Antimilitarist Roots - WRI 2023 Conference - key info
The War Resisters' International network is preparing to gather in London, in June 2023 - we hope you will join us for our conference Antimilitarist Roots: nonviolent resistance for a world in crisis. The event will bring activists together to discuss the future of our grassroots movements, build allyship internationally, and respond to the challenges we face in our militarised world.
This webpage is to share some preliminary information about the event - the dates, venue, and other key details. At the bottom of the page is a form to indicate your interest in the event.
Please use the conference registration form on this page to book your place!
Dates
- Thursday 15th June: internal WRI meetings (Friends House, 173-177 Euston Rd., London, NW1 2BJ)
- Friday 16th to Sunday 18th June: Antimilitarist Roots conference (Amnesty International Human Rights Action Centre, 25 New Inn Yard, London, EC2A 3EA)
- Monday 19th and Tuesday 20th June: internal WRI meetings (Friends House)
The conference
In June 2023 activists, trainers, organisers, researchers and writers will gather together in London, to join us for a participatory conference exploring the future of the global peace movement. The Antimilitarist Roots: nonviolent resistance for a world in crisis conference will offer participants the opportunity to explore the challenges and opportunities that our movements face, and to discuss with friends and allies the best way to respond.
The conference will offer the opportunity for individuals from a wide range of organisations, backgrounds, and movements to enter into dialogue, exchange ideas, and build solidarity. Together we will explore the deep intersections between militarism and other “issues” (such as climate change), with a specific focus on our role as activists and organisers.
The conference will run over three days, with a strongly participatory design methodology. Each day will have a slightly different focus, framed around a key question:
- Day 1: What do I do, what are we good at, what do we still need to learn?
- Day 2: How is militarism experienced today?
- Day 3: What sort of movements do we need today and in the future?
WRI meetings
Before and after the conference we will hold WRI Assembly and Council meetings. These will take place at Friends House in Euston, on Thursday 15th June, and Monday 19th and Tuesday 20th June. More information will be shared with the WRI network about these meetings in early 2023. The meetings are open to observers, and to friends and allies of the WRI network who are not formal members.
Practical information
Venues
The conference will take place at the Amnesty International Human Rights Action Centre in Shoreditch, London, on Friday 16th to Sunday 18th June. A vegetarian lunch will be available. The Action Centre is a fully accessible venue. The address is: 25 New Inn Yard, London, EC2A 3EA.
The WRI meetings will take place at Friends House in Euston. The address is: Address: 173-177 Euston Rd., London, NW1 2BJ.
Accommodation
The conference is taking place at the Amnesty International building in Shoreditch. The venue is in a well-connected location and easy to access via public transport. The venue is walking distance from the Old Street Underground station and Shoreditch High Street Overground station. If you prefer to stay nearby (in a walking distance to the venue), we recommend you searching for places in Shoreditch, Liverpoorl Street, Old Street, and Bricklane.
WRI meetings are taking place at Friends House in Euston. This is a very central location, well-connected via the Euston and the Euston Square Underground stations. If you prefer to stay nearby (in a walking distance to the venue), there are a number of hotels and hostels nearby. We recommend you to search for places in Euston and Kings Cross.
You can use https://www.booking.com/ and https://www.hostelworld.com/ to search for accommodation options in London. In addition, https://www.travelodge.co.uk/ and https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/home.html are two low-cost hotels with multiple options across London.
Costs
The WRI staff team are working hard to cover many of the direct costs of the conference with grant funding. To support this, we will also set a "sliding scale" fee for the conference and the WRI meetings.
Conference:
Meetings:
We estimate the financial cost to WRI of one individual's attendance in the WRI meetings is £20 a day. This covers food, interpretation, room hire, and staff costs.