The Movement for the Abolition of War
Follow us on
  • Home
  • About us
    • About MAW
    • Officers and committee
    • Sir Joseph Rotblat
  • Abolish War newsletters
  • Peace History
    • Leeds PHC 2016
    • London PHC 2017
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • Resources
    • Downloads
    • How to write a press release
    • MAW PR Guide
    • Taking a good photo
    • Reports and briefings
    • Recommended books >
      • Children's books
    • Law
    • Site feedback
    • Book Reviews
  • Join
  • Links
  • Contact
  • Essay Competition 2019
  • Day Conference 2019
  • Rem2020
  • ICAN Twitterstorm

Is the Anti-War Movement in the UK Disproportionately White and what can MAW do?

7/17/2020

2 Comments

 
Over decades of being active in the anti-war movement, in many various organisations in the UK, and globally, I have been very aware of how predominantly white, and I suspect middle class, the organisations are. The current Black Lives Matters actions have further highlighted this. Why is the Anti War Movement predominantly white?
There is a huge amount of political activism within ALL communities. Although white anti-war activists recognise that communities of colour are engaged in longstanding struggles against white supremacy and for self determination, most do not see, or want to see, the linkage between these struggles and building the anti-war movement. BAME communities suffer daily injustices. As a black peace activist said ‘We are at war every day. Every day I come home injured’. Global Peace becomes more an abstract intention as activism is needed to simply survive. Many in the BAME community have fear of taking part in front line actions. As an example, the ‘War on Terrorism’ has a huge effect on the BAME community as in the media their ‘skin colour’ identifies them as being ‘terrorists’ and they don’t wish to iite more trouble onto themselves by engaging in front line political activism. They might risk becoming the target. “I can’t do the same type of activism right now that a white person can because I have so much more to lose”
There is a need to focus on what is immediate, not an abstract of peace based on colonial and capitalist realities. The whole system has to change before ‘no war’. Activism to “stop war” without addressing the inequalities, poverty and injustices throughout the world and the white domination which perpetuates it will ensure that the military machine and resulting wars will continue. It is an overwhelming task, therefore there is a tendency to concentrate on one aspect; but everything is so inter-connected. We need to all strategise together and addressing racism is central.
In an open letter signed by 15 anti-war activists in the US concerning racism in the anti-war movement:
“Most white activists don’t see how ‘whiteness’ privileges them and perpetuates white supremacist social relations in movement work. White activists have a responsibility to struggle against white supremacy, a struggle that includes:
  1. sharing leadership with, and being willing to follow the lead of people and organizations of color.
  2. Maintaining an attitude of collectivity and not dominating discussion
  3. Challenging racist language and actions (especially within movement spaces)
  4. Prioritizing the issues, experience and struggles of people of color.
In a country founded on genocide, slavery and territorial conquest (This equally applies to the UK) that is still plagued by racism and the unequal distribution of power and resources, people of color can tell when white folks don’t welcome their input, much less their leadership. And understandably, we are turned off of trying to work with people who dismiss, marginalize or patronize us. In addition to treating people of color with respect, white activists and groups need to embrace the principle of power-sharing and the sharing of resources. The movement must reflect the spectrum of needs, aspirations, goals, intellectual resources and colors of a multiracial, multicultural, multilingual and multiclass mainstream. Unfortunately, white supremacy and white privilege in our work present obstacles that, if left unaddressed, will limit our ability to consolidate an effective movement within today’s realities” ” (extract from the open letter)
Although this open letter was written in 2003, from my experience in many organisations, these sentiments sadly hold as strong today as they did then.


