Portraits of Peacemakers

“Rob Shetterly has developed an approach to art that benefits all of us. Through his portraits, reinforced by his eloquent prose, he is able to bring the past into our present lives while simultaneously opening up doors into the future. Use Rob's portrait to look into the eyes of Daniel Ellsberg, for example, and you'll walk into the world of an intense, intelligent, compassionate activist who lived a life of integrity and courage. Then stop for a moment and ask yourself if you, too, could follow such a path in your life. That will inevitably lead you into asking yourself how such a choice could make the world a better place for future generations. A Rob Shetterly portrait has an electrical charge to it that is looking for a ground to connect to in this crazy world of ours. That could be you.”
—Doug Rawlings, Cofounder, Veterans For Peace

“Destined to become an American classic, this book is a brilliant anthology of compelling essays, quotes, biographies, and soulful portraits of courageous antiwar/peace leaders. Read these powerful and thought-provoking statements about ending war and achieving peace and ponder the inspired portraits of the Americans involved. Thank you, Robert Shetterly, for recognizing and honoring these heroes and role models. This is how we build a culture of peace.”
—Michael D. Knox, PhD, Chair, US Peace Memorial Foundation

“This book won’t simply move you through its depictions of courageous peacemakers, it will teach you how to build peace. The stunning portraits will arrest your eyes, but that’s not all they will do. The portraits are accompanied by the words uttered by these brave people. Read them. Heed them. We do not have to submit to the proposition that violence is necessary or inevitable. Peace can become our path.”
—Zoe Weil, Founder, Institute for Humane Education

“A new and escalating cold war is rising in Asia; a hot and destructive proxy war is sweeping through parts of Europe; and a preannounced genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza is being executed in front of our eyes—the furnaces of war are set to full-blast with catastrophe and ruin in every direction. Robert Shetterly stands against this dreadful darkness, illuminating an alternative—the audacity, endurance, and finally the power of the peacemakers. These portraits—these lives—inspire us with their dignity and their courage. As they look into our eyes and penetrate our hearts, they issue a collective and irresistible demand: Join Us!”
—Bill Ayers, writer, educator, social justice activist

“As peace appears far more distant on the horizon, and people struggle to navigate the polycrisis and metacrisis, Rob Shetterly provides a light to help lead the way. The essays in this book offer diverse perspectives and strategies from some of the most important peacemakers of our time, providing us with necessary guidance for moving through this time of deep upheaval and transition. Additionally, the portraits of peacemakers across time calmly remind us that peace is not something to be achieved, it is a state of being that travels alongside us throughout our journey.”
—Sherri Mitchell, Weh'na Ha'mu Kwasset, author of Sacred Instructions: Indigenous Wisdom for Living Spirit-Based Change

“Portraits of Peacemakers is a gift to educators. At a time when the virus of cynicism threatens to infect young people everywhere, Robert Shetterly has assembled this warm and wise community of truthtellers. Students—and all the rest of us—cannot help but be inspired by Shetterly’s astute biographies of peacemakers, his loving portraits, and the essays from courageous activists for a better world. I hope this volume finds a home in every classroom, every school library.”
—Bill Bigelow, Curriculum Editor, Rethinking Schools; Codirector, Zinn Education Project