“Creating a Culture of Peace (CCP) is a nationwide program for community- based peacemaking. The innovative design of CCP provides a holistic and practical foundation in spiritually-grounded active nonviolence. Participants come to recognize their own power for making personal and social changes without violence and improve their skills for respectful engagement with opponents, instead of confrontation that polarizes and demonizes.”
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“Conscience Studio identifies universal practices for living peaceful, conscientious private and public lives. We encourage people to love life, act on conscience, and create a global culture of peace. We publish materials, curate exhibitions, offer training and visit to develop and connect communities of conscience.”
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“Workshops that support us to live our lives conscientiously.” Workshops: Empowerment, Resiliency, Developmental Play, Discernment, Conscience.
Read More “While building a nurturing environment for abused, abandoned, and discarded special needs farm animals and rabbits, we provide a safe, loving, and permanent home where these beautiful animals may live out their lives in peace. Coming Home advocates nonviolence, veganism and the abolition of animal exploitation. We are dedicated to raising consciousness on the negative impact that animal agriculture has on the earth, our health, and most of all, on the animals.”
Read More Book: “Many of us fall prey to despair even as we feel called to respond to these threats to life on our planet. Authors Joanna Macy and Molly Brown address the anguish experienced by those who would confront the harsh realities of our time. In this fully updated edition of Coming Back to Life, they show how grief, anger and fear are healthy responses to threats to life, and when honored can free us from paralysis or panic, through the revolutionary practice of the Work that Reconnects.”
Read MoreAction Calendar “CODEPINK is a women-led grassroots organization working to end U.S. wars and militarism, support peace and human rights initiatives, and redirect our tax dollars into healthcare, education, green jobs and other life-affirming programs. Join us!”
Read More Veganism and saving the Earth “Our Core Guiding Principle: Compassion for all LIFE is infinitely sustainable”
Read More “This monograph presents in-depth case studies and analysis intended to improve our understanding of the strategic utility of civil resistance against military takeovers; the nature of civil resistance mobilization against coups; and the role of civil resistance against coups in countries’ subsequent democratization efforts (or failure thereof).”
Read More “Christian Peace Witness is an ecumenical, ad hoc group of Partners who are called and committed to raising a Christian voice for peace. Our staff is volunteer (although often staff of Partner peace organizations) and our budget is based on donations. We witness to the power of God’s Spirit in bringing us together and enabling this work….Christian Peace Witness is committed to making “Conscience in War” a major theme for our work. We seek to foster a serious nationwide discussion on following Jesus in matters of conscience and duty, violence and nonviolence, war and peace.”
Read More “CPT places teams at the invitation of local peacemaking communities that are confronting situations of lethal conflict. These teams support and amplify the voices of local peacemakers who risk injury and death by waging nonviolent direct action to confront systems of violence and oppression.”
Read More “We support the emergence of a global movement that brings the Charter for Compassion to life. To do so, we are a network of networks, connecting organizers and leaders from around the world, providing educational resources, organizing tools, and avenues for communication; sharing lessons, stories, and inspiration; providing the umbrella of the Charter for Compassion for conferences, events, collaborations, conversations and initiatives to create compassionate communities and institutions.”
Read More “The mission of the Center for Partnership Studies is to catalyze movement towards partnership systems on all levels of society through research, education, grassroots empowerment, and policy initiatives. CPS’s programs focus on promoting human rights and nonviolence, gender and racial equity, childhood development, and new metrics that demonstrate the financial contribution of the work of caregiving.”
Read More “Our mission: -To institutionalize and internationalize nonviolence as a transformative educational process that reduces human suffering and promotes a global beloved community. -To foster mutual understanding among people, in which nonviolent processes are used to reconcile conflicts and to build peaceful, sustainable, and inclusive communities. -To collaborate with and strengthen relationships with other organizations, agencies, and governmental departments engaged in peacebuilding and nonviolence work at the local, national, and global levels. What we do: -To accomplish this mission, the Center for Nonviolence & Peace Studies organizes and provides training and education opportunities for individuals, organizations, and communities seeking to engage in the fundamental study of nonviolence and peaceful alternatives to conflict and violence.”
