Welsh Peacemakers – ‘Hidden Histories’ Features

WCIA’s ‘#Peacemakers‘ series explores the stories behind some of Wales’ most inspiring internationalists and movements. These feature articles, written and curated by WCIA’s Heritage Advisor Craig Owen alongside his postgraduate research on Welsh Internationalism, draw together wide ranging research undertaken over 2014-19 by Wales for Peace volunteers, partners, community groups, students and academic projects – with ‘new histories’ added as further stories are unearthed by current volunteers working from the Temple’s Archives and Collections. Each article links to digitised resources and source materials for further research and study. Any enquiries about article contents, or for further information, can be directed to walesforpeace@wcia.org.uk.

Printable PDF booklets of some of these key Hidden History features can be downloaded at the following links:

Dr Emma West delves into the history of the Temple of Peace, its legacy, and what it can mean to contemporary visitors.

A New Mecca: the Story behind Wales Temple of Peace - IWA Article, Dr Emma West
David Davies was the founder of the Temple of Peace, and leading thinker in Welsh Internationalism. Having served in the trenches of WW1, he dedicated his whole life to involving people in the pursuit of international peace.

David Davies - Father of the Temple of Peace and Welsh Internationalism
Wales’ Temple of Peace has a unique architectural legacy: the only public building, Wales and world-wide, dedicated to the twin causes of peace and health - gifted as a legacy to future generations, by the generation who survived World War 1. It was Pembrokeshire and Cardiff Architect Percy Thomas who rose to the challenge of turning this vision into bricks and mortar: to ‘create a peace building, for peacebuilding’.

Architect of Peace: Construction of Wales' Temple of Peace, and Sir Percy Thomas
Discover the incredible story of the Welsh Women's Peace Petition to America, signed by 390,924 women in 1923 and taken to America by a delegation of Welsh peacemakers led by Annie Hughes Griffiths

Apêl 1923-2023: the Welsh Women's Peace Appeal to America - Centenary Story
Read 'the story of the book', compiled for WW100 weekend in November 2018, which explores the creation of this national treasure and rollcall of the fallen of WW1, and its central place in pilgrimages and remembrance for generations since

The Story of Wales' WW1 Book of Remembrance
Minnie James from Merthyr Tydfil opened Wales' Temple of Peace on 23 Nov 1938 - as the lead figure among 24 war-bereaved mothers of the UK and Empire

Minnie James and the 'Mothers of Peace'
84 years after Minnie James from Merthyr opened the Temple of Peace, WCIA welcomed her family to the Temple for a 'Descendants Reunion' - where they gifted her much-treasured mementoes of her 3 lost sons, David Jack and Tom. Long since assumed lost, but passed on through her grand-daughter, over many months WCIA placement students Gunel Mamedova and Sam Mutter painstakingly digitised, sequenced, curated and wrote up the stories revealved by these deeply moving archives - a powerful record to one family.'s witness of war.

The Minnie James Collections: Treasures of Wales' 'War Mother'
For International Tuberculosis Day on March 24 2019, the National Library of Wales produced this blog as part of their 'Heritage of Health before the NHS' project. It was a day to raise awareness of the devastating impact of Tuberculosis on health, society and economy. This blog looks at the campaign to eradicate tuberculosis in Wales by the Welsh National Memorial Association of King Edward VII, WNMA - for whom the Temple of Peace & Health was built.

Temple of Health? Wales' National Memorial Association (WNMA) & Tuberculosis

'Justice League': how Wales' League of Nations mobilised a nation
In the entrance vestibule of Wales' Temple of Peace, visitors pass two intriguing linen hangings proclaiming the achievements of 'Welsh Efforts for World Peace' in the years that followed WW1. Join us to look through the letterbox... to the incredible movement whose mission inspired creation of the Temple of Peace, and whose founder deserves to go down in history as one of Wales' and the world's most dynamic yet understated peacemakers: Gwilym Davies.

