Descriptive Summary
Access
Publication Rights
Preferred Citation
Acquisition Information
Biography / Administrative History
Scope and Content of Collection
Arrangement
Indexing Terms
Descriptive Summary
Title: Nuclear Disarmament project collection
Dates: 1981-1985
Collection number: GTU 2012-02-02
Collector:
Moriarty, Pia
Collection Size:
1.5 linear feet (2 boxes)
Repository: The Graduate Theological Union. Library.
Abstract: The collection contains correspondence and educational materials related to the Nuclear Disarmament Project (NDP), a part
of the Commission on Social Justice, Archdiocese of San Francisco, 1981-1985. Co-directors Pia Moriarty and Bob Williams adapted
the approach of the Brazilian educator Paulo Freire to their educational outreach to schools and parishes.
Physical location: 2/B/top
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Copyright has not been assigned to The Graduate Theological Union. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts
must be submitted in writing to the Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Graduate Theological Union
as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must
also be obtained by the reader.
Preferred Citation
Nuclear Disarmament Project Collection, GTU 2012-02-02. Graduate Theological Union Archives, Berkeley, CA.
Acquisition Information
This collection was donated by Pia Moriarty.
Biography / Administrative History
The Nuclear Disarmament Project (NDP) was formed as part of the Commission on Social Justice, Archdiocese of San Francisco.
It operated from January of 1982 through June of 1984. The program was supervised by the Commission on Social Justice under
Tom Ambrogi and run by co-directors Pia Moriarty and Bob Williams. Moriarty writes, "The project was unique as it adapted
Paulo Freire's approach to adult education and community organizing in a parish context."
The main achievements of the project were:
-
Providing leadership to Archbishop John R. Quinn in the development of the peace pastoral (The Challenge of Peace).
- Organizing prayer, study, action groups in 44 parishes to provide grassroots feedback on the peace pastoral.
- Offering four-part clergy education sessions in all deaneries on peace pastoral, catholic social teaching, economic costs
of arms race, preaching about it.
- Organizing an ecumenical presence in secular anti-nuclear demonstrations, especially on June 12, 1982.
- Working with Archdiocesan Superintendent of Schools, Sr. Aileen Regan, to educate principals about peace pastoral and to block
distribution of FEMA information.
- Gathering 10,000 signatures after mass one Sunday to qualify the Nuclear Freeze Initiative for the California ballot (which
passed).
- Representing the American bishops peace pastoral at meetings with bishops and with NATO.
The NDP used visual images to connect with parishioners’ desires peace. Photographs and films were used as teaching materials
and to initiate discussion groups. Pia Moriarty used these experiences when writing her 1985 master's thesis, Codifications
in Freire’s Pedagogy: A North American Application.
Scope and Content of Collection
The collection includes correspondence and educational materials for the Nuclear Disarmament Project as well as drafts, editorial
comments and correspondence for the Peace Pastoral Letter of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Nuclear Disarmament
Project documents date between 1981 and 1985, the Peace Pastoral documents date between 1982 and 1984.
Arrangement
The original order was maintained for this collection. There are three series: Series 1, Nuclear Disarmament Project activities;
Series 2, Nuclear Disarmament Project references and letters; and Series 3, Peace Pastoral (drafts and correspondence related
to the Council of Bishops call for peace).
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
Nuclear disarmament--United States.
Peace movements--United States.
Antinuclear movement--United States.
Social justice.
Nuclear warfare--Religious aspects--Christianity.
Critical pedagogy.
Index Terms Related to this Collection
Catholic Church. Archdiocese of San Francisco (Calif.). Commission of Social Justice.
Catholic Church. Archdiocese of San Francisco (Calif.). Nuclear Disarmament Project.
Catholic Church. National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Ad Hoc Committee on War and Peace.
Condon, Camy
Moriarty, Pia
Quinn, John R. (John Raphael), 1929
Williams, Bob
Regan, Aileen