Join us for this online webinar where three speakers will tell some of the fascinating stories from their archives that cover the theme of feminist peace. This event is suitable for anyone interested in finding out more about feminist peace archives, and perhaps those interested in researching these topics further and undertaking archival research. This event is co-hosted by the LSE Centre for Women, Peace and Security as part of the AHRC project Feminist International Law of Peace and Security, and LSE library.

The three topics covered are:

1. Feminist peace archives: the government perspective

Vicky Iglikowski-Broad (The National Archives)

Within the records of central government can be found unexpected and unique insights in to various historic, feminist peace movements. These records however are held for quite different reasons to the other collections represented at this event; fundamentally they are preserved because of some interaction and engagement with government; from the policing of the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp to Deputations from Women's Peace Societies to the Cabinet in 1930. This talk will briefly explore the potential of what can be found relating to feminist peace movements and how to locate this material.

2. Dora Russell and the Women’s Peace Caravan

Ms Hannah Lowery (University of Bristol)

The papers of Dora Russell and the Women's Peace Caravan cover a period of peace activism post World War Two, and prior to the activities of Greenham Common Women (which could also be discussed using Feminist Archive South). I will show some images of petitions and craft work given to Dora Russell and her Caravan as they toured in Europe in 1958. The talk will discuss some of the holdings, and be an opportunity to show how to consult the Feminist Archive South collections. https://archives.bristol.ac.uk/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=DM2123%2f1%2fArchive+Boxes+1-16

3. Anti-nuclear campaigners

Daniel Payne (LSE Library)

Both the Women’s Library at LSE and LSE Library collections hold a wealth of material relating to feminist peace, including Greenham Common, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, and anti-nuclear campaigners. This short stalk will explore some of the stories in the archives on the theme, and also offers suggestions on how to find archives on this theme.

Speakers and chair bios:

Vicky Iglikowski-Broad (The National Archives)

Vicky Iglikowski-Broad is Principal Diverse Histories Records Specialist at The National Archives and has a research background in women and gender history. In this position Vicky promotes traditionally margionalised historical narratives within this state archive and strives to creatively engage new audiences with the collections. The National Archives are the guardians of over 1,000 years of iconic national documents. We collect and secure the future of the government record, from Shakespeare’s will to tweets from Downing Street, to preserve it for generations to come.

Hannah Lowry (Feminist Archive South, Bristol)

Hannah Lowery has been Archivist and Special Collections Manager at the University of Bristol since 1997, and has worked heavily with the Feminist Archive South and allied collections since they were deposited in 2009. We have linked political and activist collections including papers of the Liberal Party, the Women's Liberal Federation, Jane Cobden Unwin, and election addresses and manifestos dating from the 1890s to date. Special Collections can be contacted at special-collections@bristol, or via our online archive catalogue, or social med.

Daniel Payne (LSE Library)

Daniel works as the curator for the politics and international relations collections at LSE Library. One of the subject strengths of the collection covers the theme of peace and internationalism, and he carries out various activities to help get the archives out and on display. This includes curating exhibitions (“Give Peace a Chance”, “Journeys to Independence: India, Pakistan and Bangaldesh”, and “What does Brexit mean to you”?) as well as working on various projects to help embed archives in teaching.

Dr Sheri Labenski

Sheri is a Research Officer in the Centre for Women, Peace and Security, where she works on the ERC funded project Gendered Peace.