A Professor of International Law is in Orkney exploring the role local people have made in war service that contributed towards peace and also of anti-war campaigning.
Professor Dr Charlie Peevers of Glasgow University is keen to collect the stories of those who have seen active service and those who have been involved in peace activism.
Professor Peevers explained: “This project is about the many and varied experiences of peace work from across Scotland and its island communities over the past century, starting just before the First World War.
“It takes a broad definition to peace work ranging from wartime experiences to anti-militarist movements, as well as encompassing anti-nuclear activism, veterans’ and ex-military insights, pacifist organisations and local protest groups.
“Here in Orkney the anti-uranium mining campaigns and wartime experiences are of special interest, as are the issues around Dounreay and weapons testing.”
Read more: Orkney’s uranium protests
Charlie Peevers continued: “I’m particularly keen to speak to people who can share memories passed down about early 20th century experiences – of war service that contributed towards peace and also of anti-war campaigning.
Do you have stories to tell about your ancestors’ that might shed light on local contributions to global events?
Professor Peevers would also like to hear from people who worked at Dounreay or the Vulcan test site and those who have campaigned against weapons testing and Dounreay expansion.
More recent events are also part of the research:
- the invasions of Iraq
- the invasion of Ukraine
- the war against Palestinians
Charlie Peevers said: “I’m particularly interested in the connections islanders have with global movements and campaigns, documenting them and sharing these to highlight how, despite being described as ‘on the margins’, Orcadians have played a central role in global affairs and the developments that have sought to constrain arms races and the pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, especially nuclear weapons.
“Our contemporary times may seem especially bleak for the commitment to disarmament and struggles for peace and justice, but historical perspectives and local people’s memories can, in my view, offer hope and guidance in how to navigate bleaker times and light paths through the dark.”
To contact Professor Charlie Peevers : scottishdisarmamentproject@gmail.com
About Professor Peevers:
Dr Charlie Peevers (she/her) Professor of International Law
RSE Fellowship (April 2022 – November 2023) Scotland’s long Cold War (1945-1999): nuclear weapons and women’s activism on a global front line
AHRC Research, Development and Engagement Fellowship (November 2024 – July 2026) Disarming International Law: forgotten pasts and future possibilities on a global front line