Read More “The Center for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies (CANVAS) is a non-profit, non-governmental, international network, oriented to educational work related to strategic nonviolent conflict…The core of CANVAS’s work is rather to spread the word of “people power” to the world than to achieve victories against one dictator or another. Our next big mission should obviously be to explain to the world what a powerful tool nonviolent struggle is when it comes to achieving freedom, democracy and human rights.”
Read More “Pax Christi has joined a growing minority who are trying to put Parihaka and its celebration of non-violent resistance in its proper place of honour. So, as November comes around, we turn our minds again to find some way in which we can promote the memory of these two prophetic heroes who tried to integrate their own traditional spirituality with the stories of resistance in the Christian scriptures which they knew well. In doing so, they developed a practice of non-violent resistance which is part of a world-wide movement reaching into our own time. We are working to see that they are given full recognition in this their own land among other such leaders, both international and indigenous, who have sought the path of reconciliation and the non-violent resolution of conflict in the spirit of the peace of Christ.”
Read More “Working for a new culture of nonviolence free from war, racism, poverty and environmental destruction.”
Read More “Welcome to TCA’s exclusive resource search application….All of the campaigners’ resources in our extensive collection have been tagged with keywords to help you find what’s most helpful to you or your organisation.”
Read More “Beautiful Trouble exists to make nonviolent revolution irresistible by providing an ever-growing suite of strategic tools and trainings that inspire movements for a more just, healthy, and equitable world….Beautiful Trouble is a book, web toolbox and international network of artist-activist trainers whose mission is to make grassroots movements more creative and more effective.”
Read More A Nonviolent Communication Blog
Read More “Beautiful Trouble exists to make nonviolent revolution irresistible by providing an ever-growing suite of strategic tools and trainings that inspire movements for a more just, healthy, and equitable world.”
Read More Book: “From Cairo to cyberspace, from Main Street to Wall Street, today’s social movements have a creative new edge that’s blurring the boundaries between artist and activist, hacker and dreamer. But the principles that make for successful creative action rarely get hashed out or written down. Until now. Beautiful Trouble brings together ten grassroots groups and dozens of seasoned artists and activists from around the world to distill their best practices into a toolbox for creative action. Among the groups included are Agit-Pop/The Other 98%, The Yes Men/Yes Labs, Code Pink, SmartMeme, The Ruckus Society, Beyond the Choir, The Center for Artistic Activism, Waging Nonviolence, Alliance of Community Trainers and Nonviolence International…Beautiful Trouble puts the accumulated wisdom of decades of creative protest into the hands of the next generation of change-makers.”
Read More “BayNVC is home to a number of projects and groups working under the same umbrella to apply and promote the principles and practices of Nonviolent Communication. Most of these are operated and run by BayNVC staff and trainers and include private sessions, classes, organizational services, retreats, and a variety of projects designed for social transformation. In addition, BayNVC provides fiscal sponsorship and financial services to other relevant projects by request. VISION: To create a world where everyone’s needs matter and people have the skills to make peace.”
Read More“From our annual week-long activism training camp to individual workshops and mentorship, trainers in Backbone’s network will help you design creative interventions that keep the news cameras captivated and get more people activated…We are excited to help you amplify your activism and reenergize your engagement with a new set of skills and tactics!..Backbone Campaign amplifies the aspirations of “We the People” with creative strategies and artful activism to manifest a world where life, community, nature, and our obligations to future generations are honored as sacred.”
