Pax Christi has been striving since the end of World War II to make the world a safer place.
John Whitehead, a Baltimore-based writer and activist, is happy to play a small role in the efforts and flattered that the origination would select him for one of its most prestigious awards.
Whitehead’s role as a peace activist earned him the distinction as the Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore Peacemaker of the Year. The parishioner of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland received the award during a Zoom conference Nov. 5.
Whitehead, a North Baltimore resident for the past 13 years, has been involved in leadership role with Consistent Life Network, an “international coalition dedicated to promoting a consistent ethic of reverence for life.”
The Amherst, Mass., native helped organize anti-nuclear and anti-drone warfare protests in Washington and works as a fulltime writer and editor for Rehumanize International, a non-profit human rights organization dedicated to a culture of peace.
The graduate of the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University maintains a website, peacemakingforlife.com, dedicated to ending war and improving international relations. He has been interested in international affairs since his undergraduate days at the University of Chicago, but was drawn to activism during the United States’ armed conflicts in Iraq.
The 43-year-old said he became active as a volunteer with Consistent Life Network because he was attracted to its stance to protect all life, not only seeking peace, but its interest in the pro-life cause as well as its anti-death penalty stance.
“I liked that Consistent Life Network covered a variety of concerns that threaten life,” said Whitehead, who has a 9-year-old son and has been married 17 years.
Whitehead’s primary focus has been nuclear disarmament. Before the pandemic, he organized quarterly protests against nuclear weapons at the White House in which Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore members participated.
He said he was delighted to receive the award, particularly if it prompted more peace and social justice organizations to collaborate.
“It’s a great award,” Whitehead said. “I’m honored that Pax Christi thought of me, even though I’m not entirely sure it’s deserved.”
Bob Cooke is regional chairperson for Pax Christi’s local chapter, which encompasses the Archdioceses of Baltimore and Washington, and the Diocese of Arlington, Va. He said the regional chapter was impressed with Whitehead’s ability to pull a number of ideologies together to work for pro-life and social justice issues.
Cooke said Pax Christi’s local members started to get together with Whitehead and other Consistent Life Network members about five years ago at the White House to protest the increased use of drones in warfare.
“We were impressed with John’s work to bring all elements of pro-life issues together,” said Cooke, a native of Long Island, N.Y., and a parishioner of St. Rose of Lima in Gaithersburg. “I would say John, as the leader of the Consistent Life Network, is in very unfriendly territory; they aren’t looked at favorably by either side – left or right. But they are taking a more Christian and holistic look at life.
“John has been trying to bring those folks together,” Cooke said. “He’s been doing this for a number of years in the Baltimore area. He lives his values and certainly gets more abuse than anything. He’s living his faith and willing to not be popular for it.”
Whitehead also is willing to keep up the good fight.
“There’s always more to be done,” he said. “I will certainly continue to observe and write about it and advocate for peace.”
Whitehead said he is most concerned with the war in Ukraine, the threat of force from North Korea and the rivalry between the U.S. and China. He suggests people consider volunteering with Pax Christi, Consistent Life Network or Rehumanize International.
“People have had a lot on their minds; so peace hasn’t obtained the priority it needs to have,” he said. “What we need is a mass movement like we’ve had in the past. The more people the better. I’m flattered to receive the award from Pax Christi, and I just hope my future activities can justify it.”
Email Gerry Jackson at gjackson@CatholicReview.org
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