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92-646: The PEN/Nora Magid Award for Magazine Editing given by the PEN America (formerly PEN American Center) is awarded biennially to "a magazine editor whose high literary standards and taste have, throughout his or her career, contributed significantly to the excellence of the publication he or she edits." It was established in 1993. Candidates include "current editors-in-chief, literary editors, and 'back-of-the-book' editors of serious general interest magazines, book reviews, or literary reviews and quarterlies, whose intellectual discernment and wide range of interests recall

184-477: A Peace Ship to Europe, to help end the raging World War. He brought 170 peace activists; Jane Addams was a key supporter who became too ill to join him. Ford talked to President Woodrow Wilson about the mission but had no government support. His group met with peace activists in neutral Sweden and the Netherlands. A target of much ridicule, Ford left the ship as soon as it reached Sweden. A popular slogan

276-404: A venture capitalist startup to help workers unionize, and that PEN America recognized the union the day after it was announced. "MEMBERS OF PEN pledge themselves to do their utmost to dispel race, class, and national hatreds and to champion the ideal of one humanity living in peace in the world. And since freedom implies voluntary restraint, members also pledge themselves to oppose such evils of

368-775: A British poet, playwright, and peace activist , who enlisted John Galsworthy as PEN International's first president. The intent of PEN International was to foster international literary fellowship among writers that would transcend national and ethnic divides in the wake of World War I . PEN America subscribes to the principles outlined in the PEN International Charter. PEN America presidents have included current president Jennifer Finney Boylan , Ayad Akhtar , Kwame Anthony Appiah , Louis Begley , Ron Chernow , Joel Conarroe, Jennifer Egan , Frances FitzGerald , Peter Godwin , Francine Prose , Salman Rushdie , Michael Scammell , and Andrew Solomon . In 2018,

460-402: A disciple of Tolstoy because they agreed on the issues of opposition to state authority and colonialism, loathed violence, and preached non-resistance. However, they differed on political strategy. Gandhi called for political involvement; a nationalist, he was prepared to use nonviolent force but was also willing to compromise. Gandhi was the first person to apply the principle of nonviolence on

552-497: A free press as mendacious publication, deliberate falsehood, and distortion of facts for political and personal ends." – from PEN's Founding Charter, New York City, 1922. Full membership in PEN America generally requires being a published writer with at least one work professionally published, or being a translator, agent, editor, or other publishing professional. There is also a "reader" tier of membership open to supporters from

644-430: A high level of nonviolence required great faith and courage, which not everyone possessed. He advised that everyone need not strictly adhere to nonviolence, especially if it was a cover for cowardice: "Where there is only a choice between cowardice and violence, I would advise violence." Gandhi came under political fire for his criticism of those who attempted to achieve independence through violence. He responded, "There

736-632: A large scale. The concepts of nonviolence ( ahimsa ) and nonresistance have a long history in Indian religious and philosophical thought, and have had a number of revivals in Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Jewish and Christian contexts. Gandhi explained his philosophy and way of life in his autobiography, The Story of My Experiments with Truth . Some of his remarks were widely quoted, such as "There are many causes that I am prepared to die for, but no causes that I am prepared to kill for." Gandhi later realized that

828-412: A leading industrialist gave him a worldview that warfare was wasteful folly that retarded long-term economic growth. The losing side in the war typically suffered heavy damage. Small business were especially hurt, for it takes years to recuperate. He argued in many newspaper articles that capitalism would discourage warfare because, "If every man who manufactures an article would make the very best he can in

920-564: A more diverse range of people involved in literature and freedom of expression, the name ceased to be an acronym in the United States. PEN America celebrated its centenary in 2022 with an event featuring authors Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie , Margaret Atwood , Jennifer Finney Boylan , and Dave Eggers ; an exhibition at the New York Historical Society ; and a large light-projection by the artist Jenny Holzer at

1012-535: A strong international organization which could enforce peaceful conflict resolution. Later that year, the League to Enforce Peace was established in the United States to promote similar goals. Hamilton Holt published "The Way to Disarm: A Practical Proposal", an editorial in the Independent (his New York City weekly magazine) on September 28, 1914. The editorial called for an international organization to agree on

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1104-608: A union-busting law firm, late last year." Peace movement A global affiliation of activists and political interests viewed as having a shared purpose and constituting a single movement has been called " the peace movement", or an all-encompassing "anti-war movement". Seen from this perspective, they are often indistinguishable and constitute a loose, responsive, event-driven collaboration between groups motivated by humanism , environmentalism , veganism , anti-racism , feminism , decentralization , hospitality , ideology , theology , and faith . Ideas differ about what "peace"

