War Resisters League Peace Award

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Since 1958, the War Resisters League, the pacifist group founded in 1923, has awarded almost annually its War Resisters League Peace Award [1] to a person or organization whose work represents the League's commitment to radical nonviolent action.

Contents

Laureates

YearAwardeeSpeaker at ceremonyNotes
1958 Jeannette Rankin
1959 AJ Muste Martin Luther King Jr.
1960 Fenner Brockway and Bayard Rustin
1961 Tracy Mygatt and Frances M. Witherspoon Murray Kempton and Bayard Rustin
1962 Jim Peck Douglas Campbell and Bayard Rustin
1963 Dorothy Day Evan Thomas and AJ Muste
1964 James Bevel and Diane Nash A. Philip Randolph
1965 Bayard Rustin Milton Mayer
1966 Norman Thomas Mulford Sibley
1967 Barbara Deming Ralph DiGia
1968The Resistance
1969 Ammon Hennacy Dinner was canceled
1970People Resisting within the Military
1971Majorie Swann Lanza del Vasto
1972 Ann Upshure Recognition only; not an official award
1973No dinner
1974 Daniel Berrigan Allen Ginsberg
1975 Dave Dellinger
1976 Julius Eichel
1977 Marion Bromley and Ernest Bromley
1978 David Berkingoff and Prafulla Mukerj
1979 Igal Roodenko
1980 Grace Paley
1981 Ralph DiGia Recognition only; not an award
1982Bent Andreson
1983 Virginia Eggleston, Thomas Grabell, and Ashley King
1984 Larry Gara
1985 Barbara Reynolds
1986 Plowshares Disarmament Community
1987 Dorie Bunting
1988 Don Luce, Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW), John McAuliff, David Truong, Bob Eaton, and Lady Borton
1989Children of War
1990 Esther Pank and Riley Bostrom
1991Gulf War Resisters
1992 War Tax Resisters, especially activists in Colrain, Massachusetts, An Act of Conscience
1993WRL’s 70th Anniversary
1994No dinner/award
1995No dinner/award
1996 The Living Theatre
1997 Bob Moses
1998 Odetta, Charlie King, People's Voice Cafe, and Pete Seeger
1999 David McReynolds
2000Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques, Puerto Rico
2001Kate Donnelly and Clay Colt
2002 Christian Peacemaker Teams
2003 September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
2004 Fernando Suarez del Solar of Military Families Speak Out
2005 Karl Bissinger and Ralph DiGia
2006Women Resisting War from within the Military: Diedra Cobb, Anita Cole, Kelly Dougherty and Katherine Jashinski Presented by Ann Wright
2007 Center for Constitutional Rights and Torture Abolition Survivors and Support Coalition International

Posthumous lifetime achievement award: Grace Paley

2008Kali Akuno and Shana Griffin representing grassroots groups working to rebuild New OrleansA concert with Steve Earle, Allison Moorer, Stephanie McKay, Red Baraat Festival, and Jan Bell and the Cheap Dates
2009 Dennis Brutus, Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), and Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ)

Grace Paley Lifetime Achievement Award: Bill Sutherland, Pan-Africanist and WWII Conscientious Objector

2010 Kathy Kelly
2011Afghan Youth Peace VolunteersAward was declined. The group didn’t want to distract from the people in Afghanistan needing support and a voice.
2012Asma Mohammed, Suez Port Worker and Labor Leader
2013 Joan Baez, Harry Belafonte, Daniel Ellsberg

Ralph DiGia Award: Joanne Sheehan, New England WRL

2014No Peace Award

Ralph DiGia Award: Ruth Benn

2015 Mumia Abu-Jamal
2016 Jannat Al Ghezi
2017 Mariame Kaba

Grace Paley Lifetime Achievement Award: Rasmea Odeh

2018 Corrina Gould and The Peace Poets

Grace Paley Lifetime Achievement Award: Mandy Carter (activist)

2019 Highlander Research and Education Center

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References

  1. "WRL Peace Awards". 27 March 2015.