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OMNI PeaceWriting Awards

General Information

Sponsored by PJSA and the OMNI Center for Peace, Justice, and Ecology

PEACEWRITING encourages writing in opposition to war and in support of nonviolent peacemaking and peacemakers.

PEACEWRITING seeks book-length manuscripts about the causes,consequences, and solutions to violence and war, and about the ideas and practices of nonviolent peacemaking and the lives of nonviolent peacemakers. The manuscripts must not have been published nor be contracted for publication.

2007 Awards



A description of each of the books follows.


Imaginative Writing


David Krieger, The Doves Flew High: Fifty Poems of Peace
The anthology is dedicated to three U.S. conscientious objectors to war: Camilo, Pablo, and Ehren, "who chose peace and the doves flew high." As the epigraphic poem argues and a statement by Gandhi reinforces, these poems offer heavily qualified hope in a world at war through the "small voices" of their and our "plaintive cries." Whether or not "the way of truth and love has always won" over "tyrants and murderers," as Gandhi is quoted to have said, the poems give much greater attention to the losses and sorrows. The 50 poems are divided into 7 sections: Harmony with nature; Nuclear Bombs; US aggressions; Resistance to wars; Victims of Wars; Heroes of Peace and Justice; Search for Peace. As you see, the sad reality of armed violence, lethal jingoism, brutality, lies, and genocide predominates, but at the beginning there is hope for a reconstituted harmony, and throughout there is resistance to violence and cruelty,beyond wars are other heroes for peace and justice, and there is the possibility of beginning again, as in the final poem:

"Within the awful shattering chaos of war,
lives a still and silent seed of peace."

Some of these poems will gain a place in anthologies of war and peace poetry; many of these lines will be quoted by thoughtful people yearning for peace. No more powerful a short poem about Hiroshima and Nagasaki has been written as "Where Did the Victims Go?" Into the air, water, grasses, and food went the incinerated bodies, until "we breathe our victims...becoming...those we have destroyed." Nor is there a better ironical treatment of the so-called "war on terror" than "The Sadness of Empire," in which Zarqawi’s head brings hope to the White House, but prisons in Guantanamo put their heads in nooses and "jump toward heaven."

This second volume of poems on war and peace by the founder and president of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation lets loose the doves of truth and hope from the cages of war.


Stuart Stelly, Played Under Protest: A Play in Three Acts
For the first two-thirds of this strikingly indirect examination of the 2003- Iraq War, the relationships among three high school female basketball players and friends grow increasingly corrosive. Influenced by her father and deceased mother, who risked much in opposing the Vietnam War, Alice speaks up against the Iraq War, and even turns her back on the Flag during a game opening ceremony. Brenda, the star shooter needing a scholarship, becomes increasingly upset over Alice’s unpatriotic views. And Mandy, who above all wants to enjoy her final year in high school and especially to win the Final Four, tries to mediate between the two. But when Alice gives an interview to a reporter highly critical of the war and President Bush, Mandy turns against her and persuades Brenda and another friend Kathy to claim falsely that Alice physically attacked them, to get Alice kicked off the team. Meanwhile, Kathy and Alice begin to get acquainted when Alice gives advice about a poem Kathy has written. Just as Alice was changed by her parents, Kathy is similarly influenced by Alice, both regarding the war and the nature of authentic writing.

Every step in the plot is closely linked and motivated. The play begins and ends with analysis of clichés and the question of the nature of a real person. The trajectory of the separation of Alice from Mandy and the counter movement of the union of Cathy and Aliceexplore the question convincingly.

You will want to read the play from beginning to end nonstop. Let us hope the play is produced as soon as possible and in many theaters.