1196-772: Is Suzanne Nossel . PEN America holds multiple events in the United States throughout the year with the goal of celebrating literature in multiple forms. Many feature prominent authors who appear at festivals and on panel discussions, give lectures, and are featured at PEN America's Authors' Evenings. As a part of its work, PEN America also gives recognition to emerging writers, recognizing them through PEN America's Literary Awards or bringing them to new audiences at public events. Among them are: Hermione Hoby , Morgan Jerkins , Crystal Hana Kim , Alice Sola Kim , Lisa Ko , Layli Long Soldier , Carmen Maria Machado , Darnell L. Moore , Alexis Okeowo , Helen Oyeyemi , Tommy Pico , Jenny Zhang , and Ibi Zoboi . The PEN World Voices Festival

1288-446: Is (or should be), which results in a number of movements seeking different ideals of peace. Although "anti-war" movements often have short-term goals, peace movements advocate an ongoing lifestyle and a proactive government policy. It is often unclear whether a movement, or a particular protest, is against war in general or against one's government's participation in a war. This lack of clarity (or long-term continuity) has been part of

1380-642: Is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose goal is to raise awareness for the protection of free expression in the United States and worldwide through the advancement of literature and human rights . PEN America is the largest of the more than 100 PEN centers worldwide that together compose PEN International . PEN America has offices in New York City, Los Angeles , Washington, D.C. , and since late 2023 also in Florida. PEN America's advocacy includes work on educational censorship, press freedom and

1472-1471: Is a week-long series of events in New York City hosted by PEN America each spring. It is the largest international literary festival in the United States, and the only one with a human rights focus. The festival was founded by Salman Rushdie in the aftermath of September 11 Attacks , with the aim of broadening channels of dialogue between the United States and the world. Notable guests have included: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie , Margaret Atwood , Paul Auster , Samantha Bee , Giannina Braschi , Carrie Brownstein , Ron Chernow , Hillary Rodham Clinton , Ta-Nehisi Coates , Teju Cole , E. L. Doctorow , Dave Eggers , Roxane Gay , Masha Gessen , John Irving , Marlon James , Saeed Jones , Jhumpa Lahiri , Ottessa Moshfegh , Hasan Minaj , Sean Penn , Cecile Richards , Salman Rushdie , Gabourey Sidibe , Patti Smith , Zadie Smith , Andrew Solomon , Pia Tafdrup , Ngugi wa Thiong'o , Colm Toibin , Amor Towles, and Colson Whitehead . The PEN America Literary Awards annually honor outstanding voices in literature across genres, including fiction, poetry, drama, science and writing, essays, biography, and children's literature. PEN America confers 11 awards, fellowships, grants, and prizes each year, presenting nearly US$ 350,000 to writers and translators. The US$ 75,000 PEN/Jean Stein Book Award

1564-589: Is an international hub of more than 800 organizations working to protect artistic freedom around the world by improving access to resources for artists at risk, raising awareness of the threats, and enhancing connections among supporters of artistic freedom. This program extends support to artists of all kinds, encompassing writers, cartoonists, visual artists, filmmakers, musicians, and performance artists, as well as other individuals who produce significant creative output. Several authors have requested that their names be removed from PEN referring to dissatisfaction with

1656-406: Is based on faith in the goodness of human nature. Gandhi was strongly influenced by the pacifism of Leo Tolstoy . Tolstoy wrote A Letter to a Hindu in 1908, which said that the Indian people could overthrow colonial rule only through passive resistance . In 1909, Gandhi and Tolstoy began a correspondence about the practical and theological applications of nonviolence . Gandhi saw himself as

1748-608: Is becoming an appalling pattern of blatant disrespect towards its unionized staff,' said the union in a statement." And "The union has also filed two unfair labor practices (ULP) against PEN America with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The ULPs concern workers’ just-cause and labor-management committee proposals: workers say the company engaged in 'regressive bargaining' with both proposals, meaning they offered less than they had previously, after bringing on Tanya Khan from Kauff McGuire & Margolis,

1840-631: Is currently the top award given by PEN America, and among the largest literary prizes in the United States. Among other awards conferred are the US$ 25,000 PEN/Hemingway Award for a Debut Novel, the US$ 25,000 PEN/Bingham Award for a Debut Short Story Collection, and the US$ 10,000 PEN/Open Book Award for new books by writers of color. The PEN America Literary Gala in New York and PEN America Los Angeles Gala are annual events celebrating free expression and

