Mouvement de la Paix
Encyclopedia
The Mouvement de la Paix is an organisation which promotes a culture of peace initiated by the United Nations
. The movement was created in the aftermath of the Second World War by the large resistance movements, particularly those associated with communists, Christian
s and free-thinkers, and was linked directly to the Mouvement mondial des partisans de la paix whose aim was to struggle for peace.
who, at the end of 1947, launched an appeal for the creation of an organisation devoted to "supporting the republican régime and preventing the return of fascism
and dictatorship
". On 22 February 1948, about 60 people who had been active in the resistance founded "les Combattants de la Liberté" in a meeting at the l'Hôtel des 2 Mondes in Paris. The leader was to be Yves Farge
whoa had been appointed prefect of the Rhône-Alpes
region by Charles de Gaulle
at the liberation of France. The constitution of this young movement which aimed to preserve the resistance spirit of unity was laid down by Raymond Aubrac
.
After the 1948 Congrès des peuples pour la paix de Wroclaw, the Mouvement mondial des partisans de la paix was formed, and encouraged the creation of national committees. In France, the "Combattants de la Liberté", which had become "les Combattants de la Liberté et de la Paix", then "les Combattants de la Paix et de la Liberté" finally in 1951 became "le conseil national français du Mouvement de la Paix", commonly known as the "Mouvement de la Paix".
was for the Movement the most rich in operations, influence and effect. The Movement participated in the 1949 Congrès mondial des Partisans de la Paix in Paris, at which the World Peace Council
was created. The leadership was given to the intellectual and scientist Frédéric Joliot-Curie
. The Movement organised a massive campaign of support in France for the Stockholm appeal
which gathered millions of signatures, including that of Jacques Chirac
. The Stockholm campaign marked the apogee of the Movement in France.
The Movement subsequently became radicalised
, and lost some of its popular influence. Several campaigns followed, against the Korean War
(1950, the demonstration against Matthew Ridgway
), or against German rearmament under the European Defence Community
(from 1952 onwards).
The flame revived during the Vietnam War
and again with the NATO Double-Track Decision
in the 1980s
. The Movement also obtained the first disarmament agreement dealing with short and long range missiles in Europe. In 1995, the Movement participated in a massive international campaign aimed at closing down the Centre d'Expérimentation du Pacifique in Mururoa.
Since 2000 the Movement has energised a large anti-war constituency (Afghanistan
, Iraq, the near east etc). Very active in the alter-globalization
movement and in international partnerships, the Movement supports Mayors for Peace
in France, and the French PNND (Parlementaires pour la non-prolifération et le désarmement nucléaire, Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament
). The Movement is a member of the World Peace Council, of the International Peace Bureau
, of Abolition 2000 and of the International Association of Educators for Peace.
in France with almost 150 local committees. It frequently coordinates anti-war coalitions and invests heavily in the young. International peace day on the 21 September marks one of its annual high points.
The Movement seems to have experienced a rally since the 2003 Iraq war and the development of alter-globalization movements. It plays an important role in organizing European social fora, and has mobilized against the Iraq war, the situations in Chechnya
and Israel
, and against nuclear weapons with a campaign for a non-proliferation treaty. The movement is appealing for a reduction in the defense budget. For several years, in response to urban violence, the Movement has promoted the idea of committees for culture and peace in city wards.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. The movement was created in the aftermath of the Second World War by the large resistance movements, particularly those associated with communists, Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s and free-thinkers, and was linked directly to the Mouvement mondial des partisans de la paix whose aim was to struggle for peace.
Origins
The origin of the Movement was to be found in the creation of "Combattants de la Liberté" in the aftermath of the Second World War. It was the communist leader, Charles TillonCharles Tillon
Charles Tillon was a French politician.- Biography :Tillon was born in Rennes in the Ille-et-Vilaine département....
who, at the end of 1947, launched an appeal for the creation of an organisation devoted to "supporting the republican régime and preventing the return of fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
and dictatorship
Dictatorship
A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...
