They are now Vice-Presidents of IFOR – The International Fellowships of Reconciliation

Jean Goss and Hildegard Goss-Mayr have planted seeds of peace and humanity from Latin America to the Philippines. These seeds dispersed during the 35 years of work with the International Fellowship of Reconciliation, were in the form of non-violence. The seeds have sprouted, some are still seedlings, but many more have borne fruit, sweet fruit. This French – Australian couple untiringly work for peace while their endeavor go unnoticed by many. Peace work has been a team effort for the Goss – Mayrs since their marriage in 1958. On Occasion, however, a special project stirs the individual interest of Jean and Hildegard. Their position with IFOR was originally that of traveling secretaries, and they are now hold the post of Vice – Presidents.

Paths Converged
Even though the couple now has one vision towards peace, two very separate paths converged when the couple met.

The Nazi Salute
Hildegard, born in Vienna, Austria in 1930, the daughter of Kaspar Mayr, whose life was devoted to non – violence, recoiled from raising her Austrian school children at only twelve years of age.

Many Suicides
Her father work with Fellowship of Reconciliation during Hitler’s siege in Austria in 1938 got him arrested. After the war, Hildegard witnessed young people committing suicide. She says she felt similar desperation – the aching feeling of not wanting to live in an angry, destructive world – but her faith carried her through. In her late teens, Hildegard vowed to alleviate some of the violence in the world. In this the gospel gave her strength. According to Hildegard, “The turning point in my life was the discovery that gave me a new perspective and hope: the International Fellowships of Reconciliation of which I am now vice – President.”

Union: First School of Nonviolence
Jean, on other hand, born in France in 1912, since the age of eleven “found the only way to defend oneself against the injustice is to join a union. For him, and many others in Europe, the labor union was the first school of nonviolence by struggling against exploitation without arms through negotiation and dialogue.

I Killed Day and Night
When World War II began Jean was 25. Through the mass media he gained the perception of Hitler being the devil. Jean said: “If we killed Hitler then everything would be okay. So I joined the French army to kill Hitler. And I killed day and night for many weeks… I killed so well that I received medals.” Seeing peasants workers and families lies liked his own being slain, Jean became more and more destroyed. People like the ones he was trying to defend were being killed.

A heretic
His time of struggle and desperation as a prisoner of war in Germany gave Jean everything. In his own words, “I discovered what is to be human, what is true and just.” For Jean, God is the only truly nonviolent, one is in essence trying to be God – like. It Jean’s belief that one must try to open conscience of the violent one through the strength of love and justice. Upon trying to find fellow believers of nonviolence, Jean found himself accused of being a heretic. Then he met Henri Rosei of the French Fellowship of Reconciliation. Henri knew that Jean had found the paths and reassured him that he was right.

Jean Meets Hildegard
The Goss – Mayr met in 1953 through meetings held in on pacifism by Kaspar Mayr Their uniquely similar convictions gave them the facilities to organize Catholics in Europe desirous of a nonviolent world Eventually Jean and Hildegard married in 1958.

Behind the Iron Curtains
Hildegard and Jean welcomed their first opportunity to enter the Soviet-dominated countries in 1955. Their bridge- building campaign led them to Poland and on through Eastern Europe to Moscow.

Off Latin America/Dom Helder Camara
The couple spent 1962 to1977 in Latin America through International Fellowship of Reconciliation teaching concepts of nonviolent liberation to two leaders of the movement, Dom Helder Camara and Adolfo Perez Esquivel. Jean and Hildegard saw a failing of catholic theology, as the radical message of nonviolence “was not properly taught; no one taught another way – a way of peace.

The Poor Teach the Theologians
Their liberation theology, teaches that one must bring together faith and the situation in which they live, not one must identify with those who suffer. They believe the poor teach the theologians through the strength they drew from the Bible. Also, they have a keen awareness that only those who suffer must be liberated, but also those who oppress.

Anti – Marcos
Through their work in Latin America, the Goss – Mayr were invited to the Philippines to share their 25 years of experience in the effort to develop a nonviolent opposition to the Marcos regime. One year later, in 1984, the Philippines chapter of Fellowship of Reconciliation formed

Vatican II and Conscientious Objection
In other works, the Goss – Mayr have lobbied at the Second Vatican Council for endorsement of nonviolent peacemaking, culminating in the first support by the church of conscientious objection.

Nobel Peace Prize
Seven members of International Fellowship for Reconciliation have been honored with the Nobel Peace Prize including Adolfo Perez Esquivel who credits his understanding of nonviolence to the Goss – Mayr. The Goss – Mayr have now nominated for that prestigious honor.

One of Jean’s most trenchant phrases is: “Active nonviolence is the Atomic Bomb of the people.” The day the people know how to use it justice will dawn on earth.