1932-408: Is his body of ideas and principles Gandhi promoted. One of its most important concepts is nonviolent resistance. According to M. M. Sankhdher, Gandhism is not a systematic position in metaphysics or political philosophy but a political creed, an economic doctrine, a religious outlook, a moral precept, and a humanitarian worldview. An effort not to systematize wisdom but to transform society, it

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2024-582: Is under particular challenge, including China , Myanmar , Russia , Belarus , Ukraine , and Central Asia . PEN America monitors the freedom of the press and safety of journalists in the United States and internationally. PEN America also focuses on issues of fraudulent news and media literacy, and has produced an in-depth report, "Faking News: Fraudulent News and the Fight for Truth", alongside its "News Consumers Bill of Rights and Responsibilities." Current work focuses on how to fight disinformation ahead of

2116-587: The American Friends Service Committee . Jeannette Rankin (the first woman elected to Congress) was another advocate of pacifism, and the only person to vote "no" on the U.S. entrance into both world wars. Peace promotion was a major activity of American automaker and philanthropist Henry Ford (1863-1947). He set up a $ 1 million fund to promote peace, and published numerous antiwar articles and ads in hundreds of newspapers. According to biographer Steven Watts, Ford's status as

2208-695: The Catholic Worker Movement urged young Americans not to enlist in the military. Peace movements have become widespread throughout the world since World War II, and their previously-radical beliefs are now a part of mainstream political discourse. Peace movements emerged in Japan, combining in 1954 to form the Japanese Council Against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs. Japanese opposition to the Pacific nuclear-weapons tests

2300-645: The Fellowship of Reconciliation ), and individuals such as José Brocca and Amparo Poch . Activists on the left often put their pacifism on pause in order to help the war effort of the Spanish government. Shortly after the war ended, Simone Weil (despite volunteering for service on the Republican side) published The Iliad or the Poem of Force , which has been described as a pacifist manifesto. In response to

2392-737: The Inter-Parliamentary Union , the first international organization for the arbitration of conflicts, in 1889. The National Peace Council was founded after the 17th Universal Peace Congress in London in July and August 1908. In the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the novelist Baroness Bertha von Suttner (1843–1914) after 1889 became a leading figure in the peace movement with the publication of her pacifist novel, Die Waffen nieder! ( Lay Down Your Arms! ). The book

2484-543: The Nobel Peace Prize : "Linus Carl Pauling, who ever since 1946 has campaigned ceaselessly, not only against nuclear weapons tests, not only against the spread of these armaments, not only against their very use but against all warfare as a means of solving international conflicts." Pauling founded the International League of Humanists in 1974; he was president of the scientific advisory board of

2576-536: The Online Harassment Field Manual in an effort to aid writers and journalists who must navigate online spaces by providing resources, tools, and tips to help them respond safely and effectively to incidents of online harassment and hateful speech . PEN America also leads workshops to equip writers, journalists, and all those active online with tools and tactics to defend against hateful speech and trolling . The Artists at Risk Connection

2668-490: The Peace Pledge Union in 1934, renouncing war and aggression. The idea of collective security was also popular; instead of outright pacifism, the public generally exhibited a determination to stand up to aggression with economic sanctions and multilateral negotiations. The Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) was a major test of international pacifism, pacifist organizations (such as War Resisters' International and

2760-643: The Rockefeller Center . PEN America was formed on April 19, 1922, in New York City , and included among its initial members writers such as Willa Cather , Eugene O'Neill , Robert Frost , Ellen Glasgow , Edwin Arlington Robinson , and Robert Benchley . Booth Tarkington served as the organization's first president. PEN America's founding came after the launch of PEN International in 1921 in London by Catherine Amy Dawson-Scott ,

2852-694: The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom , the No More War Movement , and the Peace Pledge Union (PPU). The League of Nations convened several disarmament conferences, such as the Geneva Conference . They achieved very little. However the Washington conference of 1921-1922 did successfully limit naval armaments of the major powers during the 1920s. The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom helped convince

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2944-718: The World Union for Protection of Life , and a signatory of the Dubrovnik-Philadelphia Statement . On June 12, 1982, one million people demonstrated in New York City's Central Park against nuclear weapons and for an end to the Cold War arms race . It was the largest anti-nuclear protest and the largest political demonstration in American history. International Day of Nuclear-disarmament protests were held on June 20, 1983, at 50 locations across