". On 22 February 1948, about 60 people who had been active in the resistance founded "les Combattants de la Liberté" in a meeting at the l'Hôtel des 2 Mondes in Paris. The leader was to be Yves Farge
Yves Farge
Yves Farge was a French journalist and politician.- Biography :...
whoa had been appointed prefect of the Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes is one of the 27 regions of France, located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the Rhône River and the Alps mountain range. Its capital, Lyon, is the second-largest metropolitan area in France after Paris...
region by Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
at the liberation of France. The constitution of this young movement which aimed to preserve the resistance spirit of unity was laid down by Raymond Aubrac
Raymond Aubrac
Raymond Aubrac is a French engineer, and was a member of the French Resistance.Born Raymond Samuel in Vesoul, Haute-Saône in a Jewish family, Aubrac and wife, Lucie in 1940 were in the Resistance in Lyon and took pseudonym Aubrac to escape the persecution of the occupation...
.
After the 1948 Congrès des peuples pour la paix de Wroclaw, the Mouvement mondial des partisans de la paix was formed, and encouraged the creation of national committees. In France, the "Combattants de la Liberté", which had become "les Combattants de la Liberté et de la Paix", then "les Combattants de la Paix et de la Liberté" finally in 1951 became "le conseil national français du Mouvement de la Paix", commonly known as the "Mouvement de la Paix".
The Cold War years
The period of the Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
was for the Movement the most rich in operations, influence and effect. The Movement participated in the 1949 Congrès mondial des Partisans de la Paix in Paris, at which the World Peace Council
World Peace Council
The World Peace Council is an international organization that advocates universal disarmament, sovereignty and independence and peaceful co-existence, and campaigns against imperialism, weapons of mass destruction and all forms of discrimination...
was created. The leadership was given to the intellectual and scientist Frédéric Joliot-Curie
Frédéric Joliot-Curie
Jean Frédéric Joliot-Curie , born Jean Frédéric Joliot, was a French physicist and Nobel laureate.-Early years:...
. The Movement organised a massive campaign of support in France for the Stockholm appeal
Stockholm Appeal
March 1950: The World Peace Council releases the Stockholm Appeal calling for an absolute ban on nuclear weapons. The appeal was initiated by the French Communist physicist Frédéric Joliot-Curie, gathered petitions allegedly signed by 273,470,566 persons The text of the Appeal read:“We demand the...
which gathered millions of signatures, including that of Jacques Chirac
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
. The Stockholm campaign marked the apogee of the Movement in France.
The Movement subsequently became radicalised
Radicalization
Radicalization is the process in which an individual changes from passiveness or activism to become more revolutionary, militant or extremist. Radicalization is often associated with youth, adversity, alienation, social exclusion, poverty, or the perception of injustice to self or others.-...
, and lost some of its popular influence. Several campaigns followed, against the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
(1950, the demonstration against Matthew Ridgway
Matthew Ridgway
Matthew Bunker Ridgway was a United States Army General. He held several major commands and was most famous for resurrecting the United Nations war effort during the Korean War. Several historians have credited Ridgway for turning around the war in favor of the UN side...
), or against German rearmament under the European Defence Community
European Defence Community
The European Defense Community was a plan proposed in 1950 by René Pleven, the French President of the Council , in response to the American call for the rearmament of West Germany...
(from 1952 onwards).
Other campaigns
The year 1956 marked the beginning of destalinization, which overturned the communist landscape in Europe. The Movement lost some of its energy, particularly after its campaign against the Algerian war.The flame revived during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and again with the NATO Double-Track Decision
NATO Double-Track Decision
The NATO Double-Track Decision is the decision of NATO from December 12, 1979 to offer the Warsaw Pact a mutual limitation of Medium-range ballistic missiles and Intermediate-range ballistic missiles combined with the threat that in case of disagreement NATO would deploy more middle range nuclear...
in the 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
. The Movement also obtained the first disarmament agreement dealing with short and long range missiles in Europe. In 1995, the Movement participated in a massive international campaign aimed at closing down the Centre d'Expérimentation du Pacifique in Mururoa.
Since 2000 the Movement has energised a large anti-war constituency (Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
, Iraq, the near east etc). Very active in the alter-globalization
Alter-globalization
Alter-globalization is the name of a social movement that supports global cooperation and interaction, but which opposes the negative effects of economic globalization, feeling that it often works to the detriment of, or does not...
movement and in international partnerships, the Movement supports Mayors for Peace
Mayors for Peace
Mayors for Peace is an international organization of cities, dedicated for the promotion of peace that was established in 1982 at the initiative of then mayor of Hiroshima Takeshi Araki....
in France, and the French PNND (Parlementaires pour la non-prolifération et le désarmement nucléaire, Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament
Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament
Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament is a global network of over 700 parliamentarians from more than 75 countries working to prevent nuclear proliferation. Membership is open to current members of legislatures and parliaments at state, federal, national and regional levels...
