About
From George Orwell’s critique of the language of totalitarian regimes to today, discussions of war and foreign policy have been full of dehumanizing euphemisms, bloodless jargon, little-known government acronyms, and troubling metaphors that hide warfare’s damage.
This guide aims to help people write and talk about war and foreign policy more accurately, more honestly, and in ways people outside the elite Washington, DC foreign policy “blob” can understand.
We encourage you to use this guide, to share it with others, and to adapt it as necessary to local contexts. The guide should be especially helpful to journalists and other writers, podcasters and vloggers, policy analysts, teachers, scholars, and people involved in public education projects.
When quoting or copying parts of the guide, please cite it, with a link to the guide’s online home: “Words about War Matter: A Language Guide for Discussing War and Foreign Policy,” September 2023, www.wordsaboutwar.org.”
For media queries, please email Dr. David Vine at [email protected].
This guide aims to help people write and talk about war and foreign policy more accurately, more honestly, and in ways people outside the elite Washington, DC foreign policy “blob” can understand.
We encourage you to use this guide, to share it with others, and to adapt it as necessary to local contexts. The guide should be especially helpful to journalists and other writers, podcasters and vloggers, policy analysts, teachers, scholars, and people involved in public education projects.
When quoting or copying parts of the guide, please cite it, with a link to the guide’s online home: “Words about War Matter: A Language Guide for Discussing War and Foreign Policy,” September 2023, www.wordsaboutwar.org.”
For media queries, please email Dr. David Vine at [email protected].
Thanks
This guide was compiled with the help of many people and organizations including Theresa Arriola, William Astore, Bryan Bowman, Tobita Chow, Eli Clifton, Anila Daulatzai, Peter Ferenbach, George Friday, Shahed Ghoreishi, Mackenzie Hamilton, Maha Hilal, Patrick Hiller, Michél Legendre, Lisa Ling, Kevin Martin, Tiara Naputi, Madison Rose, David Swanson, David Vine, Geoff Wilson, American University, Concordia University, Justice Is Global, Muslim Counterpublics Lab, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, University of California–Irvine, Win Without War, and World BEYOND War, among others. Special thanks to the support of the War Prevention Initiative of the Jubitz Family Foundation.
This guide was compiled with the help of many people and organizations including Theresa Arriola, William Astore, Bryan Bowman, Tobita Chow, Eli Clifton, Anila Daulatzai, Peter Ferenbach, George Friday, Shahed Ghoreishi, Mackenzie Hamilton, Maha Hilal, Patrick Hiller, Michél Legendre, Lisa Ling, Kevin Martin, Tiara Naputi, Madison Rose, David Swanson, David Vine, Geoff Wilson, American University, Concordia University, Justice Is Global, Muslim Counterpublics Lab, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, University of California–Irvine, Win Without War, and World BEYOND War, among others. Special thanks to the support of the War Prevention Initiative of the Jubitz Family Foundation.