3036-586: The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki . The protest was the largest anti-nuclear rally in the U.S. for several decades. In Britain, there were many protests against the government's proposal to replace the aging Trident weapons system with newer missiles. The largest of the protests had 100,000 participants and, according to polls, 59 percent of the public opposed the move. The International Conference on Nuclear Disarmament , held in Oslo in February 2008,

3128-628: The environmental movement . These movements led to the formation of Green parties in a number of democratic countries in the late 20th century. The peace movement has influenced these parties in countries such as Germany . The first mass peace movements were the Peace of God ( Latin : Pax Dei , proclaimed in AD 989 at the Council of Charroux) and the Truce of God, which was proclaimed in 1027. The Peace of God

3220-596: The 2024 presidential election, with particular focus on Florida, Texas, and Arizona. PEN America has a focus on issues surrounding free speech at colleges and universities and seeks to raise awareness of the First Amendment and foster constructive dialogue that upholds the free speech rights of all on campus. This work includes the "PEN America Principles on Campus Free Speech", and the report "And Campus for All: Diversity, Inclusion, and Freedom of Speech at U.S. Universities". In April 2018, PEN America launched

3312-606: The 61 nominated authors withdrew their books from consideration in the annual PEN America Awards ceremony as they condemned America's Pen for failing to strongly condemn what they called the genocide in Palestine. The cancellation comes days after the organization canceled the 2024 annual awards festival. The festival was supposed to be held on May 8 in New York City and Los Angeles. Alex N. Press reports in Jacobin , May 01, 2024, "'PEN America management’s recent actions reflect what

3404-577: The Brethren . The Quakers were prominent advocates of pacifism, who had repudiated all forms of violence and adopted a pacifist interpretation of Christianity as early as 1660. Throughout the 18th-century wars in which Britain participated, the Quakers maintained a principled commitment not to serve in an army or militia and not pay the alternative £10 fine. The major 18th-century peace movements were products of two schools of thought which coalesced at

3496-598: The CND, was held on Easter 1958. Several thousand people marched for four days from Trafalgar Square in London to the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment , near Aldermaston in Berkshire , to demonstrate their opposition to nuclear weapons. The Aldermaston marches continued into the late 1960s, when tens of thousands of people participated in the four-day marches. The CND tapped into

3588-572: The Committee of 100 had a non-hierarchical structure and no formal membership, many local groups assumed the name. Although this helped civil disobedience to spread, it produced policy confusion; as the 1960s progressed, a number of Committee of 100 groups protested against social issues not directly related to war and peace. In 1961, at the height of the Cold War , about 50,000 women brought together by Women Strike for Peace marched in 60 cities in

3680-575: The Escambia County School District, claiming that book bans violate Constitutional rights to free speech and equal protection under the law. The organization also hosts regular Free Speech Advocacy Institutes to train young people to advocate for free speech. PEN America's work is sustained advocacy on behalf of individual writers and journalists who are being persecuted because of their work. With help from its members and supporters, PEN America carries out campaigns to ensure

3772-646: The German occupation) died in concentration camps. Austrian farmer Franz Jägerstätter was executed in 1943 for refusing to serve in the Wehrmacht . Conscientious objectors and war tax resisters existed in both world wars, and the United States government allowed sincere objectors to serve in non-combat military roles. However, draft resisters who refused any cooperation with the war effort often spent much of each war in federal prisons. During World War II, pacifist leaders such as Dorothy Day and Ammon Hennacy of

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3864-625: The Labour Party. Two years after the CND's formation, president Bertrand Russell resigned to form the Committee of 100 ; the committee planned to conduct sit-down demonstrations in central London and at nuclear bases around the UK. Russell said that the demonstrations were necessary because the press had become indifferent to the CND and large-scale, direct action could force the government to change its policy. One hundred prominent people, many in

3956-598: The PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature and the annual PEN America Literary Awards, sometimes referred to as the "Oscars of Books." PEN America also works to amplify underrepresented voices, including emerging authors and writers who are undocumented , incarcerated, or face obstacles in reaching audiences. The organization's name was conceived as an acronym: Poets, Essayists, Novelists (later broadened to Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists, Novelists). As membership expanded to include

4048-514: The Society for the Promotion of Permanent and Universal Peace, was formed by philanthropist William Allen in 1816 to promote permanent, universal peace. During the 1840s, British women formed 15-to-20 person "Olive Leaf Circles" to discuss and promote pacifist ideas. The London Peace Society's influence began to grow during the mid-nineteenth century. Under Elihu Burritt and Henry Richard ,