Read More “The Article 20 Network was formed by activists whose personal experiences convinced them that, despite a blooming global protest movement, encroachments on and negative attitudes toward public demonstrations were threatening expression. Someone had to stand up for those who stand up. The Article 20 Network defends and advances the human right to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly worldwide. Here’s how. The Article 20 Network calls attention to abridgments of and assaults on the freedom of assembly and fosters positive public attitudes toward assembly and its practitioners. Our team brings a variety of experiences as human rights scholars, lawyers, nonviolence experts, and activists. Together, we form a passionate, results-driven team devoted to a vision of humanity enjoying the benefits of thriving democracies perpetually balanced by public demonstration.”
Read More “Ann McKnight has been a licensed psychotherapist for over 20 years. Ever curious about what moves us toward wholeness and satisfaction in everyday living, she has been exploring the crafts of Nonviolent Communication and Restorative Circles for the last 10 years. Through experimentation in all areas of her life, she is growing to see conflict as an invitation to deeper understanding, strengthened relationships and dynamic, vital community. Ann is currently working with Grand Haven and Spring Lake Public Schools, Community Policing Officers through the Holland Police Department, Hope College, Western Seminary, Hope Church, Black River Public School, various health care organizations, churches, schools, families, couples and individuals in West Michigan.”
Read MoreBook: “A prominent and respected philosopher of animal rights law and ethical theory, Gary L. Francione is known for his criticism of animal welfare laws and regulations, his abolitionist theory of animal rights, and his promotion of veganism and nonviolence as the baseline principles of the abolitionist movement. In this collection, Francione advances the most radical theory of animal rights to date. Unlike Peter Singer, Francione maintains that we cannot morally justify using animals under any circumstances, and unlike Tom Regan, Francione’s theory applies to all sentient beings, not only to those who have more sophisticated cognitive abilities.”
Read More “The mission of this website is to provide a clear statement of an approach to animal rights that (1) requires the abolition of animal exploitation and rejects the regulation of animal exploitation; (2) is based only on animal sentience and no other cognitive characteristic, (3) regards veganism as the moral baseline of the animal rights position; and (4) rejects all violence and promotes activism in the form of creative, non-violent vegan education.”
Read More “American Vegan Society (AVS) is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit here for you to learn about a compassionate way of life since 1960. AVS provides community and friendship to the general public and welcomes everyone to learn about veganism.”
Read More“Welcome to AVPQ Online. AVPQ is a growing community of people who support those actively seeking nonviolent solutions to conflict. Members share experiences, skills, information and their time. It is a multicultural, independent, non-profit association of trained volunteers, offering experiential workshops that can help people to change their lives.”
Read More “AFSC is a Quaker organization devoted to service, development, and peace programs throughout the world. Our work is based on the belief in the worth of every person, and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice.”
Read More “The Alliance of Community Trainers is a small collective that works with broader networks of trainers, allies organizations and projects. ACT offers knowledge, tools, and skills to individuals, organizations and communities to empower sustainable transformation.”
Read More “The Albert Einstein Institution is a nonprofit organization founded by Dr. Gene Sharp in 1983 to advance the study and use of strategic nonviolent action in conflicts throughout the world. We are committed to the defense of freedom, democracy, and the reduction of political violence through the use of nonviolent action. Our goals are to understand the dynamics of nonviolent action in conflicts, to explore its policy potential, and to communicate this through print and other media, translations, conferences, consultations, and workshops. The Institution has been responsible for the translation and dissemination of some of the most influential texts on nonviolent action. Many of these works have been studied among resistance movements worldwide.”
Read More 2 page pdf on affinity groups for nonviolent civil disobedience with practical tips and information. “If you are planning to do civil disobedience, it is a good idea to either form an affinity group or join an already existing one. Affinity groups serve as a source of support and solidarity for their members. “
Read More “From the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s earliest beginnings, many of its members have dedicated their lives to working for peace and social justice “for the healing of the nations.” The Adventist legacy of social engagement has not always been a proud or heroic one, yet the Adventist tradition, at its best, has inspired—and continues to inspire—a passionate commitment to peacemaking, human rights, care for the environment, and solidarity with persons of all beliefs or none for the sake of the common good. The Adventist Peace Fellowship (APF) is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2001 that seeks to raise consciousness about the centrality of peacemaking and social justice to the beliefs and heritage of Adventists. We support public service, activism, advocacy, and scholarship that reflects the radical spirit of many Adventist pioneers. We welcome all Adventists and friends of Adventists to join our network and to add their voices and their talents to the work of peacemaking.”
