There are successful examples of abolition throughout history that we can learn from. Virtually no one in societies that have abolished such things wants to bring back dueling, slavery, serfdom, human sacrifice, cannibalism, child labor, or other evils that are understood as beyond reform. As we envision and struggle to bring forth a world free of war, we need to come together and learn from other abolition movements such as those working to abolish police, prisons, and the surveillance state. When is the moral and strategic approach properly to “end it, not mend it,” and how does such an approach differ from one aimed at reforming or “modernizing”? What can we learn from past and current abolitionist movements? How can we advance the cause of war abolition from being understood as overwhelming, to being recognized as necessary?
#NoWar2025 will make the case for abolition, explore intersections between abolitionist movements, learn from successful case studies of abolition, and strategize about how we can truly move towards a world beyond war.