Resistance to the War Machine: Shaping a World BEYOND War

This in-person panel will open up a discussion of full strategic resistance to the war machine aimed at abolition of war culture and war systems, and the ending of all wars, war preparation, war thinking, and war spending. Four speakers from World BEYOND War will take part. Speaking on war abolition and the work of building a global movement to achieve it will be David Swanson, Co-Founder, Executive Director, and Board Member of World BEYOND War. He is an author, activist, journalist, and radio host based in Virginia who will by the time of this conference have spent time working in Venezuela. Discussing resistance to war in Africa and the hurdles peace work faces there will be Dr. Sellah N. King’oro, Board Member of World BEYOND War. She is a peace and security specialist, trainer, and advocate of the High Court of Kenya, and currently a post-doctoral fellow at the State University of New York, Binghamton. Dr. King’oro has been a Charles Scheidt resident practitioner at the Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention at SUNY-Binghamton. Speaking on the well-kept secret of the power of unarmed civilian defense will be John Reuwer, Treasurer and Board Member of World BEYOND War, based in Maryland. Reuwer has peace team field experience in Haiti, Colombia, Central America, Palestine/Israel, and several U.S. cities, and has worked in South Sudan with the Nonviolent Peaceforce. Finally, speaking on peace activism in war zones around the world will be Kathy Kelly, board president of World BEYOND War, based in Illinois. She made over two dozen trips to Afghanistan from 2010 – 2019 and over two dozen trips to Iraq from1996 – 2003, defying the economic sanctions and remaining in Iraq throughout the Shock and Awe bombing and the initial weeks of the invasion. She joined subsequent delegations to the West Bank’s Jenin Camp in 2002 during and after Israeli attacks, to Lebanon during the 2006 summer war between Israel and Hezbollah, and to Gaza in 2009 and 2013. World BEYOND War currently coordinates dozens of chapters and maintains partnerships with over 100 affiliates around the world. WBW functions through a decentralized, distributed grassroots organizing model focused on building power at the local level. WBW’s staff provide tools, trainings, and resources to empower the chapters and affiliates to organize in their own communities based on what campaigns resonate most with their members, while at the same time organizing towards the goal of war abolition.