ABSTRACT
There have been many motives to pacifism. In the East, religious pacifism seems to have emerged among Buddhists and Jains some twenty-five hundred years ago. Both religious traditions endorsed ahimsa, a Sanskrit term meaning non-injury. The first decade of the twentieth century was one of hopeful optimism for enduring peace, at least among Western nations. There were still outspoken pacifists in Great Britain and the US during First World War. In South Africa Mahatma Gandhi developed the philosophy and techniques of non-violent resistance that would later make him a world historic figure. Forceful individuals advocated for pacifism during the two decades between First World War and Second World War, and new pacifist organizations were established to foster peaceful relations between nations. Those peace church members who retained their pacifist convictions in the British and US contexts frequently did alternative service, whether as non-combatants within the military or in specially devised programs outside of it.