Read More “What defines an action as nonviolent? Is it nonviolent to go limp when the police come around to break up a demonstration? To “re-face” billboards by changing their message with paint and paste? To break into a draft board office in the middle of the night and burn its files? To slip onto a military installation at dawn and hammer on a weapon of mass destruction (or a component of or support system for such a weapon), then stand there singing ’til the MPs come? To throw a brick through the storefront of a shop that sells sweat-shop goods? To throw a stone at a soldier armed with lethal weapons?”
Read More “Why Become an Active Peacemaker? Active Peace is a holistic approach to personal, interpersonal, and collective healing. It takes in the big picture and addresses the root causes of disrespect, division, and violence. Inner healing is fully integrated with heart-centered service to life and future generations. Through a restorative justice-inspired model of community peacemaking (Active Peace Circles) we address even the most challenging issues in a transformational way that includes root causes and systems change. After successful workshops in Boulder in January 2019, the Active Peace Circle model is ready to be implemented in communities hungry for an integrated and consistently nonviolent approach to conflict transformation. Active Peace prioritizes respect, deep relationships, personal responsibility, and repairing harm at all levels and includes unmasking Privilege, Patriarchy, and Internalized Racism in a proactive and compassionate way. As an Active Peacemaker you will become more relaxed, courageous, compassionate, and resilient. You will be a positive example of what humans are capable of and bring more hope into the world. You will also join a growing network of people channeling their care into effective action.”
Read More “During the less than 13 years of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s leadership of the modern American Civil Rights Movement, from December, 1955 until April 4, 1968, African Americans achieved more genuine progress toward racial equality in America than the previous 350 years had produced. Dr. King is widely regarded as America’s pre-eminent advocate of nonviolence and one of the greatest nonviolent leaders in world history.”
Read More Book: “In A Theory of Nonviolent Action, Stellan Vinthagen draws on these examples as well as a rich collection of other historical social events that represent nonviolence movements that combined resistance and constructive change. With this groundbreaking book, Vinthagen provides the first major systematic attempt to develop a theory of nonviolent action in decades, making this essential reading for anyone involved in the study of nonviolence movements.”
Read More International Humanist Organization. World Goals without Wars and Violence: -Global nuclear disarmament, -Withdrawal of troops from occupied territories, -Reducing arms spending. -Concluding international non-aggression treaties and making states renounce war as a way to resolve conflicts
Read More Film: “A Prayer for Compassion is a feature length documentary that strives to inspire and encourage those already on a religious or spiritual path, to expand their circle of compassion to embrace all life, regardless of species, and make choices in alignment with this value. The film follows Thomas Jackson on a quest across America, that ultimately takes him to Morocco for the UN Climate Conference and throughout the Indian subcontinent to ask the question, “Can compassion grow to include all beings? and Can people who identify as religious or spiritual come to embrace the call to include all human and nonhuman beings in our circle of respect and caring and love?””
Read More “Happiness: it’s what we all want. And contrary to the messages advertisers want us to believe, we cannot buy it. So how do we find happiness? We can start by looking at the way society is currently structured. Do our systems help all of us meet our human needs? Do they foster our sense of compassion? Is everyone treated fairly and justly? Are there widely established mechanisms for building relationships of trust? We can also look at our view of humankind. Do we hold a positive understanding of who we are and what we are here to do? Our short video “A New Story of Us” answers these questions, highlighting a path to the happiness and peace we’re all seeking.”
