United Kingdom

Bill Hetherington, who was at the centre of pacifist activism in the UK for more than half a century, has died at the age of 89. Bill played key roles in the Peace Pledge Union (PPU) and in War Resisters' International, of which the PPU is the British section.

Accuracy International (AI) is a British company based in Portsmouth, specialising in the production of high-end, hand built, precision sniper rifles and associated equipment. Weapons manufactured by AI have been used extensively in conflict zones, including states accused of human rights abuses.

Christian peace-making charity, The Fellowship of Reconciliation, has condemned the Russian declaration of war against the Ukraine. We urge politicians on all sides to take action for a peaceful resolution of this situation and for Christians to speak out, to pray regularly for peace and to support any humanitarian calls for help. 

John Cooper, FoR Director said:

In response to this morning's news, the Peace Pledge Union has released the following statement.

The Peace Pledge Union condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine. No excuses can serve to justify this murderous act of military aggression. Our thoughts are with people in Ukraine in the midst of this horror.

Vladimir Putin's decision to send troops to Donetsk and Luhansk has been condemned by peace activists in Russia, Ukraine and around the world.

The Peace Pledge Union (PPU) has today (21 Jan 2022) issued the following statement with regards to the prospect of war over Ukraine. The PPU is Britain's leading pacifist organisation and the British section of War Resisters' International.

An open letter signed by a coalition of human rights groups, including Child Rights International Network, Amnesty International UK and Human Rights Watch, urged the defence Ministry to stop recruiting children aged under 18.

In late May, a journalist working for website Declassified UK identified UK-made tear gas being fired against protesters in Oman.

Activists from the UK group Plaestine Action have shut down a factory run by Israeli arms company Elbit, in solidarity with Palestinians.

International Conscientious Objection Day (CO Day), 15th May, was celebrated with actions and events by activists from around the world in solidarity with those who have and those who continue to resist war. This year we had a particular focus on Turkey.

The British government has announced plans to increase defence spending by the highest amount since the Cold War in an attempt to "transform" the British military.

The UK Ministry of Defence is using the Covid-19 pandemic to reverse a long-term recruitment crisis, which has seen it miss its enlistment targets for the past six years, and to repair damage to its reputation from the military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.