4140-835: The Soviet Union in 1941. Although mainstream isolationist groups such as the America First Committee declined after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor , a number of small religious and socialist groups continued their opposition to the war. Bertrand Russell said that the necessity of defeating Adolf Hitler and the Nazis was a unique circumstance in which war was not the worst possible evil, and called his position "relative pacifism". Albert Einstein wrote, "I loathe all armies and any kind of violence, yet I'm firmly convinced that at present these hateful weapons offer

4232-556: The Translation Committee and the Children and Young Adult Book Authors Committee. The Emerging Voices Fellowship is a literary mentorship that aims to provide new writers who are isolated from the literary establishment with the tools, skills, and knowledge they need to launch a professional writing career. The DREAMing Out Loud program helps aspiring migrant writers. PEN America also has offered workshops that nurture

4324-518: The U.S. Senate to launch an influential investigation by the Nye Committee to the effect that the munitions industry and Wall Street financiers had promoted American entry into World War I to cover their financial investments. The immediate result was a series of laws imposing neutrality on American business if other countries went to war. Pacifism and revulsion to war were popular sentiments in 1920s Britain. A number of novels and poems about

4416-714: The United States and around the world. This work includes research and reports on topical issues, advocacy internationally and in the United States, and campaigns on policy issues and on behalf of individual writers and journalists under threat. After 2020, PEN America increasingly focused on tracking book bans, including with its annual Banned in the USA report and educational censorship in public schools and higher education, including "educational gag order" bills. In 2023, PEN America, along with publisher Penguin Random House and several banned authors, and parents, filed suit against

4508-507: The United States to demonstrate against nuclear weapons. It was the century's largest national women's peace protest . In 1958, Linus Pauling and his wife presented the United Nations with a petition signed by more than 11,000 scientists calling for an end to nuclear weapons testing . The 1961 Baby Tooth Survey , co-founded by Dr. Louise Reiss , indicated that above-ground nuclear testing posed significant public health risks in

4600-648: The United States was the New York Peace Society , founded in 1815 by theologian David Low Dodge , followed by the Massachusetts Peace Society . The groups merged into the American Peace Society , which held weekly meetings and produced literature that was spread as far as Gibraltar and Malta describing the horrors of war and advocating pacifism on Christian grounds. The London Peace Society , also known as

4692-541: The United States. In 1986, hundreds of people walked from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. in the Great Peace March for Global Nuclear Disarmament . Many Nevada Desert Experience protests and peace camps were held at the Nevada Test Site during the 1980s and 1990s. Forty thousand anti-nuclear and anti-war protesters marched past the United Nations in New York on May 1, 2005, 60 years after

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4784-462: The appointment of former State Department official Suzanne Nossel ." And "[PEN's] refusal to condemn the genocide in Gaza and Israel’s targeted killings of writers, academics and journalists, has seen numerous writers withdraw from the annual PEN World Voices Festival in New York and Los Angeles, scheduled for April and May." PEN America has canceled its World Voices festival after twenty-eight of

4876-481: The arbitration of disputes and guarantee the territorial integrity of its members by maintaining military forces sufficient to defeat those of any non-member. The ensuing debate among prominent internationalists modified Holt's plan to align it more closely with proposals in Great Britain put forth by Viscount James Bryce , a former ambassador from the U.K. to the U.S. These and other initiatives were pivotal to

4968-425: The arms you have as being useless for saving you or humanity. You will invite Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini to take what they want of the countries you call your possessions ... If these gentlemen choose to occupy your homes, you will vacate them. If they do not give you free passage out, you will allow yourselves man, woman, and child to be slaughtered, but you will refuse to owe allegiance to them." Although

5060-434: The arts, attached their names to the organization. Large numbers of demonstrators were essential to their strategy but police violence, the arrest and imprisonment of demonstrators, and preemptive arrests for conspiracy diminished support. Although several prominent people took part in sit-down demonstrations (including Russell, whose imprisonment at age 89 was widely reported), many of the 100 signatories were inactive. Since

5152-623: The attitude changes which gave rise to the League of Nations after the war. In addition to the peace churches, groups which protested against the war included the Woman's Peace Party (organized in 1915 and led by Jane Addams ), the International Committee of Women for Permanent Peace (ICWPP) (also organized in 1915), the American Union Against Militarism , the Fellowship of Reconciliation , and

5244-478: The belief that humans should not wage war or engage in ethnic cleansing about language, race, or natural resources , or engage in ethical conflict over religion or ideology . Long-term opponents of war are characterized by the belief that military power does not equal justice . The peace movement opposes the proliferation of dangerous technology and weapons of mass destruction , particularly nuclear weapons and biological warfare . Many adherents object to