Read More Video: “A Life Connected: VEGAN from NonviolenceUnited.org on Vimeo. View in Other Languages: Volunteers from around the world have translated A Life Connected: VEGAN into many different languages. Click the links below to view. And share with people you know. Please contact us if you’d like to translate into another language and we’ll help you get started!”
Read More“Though Gandhi is one of the most written-about figures of the twentieth century, this is the first book to apply lessons from his life to the practical tasks faced by contemporary leaders-from corporate managers and executives to government administrators, nonprofit professionals, educators, and others…A lifelong student of Gandhi’s teachings and a businessman with more than 25 years of experience in corporate and governmental leadership development, Nair is uniquely positioned to bridge the two worlds. Using illustrative examples from Gandhi’s life and writings, he identifies commitments-to conscience, openness, service, values, and reduced attachments-and describes the courage and determination necessary to work and lead by them. In simple and direct language, he explores the process of making decisions, setting goals, and implementing actions guided by the spirit of service and commitment to values that is essential to the realization of a higher standard of leadership in our workplaces and communities.”
Read More Video: “A Declaration of Conscience about Paying for War with guidance for writing a statement of conscience is an 8 minute video to use with discussion or working groups to learn about the Declaration of Conscience and organize writing statements of conscience to join us in signing the Declaration.”
Read More “These Thich Nhat Hanh quotes are almost exclusively taken from sections of his many books. If you like these mindfulness quotes, why not check out some of the Thich Nhat Hanh books at the bottom of the page”
Read More Book: “”Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind” The words of Mahatma Gandhi are guiding spirit behind the essays in this Eshort, all exploring the deep and powerful promise of nonviolence as a tool for social change. Professor Michael Nagler offers stories of nonviolence in history and today, of hope, and of our bright future.”
Read More “Practitioners of nonviolent struggle have an entire arsenal of “nonviolent weapons” at their disposal. Listed below are 198 of them, classified into three broad categories: nonviolent protest and persuasion, noncooperation (social, economic, and political), and nonviolent intervention.”
Read More “Thich Nhất Hạnh is a Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist, he has published more than 100 books, including more than 40 in English. He is active in the peace movement, promoting non-violent solutions to conflict and he also refrains from animal product consumption as a means of nonviolence towards non-human animals. May his quotes inspire you to live in the present moment and find happiness from within.”
Read More “Time: 30 minutes, minimum. Goal or purpose: To learn about the rich history of nonviolent campaigns, gain a better understanding of campaigns, tactics and movements”
Read More “Between 1900-2006, campaigns of nonviolent civil resistance were twice as successful as violent campaigns. Erica will talk about her research on the impressive historical record of civil resistance in the 20th century and discuss the promise of unarmed struggle in the 21st century. She will focus on the so-called “3.5% rule”—the notion that no government can withstand a challenge of 3.5% of its population without either accommodating the movement or (in extreme cases) disintegrating. In addition to explaining why nonviolent resistance has been so effective, she will also share some lessons learned about why it sometimes fails.”
