ in the evening.

It was a thought-provoking day, aimed at telling an alternative history about events leading up to the outbreak of war and efforts made to stop it happening; this was mainly the people’s history, not that told by politicians and governments.

We heard about the social history of the late 19th century and early 20th century, ably introduced by John Gittings, ex-Guardian journalist. Kate Connelly, historian and author, talked about the feminist movement, and Tracy Walsh of Ruskin College talked about the labour movement. Emma Anthony explained the origins of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, started in 1914 and now based in Oxford and still campaigning for peace.

Workshops in the afternoon included education materials for peace, films from the Movement for the Abolition of War, and discussion about conscientious objectors and the militarisation of youth.

Today’s letters

The peace concert in the evening combined music and words about the pity of war, the desire for peace, and the continuing responsibility we have to achieve it.

Thank you to all those who attended and contributed their time and thought to making this a most remarkable event.

Sarah Westcott on behalf of the Movement for the Abolition of War, Oxford Quakers and the Fellowship of Reconciliation

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