Pro Concordia Labor
Oude Kerk, Delft, the Netherlands
Convinced that with Bertha von Suttner's insight that education - including peace history - plays a crucial role the complete development of humanity, the Bertha von Suttner Project was created to help educate the public about von Suttner's life and ideas which, sadly, remain largely unknown to much of the English speaking world.
Join us on August 27, 2013 at 18:30pm at the historic Oude Kerk ('old church') in Delft (pictured above) the Netherlands on the eve of the Peace Palace Centenary (August 28, 2013), where we will mark the historic moment with an inspiring educational ceremony for the public featuring 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Leymah Gbowee, Special Gender Advisor to the International Criminal Court and Director of Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice, Brigid Inder, and U.S. Ambassador for Global Criminal Justice, Stephen J. Rapp. Reception to follow. Click here for details about registering for "Pro Concordia Labor". Download the PDF of the invite here.
Why Pro Concordia Labor?
On August 28 2013, in a private ceremony at the Peace Palace, a bust of Bertha von Suttner (pictured right) will be unveiled. This historic moment is the first time that a statue of a woman will be placed in the Peace Palace. 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee will unveil this historic statute.
Bertha von Suttner (1843-1914) was the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1905. A leader of the 19th Century Peace Movement, von Suttner is credited with inspiring Nobel to create the Peace Prize. After briefly serving as Nobel's secretary, von Suttner and Nobel remained close friends. Nobel claimed that von Suttner held "an exalted rank among prejudice and darkness hunters".
Bertha von Suttner repeatedly called on educators to engage in the work of building a world in which force, brutality and barbarism yielded to rule of law infused with respect for humanity. In a 1912 speech addressed to the National Education Association of the United States, von Suttner claimed that education was the chief agent which would solve the social and economic problems caused by militarism.
Pro Concordia Labor has been organized to honor the legacy of Bertha von Suttner by helping to educate the public about the significance of the Peace Palace Centenary and about the important ways in which women's experiences with armed conflict have helped shape the international legal framework that von Suttner and others began building over 100 years ago. The hope then was to create peace through international law - an idea which continues to inspire developments in international law such as the formation of the International Criminal Court. The aim of Pro Concordia Labor is to deepen the public's understanding of the significance of the Centenary and to 'connect the dots' between the unveiling of the Bertha von Suttner statue and the recent developments concerning women, peace and international law.
"Pro Concordia Labor" (For Peace I Work) was the motto that appeared on the official Peace Flag adopted by the U.S. National Council of Women in 1897
Pro Concordia Labor is a component of 'Piece of the Palace' - which consists of a number of activities celebrating the Centenary of the Peace Palace. 'Piece of the Palace' is organized by Hope Elizabeth May with the support of The Department of Philosophy and Religion at Central Michigan University, The College of Humanities and Social & Behavioral Sciences of Central Michigan University, and The Planethood Foundation. Additional support provided by The International Criminal Court Student Network and by a number of private citizens in the United States.
