History

While the idea of creating a political union of states in order to abolish war may be traced back for centuries, the collapse of the League of Nations in the 1930s brought to the fore the concept of federalism in terms of an international union of states and peoples. The devastation of World War II prompted many to seek solutions to the threat of global war and the inability of the international community to address this threat.

In February 1947, newly formed federalist groups came together in Asheville, NC, and decided to join together to form the World Federalist Association, now known as Citizens for Global Solutions. Later that same year, a meeting was held in Montreux, Switzerland, and the umbrella organization known today as the World Federalist Movement was created.

One of the delegates to the Asheville meeting, Elizabeth Bloch, returned to Pittsburgh and helped to found the Pittsburgh Chapter the following month. Both Elizabeth Bloch and her husband, Raymond, devoted their time and energy to the ideals of world peace through world law.

Another prominent leader of the Pittsburgh chapter, Maclean McLean, was the group’s first Executive Director. In 1951, he became the Secretary General of the World Federalist Movement, headquartered in Amsterdam. After his four-year term, he returned to Pittsburgh to continue his tenure as Executive Director.

In 2003 the World Federalist Association and the Campaign for UN Reform engaged in a strategic partnership, creating Global Solutions. On April 1, 2004, the World Federalist Association of Pittsburgh followed suit, becoming Global Solutions Pittsburgh.