The World Peace campaigns of Rev Gwilym Davies
'Daffodil Days for Peace' were run by over 700 community groups Wales-wide through the Interwar years between WW1 and WW2, involving thousands in supporting Global Action to build a better world. This #Peacemakers feature marks UN World #PeaceDay 2019, celebrating Welsh activism past, present and future

Daffodil Days: Wales-wide Community Activism of the 1920s-30s
Every year since 1922, the sending of a 'message of peace and goodwill' from the young people of Wales to young people worldwide on May 18 - once Wales' "World Peace Day" - has been encouraging and inspiring humanitarian and international activity across generations. Overcoming wars, major changes in methods of communication from Morse Code to radio and the postal service, to the digital networks of today. The first message was sent by Reverend Gwilym Davies from Cwm Rhymni; a pacifist and founder of the Welsh Union of the League of Nations, and UNESCO. He believed in uniting the children of the world - and his vision continues today through the Urdd.

The Youth Message of Peace & Goodwill: Hopes and Dreams of Future Generations
New York, Geneva, Aberystwyth... In 1926, West Wales hosted the Tenth Plenary Peace Congress of the International League of Nations Federation. Find out about this remarkable event that made Aberystwyth the centre of the peace universe for a few weeks in 1926. Article contributed by Elgan Phillips, 2016, as part of 'Remembering for Peace' exhibition collaboration.

When Wales hosted an International Peace Congress: Aberystwyth 1926

1925 Welsh Churches Peace Appeal Campaign to America

1931-32 World Disarmament Conference Memorial Campaign
Every school and school child in Cardiganshire / Ceredigion participated as performers representing nations of the world – including a 5 year old boy called Willy Jones from Aberaeron Primary School, clinging tightly to his home made wooden fish

1935 Peace Pageant, Aberystwyth
1,025,040 people in Wales voted in the 'Peace Ballot' of 1935. Nowhere was engagement higher than in Wales - recognised as a leading light in internationalism.

The 1935 Peace Ballot in Wales: the Campaign to stop WW2?
Marking #IWD2022 (Interrnational Women's Day), this feature on Britain’s first female delegate to the League of Nations in Geneva celebrates 100 years of Welsh Women in world peace and diplomacy.

Winifred Coombe Tennant, 'first lady of the League'
The opening of Wales' Temple of Peace on 23 Nov 1938 was an event of great hope, poignancy... and determination, as clouds of WW2 gathered on the near horizon. This feature explores the hugely symbolic ceremony and the speeches of the 'great and the good' who joined foces in the name of peace.

The 'Great and the Good': the Opening of Wales' Temple of Peace, Nov 1938
Revisiting the Temple after 81 years, in 2019 Gordon James shared his memories of the 1938 Opening Ceremony... when he was a wide-eyed 14-year old schoolboy from Carmarthen.

'23rd November, a Day to Remember'
Held within collections of the National Museum of Wales, the WW2 Book of Remembrance was once intended to be displayed in the Temple of Peace. Discover its story here.

Wales' WW2 Book of Remembrance
Welsh people were involved in the founding of the United Nations and many bodies for global cooperation that emerged after WW2. Discover some of the stories, and materials, from the Temple Archives.

Uniting Nations: Building a Better World after WW2
International Volunteering organisation UNA Exchange has been based at Wales’ Temple of Peace since 1973 – set up in parallel with the Welsh Centre for International Affairs. It built on the successes of the post-WW2 International Youth Service (IYS), developed through UNA – The United Nations Association – and has evolved into one of Wales’ most respected volunteering charities, with a strong focus throughout its history on social inclusion, intercultural learning, understanding and skills for global citizenship.

Heritage of Volunteering: International Youth Service (IYS) and UNA Exchange
Produced for the 2021 Wales Africa Health Links Conference, 3 November 2021. It is often quoted that Wales has a ‘long and proud history of internationalism’ – but what is that story? As we mark the ‘15th birthday’ of the government’s Wales Africa programme, launched in 2006, this session will explore what came before: are there opportunities to learn from projects past? Do health links have a family tree ripe for research; and can understanding approaches of our past, inform our future practice? From the world campaign to eradicate Tuberculosis, to the shared learning of UNESCO, via a dairy in India… WCIA’s Heritage Advisor (and former Wales Africa Community Links Coordinator) Craig Owen shares his archival research on Wales’ International Development story.

