Authors
Irina Gordeeva2; Victoria Peretitskaya1; 1 Northumbria University, UK; 2 Centre for Contemporary History Potsdam (ZZF), Germany Discussion
The Doukhobors, one of the few pacifist Christian religious movements of Russian origin, migrated to Canada at the end of the nineteenth century due to increased persecution for their pacifist beliefs. Their absolute pacifism, rooted in deep religious convictions, became a core unifying principle that also shaped the transnational nature of the movement. Upon their arrival to Canada, they were granted military exemption, however, by the time of the World War II they were forced to defend their right to conscientious objection on religious grounds. However, new issues concerning conscientious objection arose the Doukhobor community. One issue was related to the requirement of registration under Mobilisation Act, which conflicted with the Doukhobor’s religious rejection of any form of registration. The other issue concerned the debate around alternative service. As in other misunderstandings with Canadian authorities, they were forced to remind officials of their identity as conscientious objectors on religious grounds who had fled the Russian Empire for that very reason. This paper will examine the ways in which the Doukhobors avoided participation in both World Wars, as well as their response to these conflicts. Despite internal divisions and ongoing tensions with Canadian authorities, the Doukhobors remained engaged with global issues: they condemned wars and militarised policies, proposed alternatives for conflict resolution, and participated in public debate. 
