Bertrand Russell Peace FoundationRussell1

Welcome to the website of the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation.  Launched in 1963, the Foundation was established to carry forward Russell's work for peace, human rights and social justice. More than fifty years later, our work continues.

Here, you will also find information about our journal, The Spokesman, and links to our publications website Spokesman Books and our Online Bookshop

Bertrand Russell

Origins

The Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation was launched in 1963 after twelve months of preparation. It was established in order to carry forward Russell's work for peace, human rights and social justice. This had been assisted by a small secretariat in earlier years, but its rapid growth and increasing cost made the burden larger than could be carried by one person, however distinguished. Preoccupied with the danger of nuclear war, Russell had always been deeply concerned with the defence of civil rights, and the institutionalisation of his work made it possible to create a number of desks which could specialise on different areas or particular problems.

Aims

The Foundation was formed to further the cause of peace, and to assist in the pursuit of freedom and justice. It sought to identify and counter the causes of violence, and to identify and oppose the obstacles to worldwide community. It was designed to promote research into disarmament, wars and threats of war, and to publish the results. It has consistently laboured to carry on the work of its founder in a spirit of fidelity to the standards of reason and tolerance which he did so much to advance. Accordingly, it has always struggled for freedom of thought and opinion, and for non-exploitative forms of human association.

The Spokesman

The Spokesman journal was founded by Bertrand Russell near the end of his life. It not only concerns itself with the many matters of peace and social justice which preoccupied Russell, but also examines in depth the present order, its structures, its beneficiaries and its victims. It includes the Peace Dossier and an extensive review section.

Noam Chomsky recently described The Spokesman as "really first rate". Selections from The Spokesman, in PDF format are available for you to download at www.spokesmanbooks.com where you can also purchase individual copies or take out a subscription. You can also use our online shop at www.spokesmanbookshop.com to purchase titles using PayPal. Members of the public are welcome to visit by appointment.