For mass movements to be effective they need to become the mainstream. But if this ‘mainstream’ is viewed as white, and middle class, even though the movement is multicultural and multiracial, then only the ‘white voice’ is listened to and taken notice of. The BAME communities have many other ‘battles’ to be fought rather than be marginalised yet again. ‘White’ is not just the colour of skin but a ‘signifier’ of many differential and discriminating historical associations, institutions, political and societal structures. The BAME communities have to try and fit into this, but are excluded and marginalised but the whole point being made clear is the need to CHANGE THE STRUCTURES, HISTORICAL BALANCE OF POWER TO FORGE A NEW AND TRUE EQUALITY.
WE HAVE TO BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THIS.
  • I ask myself when did I last talk to and listen to someone from the BAME community about their thoughts about war and racism and their daily lives?
  • How many people from the BAME community are in any peace or anti-war groups you are part of?
  • How many are in a decision making role?
  • What have we done in MAW to listen to, engage with and become involved with all communities?
  • How shall we in MAW reframe, re-examine and refocus ‘our’ ways of approaching activism which is truly multi racial and multi cultural?
  • If you feel very comfortable and heard in the organisations and spaces you’re part of, have a look at why that is. Would that be the case for someone coming from a different class background, a different ethnic background, a different country of origin, someone visibly queer? If you think it would, are you sure?
Can we all get in touch with activists in the BAME communities and ask how we can support them in their struggles and feedback ideas, contacts and strategies?
‘No Justice, No Peace’
2 Comments
Agnes Segal
8/16/2020 04:49:21 pm

I have found this a very thought provoking article. It is clearly the case that if you have a lot of struggles in your daily life, as all BAME people do in this country, then you haven't got the time, energy or courage to campaign on the wider stage.
So how should MAW include this wider group?
Does anyone know who the campaigners were when the Campaign against the Arms Trade held their successful blockades at the Excel Centre during the Arms Fair? I know there was a significant opposition from local people. If some of them came from the BAME community could those people be approached and included with MAW?
I was very surprised and shocked at a local Labour Party meeting when one of the young people, who was striking from school to draw attention to the Climate Crisis, was asked about her attitude to nuclear weapons. She said that she felt that mixing up anti-nuclear weapon messages with the climate change messages that her school colleagues were embracing would dilute the commitment that the young people had towards the climate change campaign.
It seems to me that abolishing war lies at the heart of working towards eliminating injustices in our society and tackling inequalities and environmental degradation. MAW does give this message, but maybe there could be a slight change in emphasis which would give a more inclusive slant.

Reply
Alison Williams
8/17/2020 03:33:02 pm

The Chair of the Merton UNA group is a BAME person but our committee hasn’t met since 2017 so we’re not a great example. I’m consciously pleased that our Catholic parish in Wimbledon is ethnically quite diverse and I know that local & national Quakers wish our communities were more so. I haven’t thought about the matter in relation to the peace movement or MAW in particular until this year when so many sources are pointing up the interconnectedness of issues and their historical origins.

I wouldn’t share Agnes’s surprise at a young person thinking campaigning on nuclear weapons as well as climate change would “dilute” their primary issue. In my mid-80s, I may be a lot older than Agnes and I belong to/support organisations that campaign on peace, social and economic justice, refugees, the environment and human rights – each of which is related to all the others and I always say UNA is the I’d leave last because in one way or another it includes all the rest. I should probably spell out the acronym: everyone knows CND (I think!) but not the United Nations Association.

Given that “everything is connected” habit of mind I have welcomed the addition of the Black Lives Matter movement and the way it has shaken up a lot of people’s particular-issue thinking. In the Peace Movement we’re frustrated because Development Organisations don’t back us on arms control and disarmament. Climate Change has been helpful in forcing awareness of connectedness there. And this year, with that video of the killing of George Floyd going viral and global to universal outrage, we’re getting documentaries on all our media showing us how People of Colour experience life in our White Majority Western Democracies.

A CAAT reading group, finishing 20th August, “Arms Trade 101 and Intersecting Issues” has had reading lists and introductory talks from academics on different issues for 6 weeks, with another series to follow. Most – perhaps all - the keynote speakers were BAME and I learned a very different perspective on British/ American history than I was taught at school. I trust debate and dialogue will follow and that all will recognise the need to take a global perspective and leave no one behind. The single issues need their dedicated full-time activists - Abolishing War can be an all-consuming challenge for many of us. I guess personal invitations to speak or attend activities is always a good way to bring new people in and make them feel needed and welcome.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Some thoughts from us...

    This is the space where members and supporters of MAW are welcomed to voice their opinions. If you have something to say, contact us!

    Archives

    July 2020
    April 2019
    October 2017

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.