5336-425: The country and offers a Writing for Justice Fellowship for writers inside and outside of prison seeking to advance the conversation around the challenges of mass incarceration through creative expression. The PEN Writers' Emergency Fund assists professional writers in acute, emergency financial crisis. PEN America Membership committees focus on the interests of literary professionals in different fields and include

5428-411: The country with writing resources and audiences for their work. The program sponsors an annual writing contest, publishes a free writing handbook for prisoners, provides one-on-one mentoring to inmates whose writing shows promise, and seeks to bring inmates' work to the public through literary events, readings, and publications. PEN America also provides assistance to other prison writing initiatives around

5520-619: The end of the century. One, rooted in the secular Age of Enlightenment , promoted peace as the rational antidote to the world's ills; the other was part of the evangelical religious revival which had played an important role in the campaign for the abolition of slavery . Representatives of the former included Jean-Jacques Rousseau , in Extrait du Projet de Paix Perpetuelle de Monsieur l'Abbe Saint-Pierre (1756); Immanuel Kant in Thoughts on Perpetual Peace , and Jeremy Bentham , who proposed

5612-455: The export of weapons (including hand-held machine guns and grenades ) by leading economic nations to developing countries. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute has voiced a concern that artificial intelligence , molecular engineering , genetics and proteomics have destructive potential. The peace movement intersects with Neo-Luddism and primitivism , and with mainstream critics such as Green parties , Greenpeace and

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5704-587: The form of radioactive fallout spread primarily via milk from cows which ate contaminated grass. Public pressure and the research results then led to a moratorium on above ground nuclear weapons testing, followed by the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty signed in 1963 by John F. Kennedy , Nikita Khrushchev , and Harold Macmillan . On the day that the treaty went into force, the Nobel Prize Committee awarded Pauling

5796-744: The formation of a peace association in 1789. One representative of the latter was William Wilberforce ; Wilberforce thought that by following the Christian ideals of peace and brotherhood, strict limits should be imposed on British involvement in the French Revolutionary Wars . During the Napoleonic Wars (1793-1814), no formal peace movement was established in Britain until hostilities ended. A significant grassroots peace movement, animated by universalist ideals, emerged from

5888-413: The freedom, safety, and ability to write and publish without constraint. Advocacy is conducted from PEN America's Washington, D.C. , office, as well as through national and international campaigns, events, reports, and delegations. The organization publishes an index of threats to writers and gives out an annual Freedom to Write award. PEN America also focuses on countries and regions where free expression

5980-414: The futility of war and the slaughter of youth by old fools were published, including Death of a Hero by Richard Aldington , Erich Maria Remarque 's All Quiet on the Western Front and Beverley Nichols ' Cry Havoc! A 1933 University of Oxford debate on the proposed motion that "one must fight for King and country" reflected the changed mood when the motion was defeated. Dick Sheppard established

6072-417: The general public, as well as a "student" membership. The PEN America Board of Trustees is composed of writers, artists, and leaders in the fields of publishing, media, technology, law, finance, human rights , and philanthropy . Jennifer Finney Boylan , author and LGBTQ rights advocate, became president of PEN America on December 11, 2023, succeeding Ayad Akhtar , a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize who

6164-413: The global peace movement seek to guarantee health security by ending war and ensure what they view as basic human rights , including the right of all people to have access to clean air, water, food, shelter and health care . Activists seek social justice in the form of equal protection and equal opportunity under the law for groups which had been disenfranchised. The peace movement is characterized by

6256-462: The late PEN member Nora Magid , who was for many years the literary editor of The Reporter ." The award is one of many PEN awards sponsored by International PEN affiliates in over 145 PEN centres around the world. The PEN American Center awards have been characterized as being among the "major" American literary prizes. PEN America PEN America (formerly PEN American Center ), founded in 1922, and headquartered in New York City ,

6348-457: The literary arts. These events include tributes and calls to action to audiences of authors, screenwriters, producers, executives, philanthropists, actors, and other devotees of the written word. Honorees have included Salman Rushdie , Stephen King , J. K. Rowling , Toni Morrison , and Margaret Atwood . Celebrated writers serve as Literary Hosts for the events. Founded in 1971, the PEN Prison Writing Program provides hundreds of inmates across

