Anti-militarism: Political and Gender Dynamics of Peace Movements

A lively, first hand account of the ideas and activities of women and men in anti-war, anti-militarist and peace movements. The author looks at the tensions and divergences in and between organizations, and their potential for cohering into a powerful worldwide counter-hegemonic movement for violence reduction. People come together in movements to end war from many political traditions. They are socialists, communists and anarchists, people of a variety of faiths, secularists, pacifists and feminists. They share a belief that peace is possible, but have divergent views on the causes of militarism and strategies to end it. As both peace activist and social researcher, Cynthia Cockburn is well placed to ask, 'How coherent and cohesive are we?' The book presents original case studies of anti-war, anti-militarist and peace movements in Japan, South Korea, Spain, Uganda and the UK, of international networks against military conscription and the proliferation of guns, and of singular campaigns addressing aggression against Palestinians and the expansion of NATO. The stand-alone chapters make ideal course readings. Scanning the political spectrum, but always with a gender lens, the author carefully uncovers the movements' many tensions and antagonisms, looking for the source of alliance that may make of these and a multitude of other groups, organizations and networks worldwide an unstoppable movement for change. Between the nihilist view that violence is inevitable and the utopian belief in the possibility of a violence-free world is an achievable goal of violence reduction, both in times of war and in times called peace. Violence is, much more often than we think, a choice Cover 1 Contents 8 Acknowledgments 11 Glossary of Acronyms 12 Introduction 18 Choosing where to look: a panel of cases 19 A quest for coherence 21 Research funding and approach 22 Starting out: conceptual resources 25 Sequence of chapters 30 1 Finding a Voice: Women at Three Moments of British Peace Activism 36 The Peace Society: public men, silenced women 40 The Great War: the masculine birth of nations 44 Nuclear weapons: internationalism, direct action and women-alone 50 Towards a holistic analysis of war 59 2 War Resisters and Pacifist Revolution 63 For nonviolent revolution 64 Cold War and hot liberation movements 67 Emerging from the brotherhood of man 68 Feminist anti-militarism and the 'continuum of violence' 71 The struggle for the feminist agenda 75 War resistance today 79 Active nonviolence: Vredesactie 80 New Profile, Israel 82 Transcending and surviving 85 3 Legitimate Disobedience: An Anti-militarist Movement in Spain 91 Collectivizing many individual acts of refusal 92 Denying legitimacy to the militarist state 95 Post-professionalization: a state-wide anti-militarist movement 97 Doing disobedience 100 Anti-militarism, prefigurative movements and the left 102 Antipatriarchalism: the principle and the practice 107 Inventing feminist anti-militarism 110 Double militancy: careful choices 113 4 Midlands City: Faiths and Philosophies Together for Palestine 120 Spontaneous response to an act of violence 122 Interfaith relations put to the test 126 Leicester's Muslim organizations: for 'peace' or 'Palestine'? 129 Belief in God, faith in humanity 132 Feminism, faiths and peace activism 136 Towards a realistic and sustainable alliance 138 5 Saying No to NATO: Divergent Strategies 143 The elements of a campaign 145 Peace and anti-war movements 145 The parliamentary parties 147 Radical left and anarchist tendencies 148 Preparing a weekend of action: hopes and fears 149 Reasons for opposing NATO 152 A feminist case against NATO 155 NATO, nations and patriarchy 156 NATO's overbearing presence in member states 157 The militarization of daily life 158 NATO as a perpetrator of wars 159 The rally goes up in flames 160 Picking through the ashes 163 6 Seeing the Whole Picture: Anti-militarism in Okinawa and Japan 169 War, occupation and war again 171 Anti-Bomb and anti-Treaty: the emergence of a peace movement 173 The Okinawan anti-base movement 178 Okinawa Women Act against Military Violence 182 Making connections between sources, forms and scales of violence 186 'Comfort women' and the rightwing agenda 188 The right, the peace movement and patriarchy 191 7 A State of Peace: Movements to Reunify and Demilitarize Korea 197 Building two Koreas 199 The movement for reunification 202 Crossing the Line 205 A different left: anti-militarist, anti-war and peace movements 207 Two women's initiatives 211 The once and future 'nation' of Korea 213 Attitudes towards North Korea 216 Roads to peace 221 8 Guns and Bodies: Armed Conflict and Domestic Violence 228 A movement to stop the proliferation of small arms 229 Gender and guns 233 Women's anti-gun activism 237 Uganda: awash with weaponry 240 Ugandan government measures to control arms 242 Women's projects of disarmament 243 The gun, or the hand that holds it? 248 9 Towards a Different Common Sense 254 Divergences of thought and action 257 Capitalism and state as causes of war: a plural left 258 War in 3-D: the feminist anti-militarist standpoint 261 Choice of strategy: the significance of nonviolence 263 Co-existence or cohesion? 