Pacifism

Pacifism is the opposition to violence as a means of settling disputes. This opposition may range from the belief in peaceful resolution of international conflicts to personal rejection of a tradition of violent activity.

Well-known pacifists

• Aung San Suu Kyi
• Mohandas Gandhi
• Tenzin Gyatso, the current Dalai Lama
• Bertrand Russell

Pacifist movements

Religious

• Buddhism is known for its strong emphasis on pacifism. Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Buddhist monk, was amember of the Buddhist delegation to the Paris peace talks and was nominated for the Nobel peace prize.
• The Society of Friends (AKA The Quakers) are the most well-known pacifist christian group. Some Quakers have been prosecuted for their opposition to war and militarism.
• Jainism is so peace-loving that its adherents refuse to kill the smallest animal, even a mowse.

Secular

• The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament was the major anti-nuclear weapons movement in the West during the cold war.