6440-403: The only effective protection." French pacifists André and Magda Trocmé helped to conceal hundreds of Jews fleeing the Nazis in the village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon . After the war, the Trocmés were declared Righteous Among the Nations . Pacifists in Nazi Germany were treated harshly. German pacifist Carl von Ossietzky and Norwegian pacifist Olaf Kullmann (who remained active during

6532-436: The onset of the First World War was generally greeted with enthusiastic patriotism across Europe, peace groups were active in condemning the war. Many socialist groups and movements were antimilitarist . They argued that by its nature, war was a type of governmental coercion of the working class for the benefit of capitalist elites. In 1915, the League of Nations Society was formed by British liberal leaders to promote

6624-557: The organization filed suit against President Trump for allegedly using the powers of his office to retaliate against unfavorable reporting. In 2023, it filed suit against the school district in Escambia County, Florida , over book bans, joined by publisher Penguin Random House , several banned authors, and parents in the district. As of June 2022, PEN America staff announced their intention to unionize . The Los Angeles Times reported that workers unionized with Unit of Work,

6716-542: The organization's position regarding the Gaza war ; among them were Camonghne Felix nominated by Jean Stein , Eugenia Leigh a poetry finalist and Ghassan Zeineddine nominated for a short story. In a letter signed by Naomi Klein , Lorrie Moore , and dozens of others protested that PEN had not “launched any substantial coordinated support” for Palestinians. Chris Hedges reports in his The Chris Hedges Report website in March 2024, "In May 2013 I resigned from PEN America over

6808-811: The peace movement's earliest victories by securing a commitment for arbitration from the Great Powers in the Treaty of Paris (1856) at the end of the Crimean War . Wracked by social upheaval , the first peace congress on the European continent was held in Brussels in 1848; a second was held in Paris a year later. By the 1850s, these movements were becoming well organized in the major countries of Europe and North America, reaching middle-class activists beyond

6900-429: The perception that Britain fought in a reactionary role and the increasingly visible impact of the war on the nation's welfare in the form of higher taxes and casualties. Sixteen peace petitions to Parliament were signed by members of the public; anti-war and anti- Pitt demonstrations were held, and peace literature was widely disseminated. The first formal peace movements appeared in 1815 and 1816. The first movement in

6992-654: The range of the earlier religious connections. Support decreased during the resurgence of militarism during the American Civil War and the Crimean War, the movement began to spread across Europe and infiltrate fledgling working-class socialist movements. In 1870, Randal Cremer formed the Workman's Peace Association in London. Cremer and the French economist Frédéric Passy were the founding fathers of

7084-516: The safety of writers, campus free speech , online harassment , artistic freedom , and support to regions of the world with challenges to freedom of expression. PEN America also campaigns for individual writers and journalists who have been imprisoned or come under threat for their work and annually presents the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award. PEN America hosts public programming and events on literature and human rights, including

7176-419: The society convened the first International Peace Congress in London in 1843. The congress decided on two goals: to achieve the ideal of peaceable arbitration of the affairs of nations, and to create an international institution to achieve it. Richard became the society's full-time secretary in 1850; he held the position for the next 40 years, and became known as the "Apostle of Peace". He helped secure one of

7268-577: The strategy of those seeking to end a war, such as the Vietnam War . Global protests against the U.S. invasion of Iraq in early 2003 are an example of a specific, short-term, loosely affiliated single-issue "movement" consisting of relatively-scattered ideological priorities ranging from pacifism to Islamism and Anti-Americanism . Those involved in multiple, similar short-term movements develop trust relationships with other participants, and tend to join more-global, long-term movements. Elements of

7360-400: The threat of fascism, pacifist thinkers such as Richard B. Gregg devised plans for a campaign of nonviolent resistance in the event of a fascist invasion or takeover. At the beginning of World War II , pacifist and anti-war sentiment declined in nations affected by the war. The communist-controlled American Peace Mobilization reversed its anti-war activism, however, when Germany invaded

7452-444: The unconditional renunciation of the use, production, or dependence upon nuclear weapons by Britain, and the creation of a general disarmament convention. Although the country was progressing towards de-nuclearization, the CND declared that Britain should halt the flight of nuclear-armed planes, end nuclear testing, stop using missile bases, and not provide nuclear weapons to any other country. The first Aldermaston March , organized by

7544-461: The very best way at the very lowest possible price the world would be kept out of war, for commercialists would not have to search for outside markets which the other fellow covets." Ford admitted that munitions makers enjoyed wars, but he argued the typical capitalist wanted to avoid wars to concentrate on manufacturing and selling what people wanted, hiring good workers, and generating steady long-term profits. In late 1915, Ford sponsored and funded