267 Making connections: a 'continuum' of violence 270 The movements' problematic: where to draw the line? 273 Violence and nonviolence as choices 275 References 281 Index 294 People Come Together In Movements To End War From Many Political Traditions. They Are Socialists, Communists And Anarchists, People Of A Variety Of Faiths, Secularists, Pacifists And Feminists. They Share A Belief That Peace Is Possible, But Have Divergent Views On The Causes Of Militarism And Strategies To End It. As Both Peace Activist And Social Researcher, Cynthia Cockburn Is Well Placed To Ask, 'how Coherent And Cohesive Are We?' The Book Presents Original Case Studies Of Anti-war, Anti-militarist And Peace Movements In Japan, South Korea, Spain, Uganda And The Uk, Of International Networks Against Military Conscription And The Proliferation Of Guns, And Of Singular Campaigns Addressing Aggression Against Palestinians And The Expansion Of Nato. The Stand-alone Chapters Make Ideal Course Readings. Scanning The Political Spectrum, But Always With A Gender Lens, The Author Carefully Uncovers The Movements' Many Tensions And Antagonisms, Looking For The Source Of Alliance That May Make Of These And A Multitude Of Other Groups, Organizations And Networks Worldwide An Unstoppable Movement For Change. Between The Nihilist View That Violence Is Inevitable And The Utopian Belief In The Possibility Of A Violence-free World Is An Achievable Goal Of Violence Reduction, Both In Times Of War And In Times Called Peace. Violence Is, Much More Often Than We Think, A Choice. -- Bqack Cover. Finding A Voice: Women At Three Moments Of British Peace Activism -- War Resistance And Pacifist Revolution -- Legitimate Disobedience: An Anti-militarist Movement In Spain -- Midlands City: Faiths And Philosophies Together For Palestine -- Saying No To Nato: Divergent Strategies -- Seeing The Whole Picture: Anti-militarism In Okinawa And Japan -- A State Of Peace: Movements To Reunify And Demilitarize Korea -- Guns And Bodies: Armed Conflict And Domestic Violence -- Towards A Different Common Sense. Cynthia Cockburn. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 264-276) And Index. 'A new book by Cynthia Cockburn is always cause for cheer. Antimilitarism is full of gritty cross-national comparisons. You can hear women peace activists debating whether to stay in mixed-gender movements, and when do masculinized internal movement cultures replicate the patriarchal structures that perpetuate militarism. Students of social movements, masculinities, feminisms and militarism will each be smarter for having read Cynthia Cockburn.' - Cynthia Enloe, author of Nimo's War, Emma's War: Making Feminist Sense of the Iraq War 'Cynthia Cockburn's research has done a service to the various peace and anti-war groupsh. Ultimately, it challenges readers to look for "a different common sense". This is the critical, "counter-hegemonic" sense that works for a reduction of every form of violence - from the structural violence of poverty and deprivation and from daily physical violence and intimidation to the organised mass violence of war - and insists that there are other choices we can bring into being.' - Howard Clark, War Resisters' International Front Matter....Pages i-xvi Introduction....Pages 1-18 Finding a Voice: Women at Three Moments of British Peace Activism....Pages 19-45 War Resisters and Pacifist Revolution....Pages 46-73 Legitimate Disobedience: An Anti-militarist Movement in Spain....Pages 74-102 Midlands City: Faiths and Philosophies Together for Palestine....Pages 103-125 Saying No to NATO: Divergent Strategies....Pages 126-151 Seeing the Whole Picture: Anti-militarism in Okinawa and Japan....Pages 152-179 A State of Peace: Movements to Reunify and Demilitarize Korea....Pages 180-210 Guns and Bodies: Armed Conflict and Domestic Violence....Pages 211-236 Towards a Different Common Sense....Pages 237-263 Back Matter....Pages 264-297