World BEYOND War is a global nonviolent movement to end war and establish a just and sustainable peace.
World BEYOND War was founded on January 1st, 2014, when co-founders David Hartsough and David Swanson set out to create a global
movement to abolish the institution of war itself, not just the “war of the day.” If war is ever to be abolished, then it must be taken off the table as a viable option. Just as there is no such thing as “good” or necessary slavery, there is no such thing as a “good” or necessary war. Both institutions are abhorrent and never acceptable, no matter the circumstances. So, if we can’t use war to resolve international conflicts, what can we do? Finding a way to transition to a global security system that is supported by international law, diplomacy, collaboration, and human rights, and defending those things with nonviolent action rather than the threat of violence, is the heart of WBW. Our work includes education that dispels myths, like “War is natural” or “We have always had war,” and shows people not only that war should be abolished, but also that it actually can be. Our work includes all variety of nonviolent activism that moves the world in the direction of ending all war.
David Swanson
Executive Director
Greta Zarro
Organizing Director
Rachel Small
Canada Organizer
Phill Gittins
Education Director
Marc Eliot Stein
Technology Director
Alex McAdams
Development Director
Alessandra Granelli
Social Media Manager
Volunteers
World BEYOND War is run largely by volunteers who devote their time for free. Here are some Volunteer Spotlights.
Volunteer Spotlight: Krystal Wang
The November 2021 Volunteer Spotlight features Krystal Wang from China, a World BEYOND War intern assisting with the Peace Education & Action for Impact program and the WBW events team. Read Krystal’s story!
Volunteer Spotlight: John Miksad
The October 2021 Volunteer Spotlight features John Miksad, a World BEYOND War chapter coordinator from the New York City Tri-State Area.
Volunteer Spotlight: Yurii Sheliazhenko
The September 2021 volunteer spotlight features Yurii Sheliazhenko from Kiev, Ukraine. Yurii is the executive secretary of the Ukrainian Pacifist Movement, a board member of the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection, and a new board member of World BEYOND War.
Co-Founders
Awards
World BEYOND War is a member of the Coalition Against U.S. Foreign Military Bases; the Divest from the War Machine Coalition; the Global Day Against Military Spending; the International Peace Bureau; the Korea Collaboration Network; the Poor People’s Campaign; United for Peace and Justice; the United National Antiwar Coalition; the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons; the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space; the international network No to war – no to NATO; Overseas Base Realignment and Closure Coalition; People Over Pentagon; Campaign to End the Selective Service System; the Demilitarize U.S. to Palestine Coalition; Just Recovery Canada; No Fighter Jets Coalition; Canada-Wide Peace and Justice Network; Peace Education Network (PEN); Beyond Nuclear; Working Group on Youth, Peace, and Security; Global Alliance for Ministries and Infrastructures for Peace.
Our Donors
We are largely funded by very small donations. We are extremely grateful to every volunteer and donor, although we don’t have room to thank them all, and many prefer to be anonymous. Here is a page thanking those we can.
More About World BEYOND War
Click below for videos, text, powerpoints, photos, and other resources from our past annual conferences.
