Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Tables and Figures
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Religion and War Resistance in the Plowshares Movement
- INTRODUCTION: MOVEMENT CHALLENGES AND TRAJECTORIES
- Part I The U.S. Plowshares Movement
- Part II The International Plowshares Movements
- 5 INTERMITTENT RESISTANCE: THE GERMAN, DUTCH, AND AUSTRALIAN PLOWSHARES MOVEMENTS
- 6 INTERNAL TENSIONS AND IMPLOSION: THE SWEDISH PLOWSHARES MOVEMENT
- 7 WITNESSING OR WINNING? THE BRITISH PLOWSHARES MOVEMENT
- 8 CONCLUSION: FROM FAILED ATTEMPTS TO PERSISTENT RESISTANCE – UNDERSTANDING DIVERGENT MOVEMENT TRAJECTORIES
- Appendix A Survey Questionnaire
- Appendix B List of Interviews by Author
- Appendix C Chronological List of Plowshares Actions by Region
- Bibliography
- Index
6 - INTERNAL TENSIONS AND IMPLOSION: THE SWEDISH PLOWSHARES MOVEMENT
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 September 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Tables and Figures
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Religion and War Resistance in the Plowshares Movement
- INTRODUCTION: MOVEMENT CHALLENGES AND TRAJECTORIES
- Part I The U.S. Plowshares Movement
- Part II The International Plowshares Movements
- 5 INTERMITTENT RESISTANCE: THE GERMAN, DUTCH, AND AUSTRALIAN PLOWSHARES MOVEMENTS
- 6 INTERNAL TENSIONS AND IMPLOSION: THE SWEDISH PLOWSHARES MOVEMENT
- 7 WITNESSING OR WINNING? THE BRITISH PLOWSHARES MOVEMENT
- 8 CONCLUSION: FROM FAILED ATTEMPTS TO PERSISTENT RESISTANCE – UNDERSTANDING DIVERGENT MOVEMENT TRAJECTORIES
- Appendix A Survey Questionnaire
- Appendix B List of Interviews by Author
- Appendix C Chronological List of Plowshares Actions by Region
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
The roots of the Swedish Plowshares movement can be traced to Syracuse, New York. This is where Per Herngren, an activist from Gothenburg, Sweden, was sent in 1983 to participate in an international peace organization exchange program. During his time in Syracuse, the Griffiss Plowshares action took place at an Air Force base just a short distance away. In support of the arrested activists, a celebration was held and Herngren attended. In Sweden, he had seen the film Inside the King of Prussia about the Plowshares action at General Electric, but Herngren knew little about the movement at that point. He recalled:
None of those for whom we were celebrating were actually there: they were behind bars at a police station nearby. But many of the people active in the Plowshares movement were there. The party was a lot of fun. It was packed with people and I had to squeeze my way into a place on the floor. I found myself in the middle of a discussion about all the mistakes and weaknesses of the Plowshares movement. I knew almost nothing about the movement, but I managed to pick up a little during the discussion. After the party I lay awake all night. Finally I made up my mind. I contacted one of the people that had been most critical during the discussion.… I asked her if they would have any use of a Swede in the next group.
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- Religion and War Resistance in the Plowshares Movement , pp. 155 - 180Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2008