John Papworth
Encyclopedia
John Papworth
After being reared in an orphanage, the Reverend John Papworth has been at various times a baker, journalist, economist - London University graduate, ecologist, a self proclaimed 'futurist' and Church of England priest. He was under licence to officiate from the Bishop of London until his remarks about the non-sinfulness of shoplifting in giant stores attracted global media attention and caused him to be sacked from his non-stipendary post. (He was, he says, "concerned with the way the giants were destroying local community life" and argued, "Jesus taught we should love our neighbours" - he had said nothing about loving Marks & Spencer
s).
With the help of 'Fritz' E.F. Schumacher and Sir Herbert Read
, he founded and edited Resurgence
magazine (now edited by Satish Kumar
). He has also been: a parliamentary Labour candidate, 1955; for nine years personal assistant to the then President of Zambia
, Dr Kenneth Kaunda
; consultant to Greenpeace
; associate editor for The Ecologist
magazine; President of The Academic Inn (a debating society), Leopold Kohr
's ideal; founder of the Village Industry Service (Zambia); founder and editor of the Fourth World Review (for a world of "small nations, small communities and the inalienable sovereignty of the human spirit") a bi-monthly with an international circulation. In the Sixties he was imprisoned along with Bertrand Russell
for anti-nuclear protests, and also was placed in Albany jail, Georgia, USA, for Civil Rights
activities. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Papworth wrote regularly for the pacifist newspaper
Peace News
.
He has starred in two BBC documentaries entitled 'No Man is an Island' and 'Turbulent Priest'. He has written the following books: 'The Economics of Humanism', 'New Politics', 'Small is Powerful', and 'Shut up and Listen'. His latest book is called 'Village Democracy'. Papworth's main political inspiration was the Austrian philosopher Leopold Kohr
.
His international lecture tours promoting radical alternatives to current institutional approaches, have drawn capacity audiences. His French-born wife, Marcelle, died in 1995, and his children, Pierre, John-David and Marie, live in London.
He created village magazine Purton Today in 2004, a local ecological newsletter/magazine. The magazine contains his writing as well as contributions from local Purtonians, including Adam Crosland, Sid Walker and Duncan Butler.
He currently lives in Purton
, Wiltshire
.
After being reared in an orphanage, the Reverend John Papworth has been at various times a baker, journalist, economist - London University graduate, ecologist, a self proclaimed 'futurist' and Church of England priest. He was under licence to officiate from the Bishop of London until his remarks about the non-sinfulness of shoplifting in giant stores attracted global media attention and caused him to be sacked from his non-stipendary post. (He was, he says, "concerned with the way the giants were destroying local community life" and argued, "Jesus taught we should love our neighbours" - he had said nothing about loving Marks & Spencer
Marks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...
s).
With the help of 'Fritz' E.F. Schumacher and Sir Herbert Read
Herbert Read
Sir Herbert Edward Read, DSO, MC was an English anarchist, poet, and critic of literature and art. He was one of the earliest English writers to take notice of existentialism, and was strongly influenced by proto-existentialist thinker Max Stirner....
, he founded and edited Resurgence
Resurgence
Resurgence is a British bi-monthly magazine which has been described as the artistic and spiritual voice of the green movement in Great Britain. Resurgence was founded in the 1960s by John Papworth....
magazine (now edited by Satish Kumar
Satish Kumar
Satish Kumar is an Indian, currently living in England, who has been a Jain monk and a nuclear disarmament advocate, and is the current editor of Resurgence, founder and Director of Programmes of the Schumacher College international centre for ecological studies and of The Small School...
). He has also been: a parliamentary Labour candidate, 1955; for nine years personal assistant to the then President of Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
, Dr Kenneth Kaunda
Kenneth Kaunda
Kenneth David Kaunda, known as KK, served as the first President of Zambia, from 1964 to 1991.-Early life:Kaunda was the youngest of eight children. He was born at Lubwa Mission in Chinsali, Northern Province of Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia...
; consultant to Greenpeace
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
; associate editor for The Ecologist
The Ecologist
The Ecologist is a British environmental publication founded in 1970 by Edward Goldsmith. It addresses a wide range of environmental subjects and promotes an ecological systems thinking approach through its news stories, investigations and opinion articles. The Ecologist encourages its readers to...
magazine; President of The Academic Inn (a debating society), Leopold Kohr
Leopold Kohr
Leopold Kohr was an economist, jurist and political scientist known both for his opposition to the "cult of bigness" in social organization and as one of those who inspired the small is beautiful movement...
's ideal; founder of the Village Industry Service (Zambia); founder and editor of the Fourth World Review (for a world of "small nations, small communities and the inalienable sovereignty of the human spirit") a bi-monthly with an international circulation. In the Sixties he was imprisoned along with Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, and social critic. At various points in his life he considered himself a liberal, a socialist, and a pacifist, but he also admitted that he had never been any of these things...
for anti-nuclear protests, and also was placed in Albany jail, Georgia, USA, for Civil Rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
activities. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Papworth wrote regularly for the pacifist newspaper
Peace News
Peace News
Peace News is a pacifist magazine first published on 6 June 1936 to serve the peace movement in the United Kingdom. From later in 1936 to April 1961 it was the official paper of the Peace Pledge Union , and from 1990 to 2004 was co-published with War Resisters' International.-History:Peace News was...
.
He has starred in two BBC documentaries entitled 'No Man is an Island' and 'Turbulent Priest'. He has written the following books: 'The Economics of Humanism', 'New Politics', 'Small is Powerful', and 'Shut up and Listen'. His latest book is called 'Village Democracy'. Papworth's main political inspiration was the Austrian philosopher Leopold Kohr
Leopold Kohr
Leopold Kohr was an economist, jurist and political scientist known both for his opposition to the "cult of bigness" in social organization and as one of those who inspired the small is beautiful movement...
.
His international lecture tours promoting radical alternatives to current institutional approaches, have drawn capacity audiences. His French-born wife, Marcelle, died in 1995, and his children, Pierre, John-David and Marie, live in London.
He created village magazine Purton Today in 2004, a local ecological newsletter/magazine. The magazine contains his writing as well as contributions from local Purtonians, including Adam Crosland, Sid Walker and Duncan Butler.
He currently lives in Purton
Purton
Purton is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire. The civil parish includes the village of Purton Stoke and the hamlets of Bentham, Hayes Knoll, Restrop and Widham....
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
.