International Peace Congress, or International Congress of the Friends of Peace, was the name of a series of international meetings of representatives from peace societies from throughout the world held in various places in Europe from 1843 to 1853. An initial congress at London in 1843 was followed by an annual series of congresses from 1848 until 1853.

London, 1843

The first International Congress was held in London at the suggestion of Joseph Sturge and on the initiative of the American Peace Society in 1843. The host was the London Peace Society. 294 British, 37 American and 6 Continental delegates attended.

Brussels, 1848

Elihu Burritt Elihu Burritt (December 8, 1810March 6, 1879) was an American diplomat, philanthropist and social activist.Arthur Weinberg and Lila Shaffer Weinberg. ''Instead of Violence: Writings by the Great Advocates of Peace and Nonviolence Throughout Histo ...

organized the Congress of 1848, the first after the French Revolution of February 1848. It was chaired by Auguste Visschers, a Belgian lawyer and philanthropist. The participants met at

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

in September of that year. Among the delegates were Cobden,

Thierry Thierry is a French male given name, derived from the Germanic "Theodoric". It is the cognate of German " Dietrich" and " Dieter", English Terry, Derek and Derrick, and of various forms in other European languages. It is also a surname. People ...

Girardin Girardin is a French-language surname, in some cases a francization of Italian surname '' Gherardini''. It may refer to: ;People * Girardin family, a French branch of the Italian Gherardini family: ** (d. 1689), French ambassador to Constantinople ...

, and Bastiat. The congress adopted resolutions urging limitation of armaments and the placing of a ban upon foreign loans for war purposes.

Paris, 1849

One year after Brussels, the Peace Congress met in Paris from 22 to 24 August 1849, with Victor Hugo as president The proceedings were published by Charles Gilpin. Among the speakers were many of the chief philosophers and politicians of the time, including

Frederic Bastiat Frederic may refer to: Places United States * Frederic, Wisconsin, a village in Polk County * Frederic Township, Michigan, a township in Crawford County ** Frederic, Michigan, an unincorporated community Other uses * Frederic (band), a Japanese r ...

, Charles Gilpin, Richard Cobden and

Henry Richard Henry Richard (3 April 1812 – 20 August 1888) was a Congregational minister and Welsh Member of Parliament between 1868–1888. Richard was an advocate of peace and international arbitration, as secretary of the Peace Society for forty yea ...

William Wells Brown William Wells Brown (c. 1814 – November 6, 1884) was a prominent abolitionist lecturer, novelist, playwright, and historian in the United States. Born into slavery in Montgomery County, Kentucky, near the town of Mount Sterling, Brown escape ...

was invited to speak against slavery. Hugo introduced the concept of the

United States of Europe The United States of Europe (USE), the European State, the European Federation and Federal Europe, is the hypothetical scenario of the European integration leading to formation of a sovereign superstate (similar to the United States of Americ ...

Later congresses

Through the next decades, more congresses were convened in various cities: * 4th congress: Frankfurt am Main (1850) * 5th congress: London (1851), co-inciding with the Great Exhibition.The Congress was reported i
''The Advocate for Peace'' (Sept/Oct. 1851) pp. 125–128.
/ref> * 6th congress: Manchester (1852) Here Richard Cobden and

John Bright John Bright (16 November 1811 – 27 March 1889) was a British Radical and Liberal statesman, one of the greatest orators of his generation and a promoter of free trade policies. A Quaker, Bright is most famous for battling the Corn Law ...

took part in the discussions. * 7th congress: Edinburgh (1853) The series was interrupted by an interval of wars during which the pacifists were unable to raise their voices.

References

{{Authority control Peace Congress, International 1843 conferences 1848 conferences 1849 conferences 1850 conferences 1851 conferences 1852 conferences 1853 conferences 1843 in international relations 1848 in international relations 1849 in international relations 1850 in international relations 1851 in international relations 1852 in international relations 1853 in international relations 1843 in England 1848 in Belgium 1849 in France 1850 in Germany 1851 in England 1852 in England 1853 in Scotland

London, 1843

Brussels, 1848

Paris, 1849

Later congresses

See also

References