Arthur Gish
Arthur G. Gish (August 15, 1939 – July 28, 2010) was an American peace activist, preacher, writer and public speaker.[1] He was known for his opposition to a number of conflicts, ranging from the Vietnam War to the Iraq War.[1]
Biography
Activism
Gish was born in 1939[2] and raised in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.[1] He left his family's farm as a teenager and declared himself a conscientious objector.[1] Gish joined the Brethren Volunteer Service, which is part of the Church of the Brethren, and worked in Europe from 1958 until 1960.[1] During the 1960s, Gish protested the Vietnam War and supported the Civil Rights Movement.[1]
Much of Gish's activism since 1995 focused in the Middle East through the Church of the Brethren's Christian Peacemaker Team program .[1] Gish spent much of his time working in Hebron or At-tuwani in the West Bank.[1] A 2003 photograph by the Associated Press depicted Gish standing in front of an Israeli tank in Hebron.[3] Gish and his wife, activist Peggy Gish, also opposed the 2003 Iraq War.[1]
Personal life
Gish and his wife settled on an organic farm in Amesville, Ohio, near Athens, where they grew and sold organic produce and other related products.[1][3]
Arthur Gish was killed on his farm in Amesville, Ohio, on July 28, 2010, when his tractor overturned and caught fire.[1][3] Gish was 70 years old and was survived by his wife, Peggy Gish, who was in Iraq at the time of the accident.[1]
Works authored
Gish authored numerous books, including
- The New Left and Christian Radicalism (1970)
- Beyond the Rat Race (1972)
- Living in Christian Community (1979)
- Hebron Journal: Stories of Nonviolent Peacemaking (2001)
- At-Tuwani Journal: Hope and Nonviolent Action in a Palestinian Village (2008)[1]
Film references
Art and Peggy Gish are the subjects of the 2010 short documentary "Old Radicals," which screened at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival as part of the International Documentary Challenge. In 2012 the film was extended to include the story of Art's death and the stories of 3 other elderly activists. The 45 min documentary is also titled "Old Radicals."
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Crable, Ad (July 30, 2010). "Arthur Gish, county native, global activist dies". Intelligencer Journal. Archived from the original on August 9, 2010. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
- ↑ Crable, Ary (August 1, 2008). "Arthur G. Gish: A peacemaker in the Holy Land". Jakarta Post. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
- 1 2 3 Phillips, Jim (July 28, 2010). "Prominent local activist dies in farming accident". The Athens News (Ohio). Retrieved August 7, 2010.