Read More “Our nations’ leaders should be looking to Sadhana, and communities like them, as models for future development. These locations offer a unique opportunity to learn first -hand about sustainability. As ecovillages continue to grow and expand across the globe, it is clear that there is an increasing interest in living sustainably and perhaps even that there is a preference towards the ecovillage lifestyle. These communities have a record of successful and failed projects that provide a knowledge base and can potentially save a government time and money while implementing sustainable practice and design. Further research in this field should investigate the logistics of how ecovillages can engage with local governments and what resources governments need as they include sustainability in their affairs. “
Read More “As a vibrant youth oriented non-governmental organization committed to the empowerment of the youth of Ghana and Africa, Our foremost goal is to inspire and empower the youth of Africa inform themselves of challenges that awaits them in their lifetimes and take action to address them. “
Read More Book by Leo Tolstoy
Read More “Our Vision: “Peace Begins with Me”. Our Mission Statement: We hold that a lasting peace will not be found in the world, until it is developed in the hearts of humanity. Our goal is to inspire the brothers and sisters of our human family with an achievable vision that is not bound by politics or religion or economics but an inevitable, triumphant victory of the heart. We believe that our responsibility for peace begins within each of us. The peace we offer to ourselves, our families, our communities and finally to our world family is the harbinger of tomorrow’s oneness-world of peace. We believe there is a simple choice for each human being between war and peace, between laying blame and increasing anger and conflict, or opening our hearts and sharing peace and love within our global family. We hold that violence and aggression will not create peace at home or in our schools or communities. We envision an irresistible wave of peace, a critical mass that will not stop until the world is free. We proclaim proudly “PEACE BEGINS WITH ME!” “
Read More Videos: “-World without Wars and Violence – presentation of activities in the Czech Republic, -Increasing peace or growing destruction, -Drum flashmob for nuclear disarmament, -A world without wars and violence on a demonstration against a crossing American convoy across the territory of the Czech Republic, -History repeats. To laugh or cry?, -What is active nonviolence: M. Gandhi, -What is active non-violence: M. L . King, -Noam Chomsky on the crisis in Ukraine, -Short history of NATO, 1949 – 2015”
Read More “World BEYOND War is a global nonviolent movement to end war and establish a just and sustainable peace. We aim to create awareness of popular support for ending war and to further develop that support. We work to advance the idea of not just preventing any particular war but abolishing the entire institution. We strive to replace a culture of war with one of peace in which nonviolent means of conflict resolution take the place of bloodshed.”
Read More “Witness for Peace (WFP) is a politically independent, nationwide grassroots organization of people committed to nonviolence and led by faith and conscience. Witness for Peace’s mission is to support peace, justice and sustainable economies in the Americas by changing U.S. policies and corporate practices that contribute to poverty and oppression in Latin America and the Caribbean.”
Read More “Wisconsin Network for Peace, Justice & Sustainability advances a sustainable world free from violence and injustice by connecting, engaging, and strengthening member groups and serving as a catalyst for community organizing and education.”
Read MoreBook: “Martin Luther King’s classic exploration of the events and forces behind the Civil Rights Movement—including his Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963. “There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair.” In 1963, Birmingham, Alabama, was perhaps the most racially segregated city in the United States. The campaign launched by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Civil Rights movement on the segregated streets of Birmingham demonstrated to the world the power of nonviolent direct action. In this remarkable book—winner of the Nobel Peace Prize—Dr. King recounts the story of Birmingham in vivid detail, tracing the history of the struggle for civil rights back to its beginnings three centuries ago and looking to the future, assessing the work to be done beyond Birmingham to bring about full equality for African Americans. Above all, Dr. King offers an eloquent and penetrating analysis of the events and pressures that propelled the Civil Rights movement from lunch counter sit-ins and prayer marches to the forefront of American consciousness. Since its publication in the 1960s, Why We Can’t Wait has become an indisputable classic. Now, more than ever, it is an enduring testament to the wise and courageous vision of Martin Luther King, Jr.”
