About Wrekin Stop War

The peace movement has traditionally had strong and diverse grassroots representation in The Wrekin and surrounding areas. The aim of our collective is to maintain this positive tradition, working towards a more peaceful and equal future.

Since rejecting the authoritarianism of national anti-war campaigns, as well as their London-centric approach, we have not confined our activities to opposing the war in Iraq, or even the wider 'War on Terror'. We have also been active in many other campaigns from environmental and anti-capitalist activities to animal rights and anti-fascism. We have no rules or guidelines but a general consensus is held that we oppose state-control, capitalism, social injustice, nationalism and discrimination based on an individual's gender, race, sexuality, physical ability or age. For us, these inequalities are the main causes of conflict and oppression so we choose to strike at the cause, not just protest about the symptom.

We would like to achieve the equal world we seek through peaceful means but are aware that authoritarianism rarely capitulates or responds in kind to non-violent resistance. Thus we remain pragmatic and whilst we act as individuals in terms of any direct action we choose to take, as a collective we support the use of individual and collective direct action against the mechanisms of the state. In fact, we actively seek to be a spanner in the works.

We do not support intentional acts of violence against any living creatures, even those human beings who prove themselves to be far less humane than their arrogant notions of human civilisation suggest they should be. However, we also acknowledge that desperate times lead people to take desperate action and question the validity of distinctions between legitimate acts of war and terrorism.

Broadly coming at things from a libertarian point of view, we all bring something different to the table and although by their very nature anarchic in format and content, our group meetings are an open forum for contributions from anyone sharing our desire for genuine social change. A goal that we do not believe will be achieved through archetypes of a glorious revolution or by laying down blueprints for Utopia.

We seek to work with other groups where appropriate and see our humble but committed collective as part of a vibrant global movement for change, which inspires us to seek empowerment for ourselves and others with local, national and international acts of solidarity and resistance. In essence, our struggle has no borders.

Despite misconceptions that 'people like us' are evangelical pacifist eco-missionaries who preach impossible demands at the masses, we're just ordinary people, who, like everybody else, struggle to live the stress-free lives we would like due to the constraints of the system by which we are all bound, however unwillingly. Likewise, we're aware that the world we advocate will require massive changes of lifestyle for us all but, unlike those who believe that ordinary people can't achieve anything, we believe that everyone is extraordinary if given the opportunity to prove it.

"We have always lived in slums and holes in the wall. We will know how to accommodate ourselves for a time. For, you must not forget, we can also build. It is we the workers who built these palaces and cities here in Spain and in America and everywhere. We, the workers, can build others to take their place. And better ones! We are not in the least afraid of ruins. We are going to inherit the earth; there is not the slightest doubt about that. The bourgeoisie might blast and ruin its own world before it leaves the stage of history. We carry a new world here, in our hearts. That world is growing this minute."
Buenaventura Durruti

Next Meeting

The next group meeting will be on Tuesday 14th July from 7:30 - 9pm. As the venue is currently unconfirmed, please email us if you would like to come.

We're always pleased to welcome new faces. For further information email:
admin@wrekinstopwar.org.