Prior to the U.S. entry into World War I (on April 6, 1917), ordinary citizens all over the world - many of them women - agitated to pressure states to create a court that allowed for the non-violent settlement of disputes. This court, The Permanent Court of Arbitration, was the result of the historic 1899 Hague Peace Conference that opened on May 18, 1899. The creation of this court was so monumental that May 18 was celebrated, mainly in the U.S. as "Peace Day". The purpose of Peace Day? to provide a means to educate the public about the new court, and the New World Order, one that replaced the "law of force" with the "force of law". With the U.S. entry into WW1, Peace Day began to fade from the public's memory, as did the important "Peace Through Law" movement. In this show, we discuss this forgotten history and some of the persons behind it, why they should be remembered and known, and how to implement their lesson and example today.

Show Resources:

Brochure of the International Banner of Peace (peace flag)

The Universal Peace Badge (designed in 1897 by Cora di Brazzà).

Pamphlet on the History of Peace Day (originally published in 1915).

Blog post on Peace Day by Hope Elizabeth May

Elihu Root's 1912 Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech

Trailer for 'A Taxi Driver' (May 18, 1980, Republic of Korea)