Pierre Cérésole

Who was Pierre Cérésole?

Pierre Cérésole was a Swiss engineer, known primarily as the founder of the Service Civil International or International Voluntary Service for Peace, in 1920, an organisation that helped in reconstruction after the First World War with the goal of achieving an atmosphere of brotherhood. As a pacifist, he had refused to pay taxes that were used for the acquisition of arms and refused to accept money from his inheritance. He spent many hours in prison.

Cérésole had been inspired by American thinker William James. Cérésole in turn inspired Kees Boeke.