There are people who can inspire us to look within our own selves for the path forward towards a lasting peace, one not based on arms

The North Camp Seaford where the Conscientious Objectors were held in the first world war. (The spire of East Blatchington Church can be seen on the left)

The nation, or the bulk of it, has just been honouring those who have fallen in war.

But it is also timely to celebrate the heroes (and heroines) of peace. They were united in trying to “make a difference” in a violent world and their common fate was to be totally ignored by the powers that be.

By no means all of them were complete pacifists. I am thinking of such unlike people as the Scottish minister who suddenly realised the incongruity of awarding medals for killing; JB Priestley, the eminent author and playwright, thundering against “this nuclear madness”; and the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, who only recently begged the leaders of Russia and America to give up their nuclear weapons.

Men such as these can inspire us to look within our own selves for the path forward towards a lasting peace, one not based on arms.

Please send your letters to [email protected]. Letters must be accompanied by a full name and address. Anonymous letters are never printed. We reserve the right to edit letters for any reason.