). The Movement is a member of the World Peace Council, of the International Peace Bureau
International Peace Bureau
International Peace Bureau is the world's oldest international peace federation. It was founded in 1891, and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1910....
, of Abolition 2000 and of the International Association of Educators for Peace.
The Movement today
The Movement is today the most important pacifist non-governmental organizationNon-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
in France with almost 150 local committees. It frequently coordinates anti-war coalitions and invests heavily in the young. International peace day on the 21 September marks one of its annual high points.
The Movement seems to have experienced a rally since the 2003 Iraq war and the development of alter-globalization movements. It plays an important role in organizing European social fora, and has mobilized against the Iraq war, the situations in Chechnya
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, and against nuclear weapons with a campaign for a non-proliferation treaty. The movement is appealing for a reduction in the defense budget. For several years, in response to urban violence, the Movement has promoted the idea of committees for culture and peace in city wards.
Magazine
After over 50 years and 500 issues, the Movement's magazine, Combat pour la Paix (fight for peace) changed its name to Planète Paix (Planet Peace) in March 2005.Notable members
- Yves FargeYves FargeYves Farge was a French journalist and politician.- Biography :...
, president until his death in 1953 - Charles TillonCharles TillonCharles Tillon was a French politician.- Biography :Tillon was born in Rennes in the Ille-et-Vilaine département....
, Laurent Casanova, Maurice Kriegel-ValrimontMaurice Kriegel-ValrimontMaurice Kriegel-Valrimont was a militant communist who took part in the French Resistance during the Second World War, and a French politician...
, Raymond Guyot and André Souquière, communist officials ; Emmanuel d'Astier de la Vigerie, Robert Chambeiron, Pierre CotPierre Cot.Pierre Cot , French politician, was a leading figure in the Popular Front government of the 1930s...
and Pierre VillonPierre VillonPierre Villon was a member of the French Communist Party and of the French Resistance during the war. With his true name of Roger Ginsburger, he was an architect...
, parliamentarians for the now defunct Union progressiste party; Yvonne Dumont, Henri CaillavetHenri CaillavetHenri Caillavet is a French political figure most prominent during the postwar years 1946-58, when, during the Fourth Republic, he was a member of the National Assembly and as a Senator from 1967-1985....
, André Armengaud, other parliamentarians; Benoit Frachon and Louis Saillant, officials for the CGTConfédération générale du travailThe General Confederation of Labour is a national trade union center, the first of the five major French confederations of trade unions.It is the largest in terms of votes , and second largest in terms of membership numbers.Its membership decreased to 650,000 members in 1995-96 The General...
union - Frédéric Joliot-CurieFrédéric Joliot-CurieJean Frédéric Joliot-Curie , born Jean Frédéric Joliot, was a French physicist and Nobel laureate.-Early years:...
and Eugénie Cotton, scientists; Pablo PicassoPablo PicassoPablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
and Jean EffelJean EffelJean Effel, real name François Lejeune was French painter, caricaturist, illustrator and journalist. Mostly he considered himself to be journalist and political commentator. His pseudonym is created by his initials F. L.- Life :Effel was born in Paris and graduated in art, music and philosophy...
, artists - Jean-Paul SartreJean-Paul SartreJean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre was a French existentialist philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic. He was one of the leading figures in 20th century French philosophy, particularly Marxism, and was one of the key figures in literary...
, Simone de BeauvoirSimone de BeauvoirSimone-Ernestine-Lucie-Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir, often shortened to Simone de Beauvoir , was a French existentialist philosopher, public intellectual, and social theorist. She wrote novels, essays, biographies, an autobiography in several volumes, and monographs on philosophy, politics, and...
, Louis AragonLouis AragonLouis Aragon , was a French poet, novelist and editor, a long-time member of the Communist Party and a member of the Académie Goncourt.- Early life :...