International Development from Wales: Heritage for Humanity
On 22 January 2021, the UN Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons came into force - culmination of many decades of campaigning by CND Cymru activists Wales-wide. Explore the CND Cymru Archives of activism from the 1980s to present day.

CND Cymru and Wales' Nuclear Movements: ICAN Save the World
This 'Hidden History' feature by placement student Iman Hamizan explores WCIA's first fifteen years, from newly digitised annual reports of the period.

WCIA’s Founding Years: A Proud Legacy
WCIA was founded in 1973 following a 5 year campaign, led by the Western Mail and Welsh civil society, for a 'Welsh Voice in the World'. The man quietly behind the scenes became WCIA's Founding Director, Bill Davies, who is credited both with saving and creating one of Wales' leading institutions: the Welsh Centre for International Affairs.

Bill Davies, Founder & 1st Director of WCIA
Professor Glyn O Phillips, who passed in Summer 2020, was a world leading scientist and Welsh Internationalist who was a driving force behind the work of WCIA, UNA, CEWC and the Freedom from Hunger Campaign - as well as establishing many projects worldwide, from Benin and Lesotho to India and China, with an impressive legacy today. Craig Owen reflects on Glyn O's contribution to Wales' peace heritage.

The Freedom from Hunger Campaign and Glyn O Phillips
The concept of ‘town twinning’ developed in the aftermath of World War Two, as a means of building ‘people to people’ community links fostering peace, prosperity and understanding between Britain, Europe and the wider world, after 2 generations of conflict and propaganda.

Town Twinning and Community Links - the heritage behind Wales Africa Community Links

Heritage of Dolen Cymru, Wales' Lesotho Link - 1985 to present
This appraisal of the Welsh Government's Wales for Africa programme over 2006-14 reflects on Wales' heritage of community linking from the 1980s onwards, and looks to European models of development cooperation.

Wales Africa Community Linking: Development Cooperation in Action

Cynefin y Werin | Common Ground network 1998-2014
For the Temple's 80th Anniversary in November 2018, WCIA worked with Dr Emma West of Birmingham University, Gentle/Radical Arts Collective and the 'Being Human'Festival to produce a community-led, Temple80 Gala Evening Performance that drew from the Temple's Archives to 'reinterpret' the 1938 opening ceremony, and ask critical questions of how peace and participation have progressed - or not? - over the 80 years since.

'A New Mecca': Exploring the Temple Archives through Community Arts
Watch this inspiring short documentary produced for the 80th Anniversary of Wales' Temple of Peace from Oral History interviews with people of the Temple from the last 40 years.

Voices of Temple 80 - Documentary Film
WCIA marked WW100 & Temple80 in Nov 2018 - the centenary of WW1, and 80th Anniversary of the Temple of Peace - with an ambitious programme of over 50 events celebrating Wales' Peacemakers.

Temple80: Celebrating 100 years of Peacemakers
in a remarkable turn of recent events, WCIA is rewriting ‘hidden histories’ from the 1938 Opening Day following 3 incredible dicoveries linking the past to the present. Explore the stories of Gordon James, Daniel Davies and Minnie James' Descendants.

#Temple81: Minnie's ‘Key to the Past’
In the aftermath of the First World War, Welsh communities took concerted action in the name of internationalism, peace and equality with an increasing frequency and commitment. In this Llafur online event, join us and our guests Craig Owen, Rob Laker, and Emma West, to explore these themes in an interwar context, from the Welsh Women’s Peace Petition of 1923, to the Peace Ballot of 1935 and the opening of the Temple of Peace in 1938.

‘To Strive for a World of Justice’ - the Campaign for Peace in Interwar Wales (Talk)