Paul Ogren - From War to Peace

an Interview by Vicki León
Turning Weapons Meant to Destroy Us Into Art Meant to Restore Us

Author Vicki León: Back in the 1980's, I was a no-nukes activist during the years before Diablo Canyon was fired up. Thus my journalistic curiosity was aroused when I heard about local entrepreneur Paul Ogren's brainchild, called From War to Peace. Our fascinating, at times provocative interview provides food for thought—and scope for action, too.

Vicki León: Paul, you're a native Californian, but a recent transplant from the Midwest to San Luis Obispo. Fill us in on your background in peace activism.

Paul Ogren: I got started a lot earlier than you, León. Coming from a very progressive family, as a teen I worked on Eugene McCarthy's 1968 run for President as the anti-war candidate. It was terrific: knocking on doors, putting up posters, taking part in the zeitgeist of the times. By 1980, I'd entered politics in Minnesota and won a seat as a state legislator. Held office for 12 years, got early legislation passed on healthcare, organic produce—while also authoring anti-war resolutions, starting with the first Iraq war. I still feel it's a tragedy that we failed to learn the lesson of Vietnam and we're still enmeshed in wars all over the world.

VL: What exactly is From War to Peace? What was its genesis?

PO: Well, starting in 1993, the START treaties were signed by President G. H. W. Bush and later President Clinton, leading to the disarming of thousands of missile sites in the Midwest. Basically nothing was left behind—except miles of deeply buried cabling that once linked all the missile sites. The stuff was made of plastic, steel, and copper wire.

• Around that time, my niece Lucy happened to visit us and she asked me to sing the bass line vocals for her. And there I was, singing an old hymn when I suddenly became aware of the import of the words. The song said, ' . . . and into plowshares turn their swords . . .  and nations shall know war no more.' It was a lightbulb moment for me.
• I got a plant in Iowa to break down the cabling and ended up with 10,000 pounds of high-grade copper chop.

VL: What a storage unit nightmare. What was your game plan at that point?

PO: It didn't jell until I started musing about the universal peace symbol. Did you know it's actually two semaphore symbols for the letter N and D, which stand for Nuclear Disarmament? And then it came to me: the most perfect way to recycle would be to take a material used in the most devastating weapons systems ever conceived, and turn it into peaceful and beautiful symbols.

VL: How did the copper end up as bronze?

PO: Good question. After researching in the art community, and with foundries working in copper, and so forth, I bought a melting furnace and started experimenting. It soon became clear that I needed to turn the copper into bronze in order to make cast jewelry via the lost wax process. We ended up with a silicon bronze that pours like butter and can be given all sorts of patinas. We call Peace Bronze. Gorgeous stuff.

VL: I'm getting the impression that this is a recycling story on multiple levels.

PO: You're right. As a company, we have a solid commitment to recycling in whatever we do. From the packaging to the art objects, which will include Christmas ornaments, wind chimes, and larger objects as well as jewelry. And we're committed to all-American products. This copper, mined in Montana, was initially turned into something whose potential use was terrifying and deadly. Now it's been transformed into something that's beautiful and redemptive.  

VL: What are your final thoughts on the eve of your company's launch?

PO: My whole business is inspired by the story of the long-ago Colossus of Rhodes. It was the first example in history of taking a weapon of mass destruction and recycling it into a spectacular, peaceful work of artistry. And by my late wife Sandee, who walked the walk when it came to the possibility of peace. Back in 1967 while still in college, she organized a Peace Caravan of Quakers. Together they traveled from Iowa through the deep South for three risky months, spreading the message about getting out of the Vietnam War. Sandee was wonderfully fearless; and her example is ever-present in every aspect of From War to Peace.

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The staff and Peace Bronze jewelry line of From War to Peace made its first public appearance at the Baywood Oktoberfest on Sunday, October 31. Please visit their website to access the entire line of Peace Bronze jewelry at From War to Peace.