About

The World Peace Foundation (WPF) is an operating foundation affiliated solely with Tufts University’s The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. It provides financial support only for projects that the Foundation has initiated itself.

WPF aims to provide intellectual leadership for peace. Our view is that the world needs a debate about world peace, drawing rigorously on evidence and theory.

The World Peace Foundation was established by Edwin Ginn, a Boston-based publisher of educational texts and an advocate for international peace. Created initially as the International School of Peace on July 12, 1910, the WPF was tasked with educating a global audience about the ills of war and promoting international peace.

The original 1910 articles of incorporation state:

The 20th century was scarred by war, but nonetheless, two of the three pillars of world peace that Ginn identified were constructed: inter-state cooperation through the United Nations and other bodies, and mechanisms for the lawful and nonviolent resolution of international disputes. By contrast, his third goal of disarmament was not achieved. Meanwhile, especially in sixty years following World War II, the number and intensity of violent conflicts fell, and their nature changed. In the 21st century, war is often pursued by non-state actors, including informal globalized networks, and most violence takes place within countries, with blurred boundaries between armed conflict, crime and the enforcement of government will.

The 20th century was scarred by war, but nonetheless, two of the three pillars of world peace that Ginn identified were constructed: inter-state cooperation through the United Nations and other bodies, and mechanisms for the lawful and nonviolent resolution of international disputes. By contrast, his third goal of disarmament was not achieved. Meanwhile, especially in sixty years following World War II, the number and intensity of violent conflicts fell, and their nature changed. In the 21st century, war is often pursued by non-state actors, including informal globalized networks, and most violence takes place within countries, with blurred boundaries between armed conflict, crime and the enforcement of government will.

The very progress that was made in tackling the scourge of war compels us to recognize the complexities of sustaining that progress, while the nature of armed conflict is itself being transformed, and the world order that promoted peace is being challenged. This is the challenge of “reinventing peace”: recognizing the achievements of the enlightenment and liberal internationalist vision of a peaceful world, that has contributed so much, while also challenging it and fashioning a new vision of peace appropriate for the new century.

For these reasons, the World Peace Foundation is positioning itself as a fulcrum for intellectual leadership on issues of peace, including justice and security. Drawing on Ginn’s vision and legacy, the WPF has embarked on a pioneering founded on three interconnected forms of activity: research, education, and policy engagement.

In 2011, the World Peace Foundation established a program at the first graduate-only school of international affairs in the United States, Tufts University’s The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, under Executive Director Alex de Waal.

The WPF does not make grants to outside organizations and individuals.

In 2012, the WPF and Cartoon Movement asked international cartoonists to translate the visuals that were used by international peace activists 100 years ago to the realities of the 21st century, resulting in over 120 cartoons submitted to the project newsroom. This photo gallery presents the final selection of cartoons.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
World Peace Foundation
Fletcher School, Tufts University
169 Holland Street, Suite 209
Somerville, MA 02144
Tel: (617) 627-2255
worldpeacefoundation@tufts.edu