Pierre Cérésole

Pierre Cérésole (17 August 1879 – 23 October 1945) was a Swiss engineer, known primarily as the founder of the Service Civil International (SCI) or International Voluntary Service for Peace (IVSP), 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.

History

Pierre Cérésole was born in Lausanne on 17 August 1879, the son of Paul Cérésole, a member of the Swiss Federal Council and a President of the Swiss Confederation.

Bibliography

• Cérésole, Pierre. Vivre sa vérité Carnets de route 1909-1944. Neuchâtel: La Baconnière. p. 279 p. 
• Cérésole, Pierre. For peace and truth: from the note-books of Pierre Ceresole. translated by John W. Harvey and Christina Yates. Bannisdale Press. p. 192 p. 
• Monastier, Hélène. Un Quaker d'aujourd'hui: Pierre Cérésole. Paris. p. 43 p. 
• Monastier, Hélène. Pierre Cérésole d'après sa correspondance. Neuchâtel: La Baconnière. p. 249 p. 
• Maddock, Keith. Living truth: a spiritual portrait of Pierre Ceresole. Pendle Hill pamphlets #379. Wallingford: Pendle Hill. p. 35 p. ISSN 00314250. 

Sources

• Claus Bernet (2005). "Pierre Cérésole". In Bautz, Traugott. Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL) (in German) 24. Nordhausen: Bautz. cols. 432–443. ISBN 3-88309-247-9. 
• Pierre Cérésole in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.