Non-Fiction Writing


Olga Bonfiglio, Heroes of a Different Stripe: How One Town Responded to the War in Iraq
Every member of the peace movement will want to read this inspiring book of the resistance by the people of Kalamazoo, WI to the Bush Administration’s deceptive, illegal invasion of Iraq. Beginning with the earliest protest in the Fall of 2002, the National Peace March in Washington, D.C. in January 2003, and then in detail with the first vigils by the local organization named KNOW—Kalamazoo Nonviolent Opponents to War—in March, 2003, the book ends with the protests continuing in June, 2004: “They are still out there…to stand for peace.” Between these points the author provides us with an extraordinarily particular account of grassroots democracy in action. Chapter II: “War Begins, March-April 2003,” the diverse activities of KNOW. Chap. III: “Bush Supporters,” for Bonfiglio is trying to understand the supporters of the war also. More on the peace activities in Chap. IV, and then short bios of religious notables who visited Kalamazoo during this time to speak for peace in Chap. V. (Bishop Tutu, Sister Prejean, Bishop Gumbleton, and others). Chap. VI continues profiles—of local peacemakers. And the final chapter describes highlights of the protests following the invasion (Bush’s visit to Kalamazoo, “Fahrenheit 911,” and more). All in 400pp. But over 100 additional pages give us key documents to understandingwhy the war was initiated and why it was opposed, endingwith a useful Index.

We must say to Ms. Bonfiglio, Thank you! for so steadfastly and expertly recording the noble refusal byso many Kalamazoo citizens to accept the militarism, the imperialism, the police state repression of the onrushing fascism of the Bush regime.


Barry Gan, Out of the Ashes of Violence: The Elements of Nonviolence
This book examines four myths of violence with the assurance born of cogent principles and examples. Not only will all members of the peace movement want to read the book, but all who are troubled by the violence of our world will find the book highly rewarding.

Any effort to explain nonviolence is worthy, our world suffers so grievously from violence, and Gan’s book is not just any effort, but a significant analysis of violence and advocacy of its alternative. Part One, Chapter One, "Ashes," discusses myths that underpin our culture that follow unfounded assumptions and lead to violence: that "violence is primarily physical," that "some people are inherently evil," that "violence is sometimes necessary to prevent violence," and that "wrongdoers must be punished in order to set the world aright." In contrast to these violent myths are those who live by "an alternative paradigm...borrowed from...Jesus, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and others, whose vision of a just and peaceful world rested on...a set of assumptions that are essentially nonviolent." In Part Two, "Out of the Ashes" examine the four violent myths. Chapter 2 focuses on psychological violence in ourselves and in others and the harmful intentions manifested in them. Chapter 3 examines the second main violent myth—"viewing others as less than human, as evil," which takes "a psychological and sometimes a physical toll on both perpetrators and victims." In Chapter 4, the case is made that violence "might prevent some other violence, but it will increase the likelihood of retaliatory violence. And violence to prevent violence possibly could have been prevented had the situation been confronted earlier. We must acknowledge that violence to prevent violence is using violence and often to innocent people." Finally, in Chapter 5, justifications for the fourth violent myth, that wrongdoers should be punished, is shown to be deficient, whether as a means of revenge, as a means of retribution, as a means of deterring other wrongdoers, or as a means of providing restitution to victims. Part Three, "The Elements of Nonviolence," turn to the ethical alternative to violence. Chapter 6, "The Effectiveness of Nonviolence," identifies the essence of Nonviolence as treating people as ends, being willing to suffer because you are unwilling to hurt other people in pursuit of your goals. Like violence, the heart of nonviolence is in intention. Thus nonviolence is always effective, always succeeds, because the means you use are the ends. The final Chapter 7, "The Necessity of Principled Nonviolence," argues that "if we are serious about ridding violence from our world, we must be serious about ridding violence from our own lives." We must "recognize that we are all perpetrators of violence" but willingness to suffer enables "not only the redemption of others but also the redemption of ourselves."

For those few who have studied the lives of Jesus, Gandhi, or King, this book offers a convincing review, and for most of us the arguments will challenge us to confront our culture and ourselves, and we may wish to read the book again, and again.


