Can Peace Be a Practical Solution?

“Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, many Friends have struggled to make sense of their pacifism and the morality of their non-violent stance. Watching the horrors of the war unfold has led many Quakers to reflect on what it means to be a pacifist and, for some, to question whether Quakers should be pacifist at all. […]

In the case of Ukraine, opposing war in such a time does not mean staying neutral, allowing injustice to go unchallenged, or doing nothing. Instead, Friends seek ways to engage and fight injustice without killing another human being.

Peace is not only a moral stance; it can also be a practical solution. […] Non-violent resistors in Ukraine, Russia, and around the world are not passive. Those in Ukraine are confronting the Russian invasion in every nonviolent, creative way imaginable. These resistors remind us that violence is not the only possible response to violence.”

— Emma Hulbert, 2024
Program assistant for Friends Committee on National Legislation