The People Make the Peace: Lessons from the Vietnam Antiwar Movement

Forty years after the Vietnam War ended, many in the United States still struggle to come to terms with this tumultuous period of US history. The domestic antiwar movement, with cooperation from their Vietnamese counterparts, played a significant role in ending the War, but few have examined its impact until now. In The People Make the Peace, nine US activists discuss the parts they played in opposing the War at home and their risky travels to Vietnam in the midst of the conflict to engage in people-to-people diplomacy.

In 2013, the “Hanoi 9” activists revisited Vietnam together; this book presents their thoughtful reflections on those experiences, as well as the stories of five US veterans who returned to make reparations. Their successes in antiwar organizing will challenge the myths that still linger from that era and inspire a new generation seeking peaceful solutions to war and conflict today. Contributors include Jay Craven, Rennie Davis, Judy Gumbo, Alex Hing, Doug Hostetter, Frank Joyce, Nancy Kurshan, Myra MacPherson, John McAuliff, and Becca Wilson.

Praise

“…this collection help[s] fill in many blanks, adding essential color to the story of this astounding citizens’ movement, especially the remarkable saga of the 1970–71 People’s Peace Treaty. They inspire reflection that America still sorely needs.”
—Todd Gitlin, Columbia University

“The book shatters stereotypes of protesters and shows the activists as thoughtful, courageous and compassionate strategists whose dedication to peaceful diplomacy helped end the war earlier…”
—Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK

“A marvelous collection that comes full circle in understanding America’s past and present relationship with Vietnam, and that reminds us of the power and impact of the antiwar movement through the voices of peace advocates from that era who recently returned to Vietnam.”
—David Cortright, director of Policy Studies at Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies

“This is a wonderfully moving, inspiring, and instructive collection of autobiographical essays by prominent Vietnam War activists who kept the faith over the decades since they joined in signing an extraordinary treaty of peace between the American and Vietnamese people in 1973. The authors succeed, above all, in making us realize how profoundly wrong it was ever to wage war against this proud people who so often returned our violence with their love. Everyone who cares about this country needs to read this book in a hurry.”
—Richard Falk, Professor Emeritus of International Law and Practice, Princeton University

“The People Make the Peace is an invaluable document describing the varied experiences of one significant segment of the movement against the war in Vietnam. Activists who engaged in what Hanoi and the NLF called ‘people’s diplomacy,’ recall their experiences and place them in the context of a more recent visit to the country as well as current US foreign policy. In addition, five veterans now living and working in Vietnam to alleviate the damage done by the war they fought talk of their past and present experiences. The volume will be of interest to all who cherish peace and work towards achieving it.”
—Marilyn Young, professor in the Department of History, New York University 

About the Editors

Karín Aguilar-San Juan is an associate professor of American Studies at Macalester College. Her book Little Saigons: Staying Vietnamese in America examined the role of place for Vietnamese Americans. In a 1994 edited volume, she gave visibility to Asian American activism for that generation.

Frank Joyce, a lifelong political activist, heads the board of a media production nonprofit supporting the anti-hate movement Not in Our Town. He and his wife divide their time between Detroit and Paso Robles, California. He is a longtime board member for the Michigan Coalition for Human Rights.

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