Peacemakers of Wales celebrated at new exhibition

A new exhibition celebrating Wales’ history of involvement in peace campaigns and and initiatives opens in the Riverside Gallery, Haverfordwest on Saturday (28 September).

Through art and archives from the collections of the National Library of Wales and the Welsh Centre for International Affairs, the Peacemakers exhibition looks at the pivotal role Welsh figures have played in promoting peace, on both national and international stages.

From the Welsh Women’s Peace Petition and the Greenham Common Camp, to the Urdd ‘Message of Peace and Goodwill’ and the protests of Conscientious Objectors, this exhibition brings to life the stories of these extraordinary individuals and movements.

Rhodri Llwyd Morgan, Chief Executive of the National Library of Wales said: “The story of the Welsh people who have campaigned and worked tirelessly over the centuries to promote peace is a rich thread.

“This exhibition brings together many of these stories, including the Wales Women’s Peace Petition, inspiring us anew to strive for a more peaceful world.”

Welsh Women’s Peace Petition

Central to the exhibition is the Welsh Women’s Peace Petition and chest. Following the horrific losses of the First World War, a whole generation of women were inspired to appeal for peace.

390,296 Welsh women signed a petition appealing to the women of America to call on the United States Government to join the new League of Nations as a step towards everlasting world peace.

The Peace Petition, returned to Wales in April 2023 as a gift from the North American Museum of History to mark its centenary.

The National Library of Wales has recently completed its digitisation and has now embarked on an ambitious project to transcribe this ‘world-inspiring’ artefact so that it can be searched electronically for the first time.

Another exhibition highlight is the Edefyn Heddwch (Thread of Peace) textile art work, inspired by the history of the Welsh Women’s Peace Petition.

Handwriting

Created under the direction of the textile artist Bethan Hughes and supported by Academi Heddwch Cymru (Wales Peace Academy) and Ruthin Craft Centre, the work includes the hand-stitched signatures of workshop participants, as an echo of the actions of the women who signed the Petition in 1923.

Bethan Hughes said: “On seeing images of the Petition, I was struck by the handwriting, and that each of the women had been invited to sign their own names in their own hand, something very unusual at the time. I chose to work with simple materials, calico and black thread, to reflect the simple paper and ink of the Petition.

“While stitching the finished quilt, 16 meters long, with the names of 169 contributors, I was also thinking about the contributors and the old and new connections between us.

“For many of them, stitching their names was a way for them to take a stand for peace today, as our grandmothers did a century ago. Through a quiet, meditative and sincere act, women’s voices resonate and connect like a thread of peace.”

Showing alongside the Peacemakers exhibition is the permanent exhibition Pembrokeshire: Past and Present, focusing on the history, culture and landscape of Pembrokeshire, which will display a selection of new items this season.

Both exhibitions will run until Saturday 29 March 2025.