7636-527: The week and times of the year when the nobility was able to employ violence. These peace movements "set the foundations for modern European peace movements." The Reformation gave rise to a number of Protestant sects beginning in the 16th century, including the peace churches . Foremost among these churches were the Religious Society of Friends ( Quakers ), Amish , Mennonites , and the Church of

7728-541: The widespread popular fear of, and opposition to, nuclear weapons after the development of the first hydrogen bomb . During the late 1950s and early 1960s, anti-nuclear marches attracted large numbers of people. Popular opposition to nuclear weapons produced a Labour Party resolution for unilateral nuclear disarmament at the 1960 party conference, but the resolution was overturned the following year and did not appear on later agendas. The experience disillusioned many anti-nuclear protesters who had previously put their hopes in

7820-691: The writing skills of domestic workers , taxi drivers , street vendors , and others wage earners. PEN America has several periodic publications. They include the Prison Writing Awards Anthology featuring winning entries from the annual contest for incarcerated authors, and PEN America Best Debut Short Stories , a yearly anthology of fiction by the recipients of the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers. PEN America's Free Expression programs defend writers and journalists and protect free expression rights in

7912-482: Was " merchants of death " alleging the promotion of war by armaments makers, based on a widely read nonfiction exposé Merchants of Death (1934), by H. C. Engelbrecht and F. C. Hanighen . The immense loss of life during the First World War for what became known as futile reasons caused a sea-change in public attitudes to militarism. Organizations formed at this time included War Resisters' International ,

8004-592: Was a time when people listened to me because I showed them how to give fight to the British without arms when they had no arms ... but today I am told that my non-violence can be of no avail against the Hindu–Moslem riots; therefore, people should arm themselves for self-defense." Gandhi's views were criticized in Britain during the Battle of Britain . He told the British people in 1940, "I would like you to lay down

8096-1378: Was named president December 2, 2020, and Jennifer Egan , a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize and the 2018 Carnegie Medal for literary excellence , who became president in 2018. Other members of the Board of Trustees Executive Committee are: Vice President Ayad Akhtar , Executive Vice President and Interim Treasurer Markus Dohle , Vice President Tracy Higgins, Roxanne Donovan, Michael Pietsch, and Marvin S. Putnam. Additional trustees are: Marie Arana , Peter Barbey , John Chao, Susan Choi , Bridget Colman, Patricia Duff, Lauren Embrey, Patricia Fili-Krushel , James Hannaham , Tom Healy , Elizabeth Hemmerdinger, Linda E. Johnson, Zachary Karabell , Sean Kelly, Min Jin Lee , Franklin Leonard , Margo Lowy, Margaret Munzer Loeb, Dinaw Mengestu , Ken Miller, Wesley Morris , Paul Muldoon , Lynn Nottage , George Packer , Alix Ritchie, Anya Salama, Richard Sarnoff, Andrew Solomon , Luis Alberto Urrea , Suzy Wahba, Tara Westover , and Jamie Wolf. Ex-Officio Trustees are Krystyna Poray Goddu and Allison Markin Powell. The Chief Executive Officer of PEN America

8188-811: Was organized by the government of Norway , the Nuclear Threat Initiative , and the Hoover Institute . The conference, entitled "Achieving the Vision of a World Free of Nuclear Weapons", was intended to build consensus between states with and without nuclear weapons in the context of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons . In May 2010, 25,000 people (including members of peace organizations and 1945 atomic-bomb survivors) marched for about two kilometers from lower Manhattan to United Nations headquarters calling for

8280-480: Was published in 37 editions and translated into 12 languages. She helped organize the German Peace Society and became known internationally as the editor of the international pacifist journal Die Waffen nieder! In 1905 she became the first woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize. Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948) was one of the 20th century's most influential spokesmen for peace and non-violence, and Gandhism

8372-463: Was spearheaded by bishops as a response to increasing violence against monasteries after the fall of the Carolingian dynasty . The movement was promoted at a number of subsequent church councils, including Charroux (989 and c. 1028), Narbonne (990), Limoges (994 and 1031), Poitiers (c. 1000), and Bourges (1038). The Truce of God sought to restrain violence by limiting the number of days of

8464-529: Was widespread, and an "estimated 35 million signatures were collected on petitions calling for bans on nuclear weapons". In the United Kingdom, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) held an inaugural public meeting at Central Hall Westminster on 17 February 1958 which was attended by five thousand people. After the meeting, several hundred demonstrated at Downing Street . The CND advocated

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