Writing for Young People


Ken Beller and Heather Chase, Great Peacemakers, 20 short biographies
This singular collection is divided into five illuminating sections, with an Introduction and Conclusion. Part One, Choosing Nonviolence: Thoreau, Gandhi, King, Sa; Part Two, Living Peace: Mother Theresa, Hanh, McCarthy, Arias; Part Three, Honoring Diversity: Hussar, Tutu, Eisler, Dalai Lama; Part Four, Valuing All Life: Salt, Schweitzer, Lindgren, Goodall; Part Five, Caring for the Planet: Carson, Suzuki, Khalili, Maathai. These brief biographies were judged in the vyoung people’s category because of their brevity and ease of reading. But that brevity and clarity lead to thoughtful comparisons. For example, compare Tutu, Hussar, and Eisler regarding their principles and practice of honoring diversity.. Principles: For Bishop Tutu: remember the past, but do not avenge it. All people are part of the human family. Respect all people; dehumanize none. Never humiliate anyone. Above all, behave nonviolently (for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize). Hussar: Interfaith harmony is possible through conflict resolution, reconciliation. Seek communion among all people. Stand on the “most solid rock” of fraternal love. Eisler: Personal and social problems are inseparable. Individual, home violence is inseparable from world, international violence, and vice versa: individual violence damages not only the victims but society as a whole. Two models explain relationships in this dual reality of violence: 1)domination, gender: male over female, races, ethnicities, religions, and 2) partnership. We can choose the latter and treat all cultures,groups, and individuals with caring and respect. Practice: Bishop Desmond Tutu headed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (pp. 82-3) that sought to provide, instead of retributive justice, restorative justice: healing, confession, redressing wrongs, forgiving. Forgiveness was not pretending everything was fine, but it meant “fully addressing the past and allowing for a new beginning.” Bruno Hussar, aDominican priest, created an interfaith village in the West Bank, Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, “Oasis of Peace,” where Jews and Muslims lived together, developedan effective conflict management/empathy system, a School of Peace, workshops for Jewish and Arab youth; over 30,000 have attended and over 400 moderators have been trained. He and the village have been nominated for the Nobel Peace prize several times. Riane Eisler created the Spiritual Alliance to End Intimate Violence, and with Nobel Laureate Betty Williams, she identified the causes of personal violence(spousal rape, child abuse) in order to change them: inequality, domination of all kinds, insensitivity, war, terrorism, repression, crime. They taught practical methods for unlearning or never learning habits of superiority/inferiority by affirming joy, pleasure, sacred communion, creativity, trust, equality—their partnership model. As you see, the book is extraordinarily rich in understanding and experience for expanding peace and hope.

Endorsements for Great Peacemakers

“Powerful, well-researched and, above all, timely, Great Peacemakers should be required reading for the youth of the world. Classrooms are flooded with history textbooks that celebrate military heroes. It is long past time that our children learn from books that celebrate peace.” —Dr. Oscar Arias, president of Costa Rica and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
“Great Peacemakers is an outstanding collection of pen portraits of people whose lives must inspire future generations.” —Dr. Arun Gandhi, president of the M. K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence
“Great Peacemakers is an important contribution to the growing literature on peace rather than war. Most of the \"great\" figures we read about in traditional histories are connected with wars and revolution—in other words, with violence. We owe it to our children and future generations to offer them different role models—and this book does this through vivid stories about women and men dedicated to making ours a more peaceful and equitable world.” —Dr. Riane Eisler, author of The Chalice and the Blade and The Real Wealth of Nations
“A truly inspiring book, Great Peacemakers brings to light story after story of how peace is created one person at a time. If you have ever thought you couldn’t make a difference in this world, just read this book.” —Dr. Madelyn Blair, co-founder of The Center for the Study of Peace

2005 OMNI Peace Writing Recipients






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