The People Make the Peace

the people make the peace

The People Make the Peace: Lessons from the Vietnam Antiwar Movement is a new collection of reflections and analyses of the Vietnam antiwar movement by 10 U.S. antiwar and peace activists, plus a set of interviews with 5 ex-combat veterans who returned to live and work in Viet Nam after the war. In The People Make the Peace, edited by Karín Aguilar-San Juan and Frank Joyce, nine U.S. activists discuss the parts they played in opposing the War at home and their risky travels to Vietnam in the midst of the conflict to engage in people-to-people diplomacy. Contributors to this book include: Jay Craven, Rennie Davis, Judy Gumbo, Alex Hing, Doug Hostetter, Frank Joyce, Nancy Kurshan, Myra MacPherson, John McAuliff, and Becca Wilson.

One of the most interesting and unique aspects of the book is a first-hand account of the People’s Peace Treaty, an attempt by students in the US, South Viet Nam, and North Viet Nam to broker a peace during a time when the official negotiations in Paris were taking so long (they took 5 years). One of the intentions behind editing a book like this is to engage in a dialogue about the complex legacies of the Vietnam War and also to consider the current efforts to end war and create peace.

In this video (linked), contributors and editors from the book, The People Make the Peace: Lessons from the Vietnam Antiwar Movement, talk about their personal experiences in the Vietnam antiwar movement. In this CSPAN3 show (taped on September 15), they discuss the contents of the book and feature three of the contributors: Alex Hing, Doug Hostetter, and John McAuliffe.

See more info or buy the book on Just World Books.


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