Peace Links

Betty Bumpers
Photograph courtesy of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Betty Bumpers, wife of Senator Dale Bumpers, founded Peace Links in response to growing fears about nuclear proliferation. Deployments of nuclear weapons in Europe had caused a resurgence of fear of nuclear holocaust during the 1980's. The public response was to call for a nuclear freeze of weapons, a movement that had adherents in the United States and Europe. Betty Bumpers experienced that fear in her own family and decided that something could be done to limit the arms race and ease the fear of children. Bumpers challenged the conventional wisdom that nuclear technology and military strategy was too complex for average people to understand.

She called upon Arkansas women to organize a network to provide educational resources for understanding the arms race and a means to resolve conflict - person to person, nation to nation.

Peace Links was born around the breakfast table, coffee klatches and within churchwomen's groups and the PTA. Arkansas mothers, wives and daughters formed the "links" from home and family to the political establishment.

By 1982 the Arkansas organization had become a national grassroots movement working with congressional spouses. Forty states had chapters.

The Peace Links motto, "Linked together, we are more powerful than any of us could ever be alone. We can change the world!" described one woman's mission. Peace Links sponsored women's exchanges between the United States and the Soviet Union to develop women's friendships based upon common interests in families, careers and peace between two superpowers. Since its inception Peace Links has continued to grow as a nationwide network of congressional wives and grassroots individuals who educate our communities about global cooperation, nonviolent conflict resolution and community-based problem solving. Though the cold war is over, Peace Links remains committed to encouraging Americans to play an active role in determining priorities, the direction of our country and to foster global citizen diplomacy.

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