, Elsa TrioletElsa TrioletElsa Yur'evna Triolet was a French writer.-Biography:Born Ella Kagan into a Jewish family of a lawyer and a music teacher in Moscow, she and her sister, Lilya Brik received excellent educations; they were able to speak fluent German and French and play the piano...
, Hervé BazinHervé BazinHervé Bazin was a French writer, whose best-known novels covered semi-autobiographical topics of teenage rebellion and dysfunctional families.- Biography :...
, VercorsJean BrullerJean Marcel Bruller was a French writer and illustrator who co-founded Les Éditions de Minuit with Pierre de Lescure and Yvonne Paraf. During the World War II occupation of northern France he joined the Resistance and his texts were published under the pseudonym Vercors.Several of his novels have...
, Maurice DruonMaurice DruonMaurice Druon was a French novelist and a member of the Académie française.Born in Paris, France, Druon was the nephew of the writer Joseph Kessel, with whom he translated the Chant des Partisans, a French Resistance anthem of World War II, with music and words originally by Anna Marly.In 1948...
, André StilAndré StilAndré Stil was a French novelist, short story writer, occasional poet, and political activist...
, Jean-Marie DomenachJean-Marie DomenachJean-Marie Domenach was a French writer and intellectual. He was noted as a left-wing and Catholic thinker.He took over in 1957 the editorship of Esprit, the literary and political journal of personalism founded in 1945 by Emmanuel Mounier and continued from 1950 to 1957 by Albert Béguin...
, Jean CassouJean CassouJean Cassou was a French writer, art critic, poet and member of the French Resistance during World War II.- Biography :Jean Cassou was born at Deusto, near Bilbao,...
and Michel LeirisMichel LeirisJulien Michel Leiris was a French surrealist writer and ethnographer.-Biography:...
, writers - Yves MontandYves Montand-Early life:Montand was born Ivo Livi in Monsummano Terme, Italy, the son of poor peasants Giuseppina and Giovanni Livi, a broommaker. Montand's mother was a devout Catholic, while his father held strong Communist beliefs. Because of the Fascist regime in Italy, Montand's family left for France in...
, Simone SignoretSimone SignoretSimone Signoret was a French cinema actress often hailed as one of France's greatest movie stars. She became the first French person to win an Academy Award, for her role in Room at the Top...
, Michel Piccoli, Pierre MondyPierre MondyPierre Mondy, whose real name was Pierre Cuq, born 10 February 1925 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, is a French actor and director.He began his film career in 1949 and has appeared in over 140 films. In 1960, he received international revcognition for the role of Napoléon Bonaparte in the film Austerlitz...
, Claude PiépluClaude PiépluClaude Léon Auguste Piéplu was a French film and television actor.-Filmography:*Shadoks et le Big Blank, Les *Astérix et Obélix contre César *Chapeau bas...
, Bernard BlierBernard BlierBernard Blier was a French character actor. His rotund features and premature baldness allowed him to often play cuckolded husbands in his early career. He proved to be one of France's most versatile and sought-after character actors, performing interchangeably in comedies and dramas...
, actors; Francis Lemarque and Juliette GrécoJuliette GrécoJuliette Gréco, — also Michelle – is a French actress and popular chanson singer.-Early life and family:Juliette Gréco was born in Montpellier to a Corsican father and a mother who became active in the Résistance, in the Hérault département of southern France. She was raised by her maternal...
, singers - Lucie AubracLucie AubracLucie Samuel born Lucie Bernard , and better known as Lucie Aubrac, was a French history teacher and member of the French Resistance during World War II....
, Jean Pierre-BlochJean Pierre-BlochJean Pierre-Bloch was a French Resistant of the Second World War as an activist, being a former president of the International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism....
and Marie-Claude Vaillant-CouturierMarie-Claude Vaillant-CouturierMarie-Claude Vaillant-Couturier, , whose real name was Marie-Claude Vogel, was a member of the French Resistance.-Photographer:...
, members of the resistance - Abbé Jean Boulier, prètre rouge ("Red priest")
- Jacques Denis
- Pierre-Luc Séguillon
- Daniel Cirera; Jacques Le Dauphin
- Daniel Durand, national secretary 1994-2002
- Arielle Denis and Pierre Villard, co-presidents since 2002.