Read More “Implicit in recent scholarly debates about the efficacy of methods of warfare is the assumption that the most effective means of waging political struggle entails violence. Among political scientists, the prevailing view is that opposition movements select violent methods because such means are more effective than nonviolent strategies at achieving policy goals. Despite these assumptions, from 2000 to 2006 organized civilian populations successfully employed nonviolent methods including boycotts, strikes, protests, and organized noncooperation to challenge entrenched power and exact political concessions in Serbia (2000), Madagascar (2002), Georgia (2003) and Ukraine (2004–05), Lebanon (2005), and Nepal (2006). The success of these nonviolent campaigns—especially in light of the enduring violent insurgencies occurring in some of the same countries—begs systematic investigation.” 38 page pdf
Read MoreBook: “For more than a century, from 1900 to 2006, campaigns of nonviolent resistance were more than twice as effective as their violent counterparts in achieving their stated goals. By attracting impressive support from citizens, whose activism takes the form of protests, boycotts, civil disobedience, and other forms of nonviolent noncooperation, these efforts help separate regimes from their main sources of power and produce remarkable results, even in Iran, Burma, the Philippines, and the Palestinian Territories. Combining statistical analysis with case studies of specific countries and territories, Erica Chenoweth and Maria J. Stephan detail the factors enabling such campaigns to succeed and, sometimes, causing them to fail. They find that nonviolent resistance presents fewer obstacles to moral and physical involvement and commitment, and that higher levels of participation contribute to enhanced resilience, greater opportunities for tactical innovation and civic disruption (and therefore less incentive for a regime to maintain its status quo), and shifts in loyalty among opponents’ erstwhile supporters, including members of the military establishment. Chenoweth and Stephan conclude that successful nonviolent resistance ushers in more durable and internally peaceful democracies, which are less likely to regress into civil war. Presenting a rich, evidentiary argument, they originally and systematically compare violent and nonviolent outcomes in different historical periods and geographical contexts, debunking the myth that violence occurs because of structural and environmental factors and that it is necessary to achieve certain political goals. Instead, the authors discover, violent insurgency is rarely justifiable on strategic grounds.”
Read More “Black bloc tactics have received much praise in recent weeks, but there are many valid questions about their effectiveness that we ignore at our own peril…I believe we can build such a movement. One that is grounded in nonviolence, but is just as powerful and militant as violence. That, however, requires work, strategy and training. Violence is easier, faster and more natural to us. Its dynamics are simpler to understand. “I make you suffer until you give in.” But now is not the time to get seduced by the short-term. We need to continue to train and grow, to have the humility to be self-critical, and to objectively evaluate our tactics and strategies. We need to continue to build a movement to transform violence.”
Read More “It took years for King to understand nonviolence not merely as a moral force, but as an effective strategy for leveraging political change. Yet his embrace of that idea allowed him to shape history. Few are aware that Martin Luther King, Jr. once applied for a permit to carry a concealed handgun…To not merely adopt pacifism as a personal philosophy, but rather to stake your career and your organization’s future on a belief in the power of nonviolence as a political force, requires tremendous determination. It took years of deliberation and delay for Martin Luther King to take such a step. But when he finally did, the result was decisive: King went from being someone who had been repeatedly swept up in the saga of civil rights — a reluctant protagonist in the battle against American apartheid — to being a shaper of history.”
Read More Monograph: “Why do some nonviolent revolutions lead to successful democratization while others fail to consolidate democratic change? And what can activists do to push toward a victory over dictatorship that results in long-term political freedom? Several studies show that nonviolent revolutions are generally a more positive force for democratization than violent revolutions and top-down political transitions. However, some nonviolent revolutions, such as the Arab Spring revolution in Egypt, do not seem to fit this pattern. This study takes on this puzzle and reveals that the answer lies in large part in the actions of civil society prior to and during transition. Democracy is most likely when activists can keep their social bases mobilized for positive political change while directing that mobilization toward building new political institutions.” 104 page pdf
Read More Book: “Since her arrest and five-day jail stay during the Seattle anti-WTO protests in November 1999, Starhawk has poured her energy into the global justice movement, participating in direct actions, leading nonviolence training workshops, and writing, always writing. Webs of Power is the outcome: an account from the front lines of that movement as it migrated from Seattle to Prague, then Brazil, Quebec City, and Genoa. As well as reporting the actions on the street, it includes a privileged glimpse behind the scenes, too, at the fierce discussion of the issues, strategies, and tactics of an always-evolving social movement. The book is also a personal vision of what an alternative future might look and feel like beyond the version offered up to us by the promoters of corporate globalization. Webs of Power is a unique contribution to our understanding of one of the most pivotal struggles of our time.”
Read More “We is a fast-paced 64 minute documentary that covers the world politics of power, war, corporations, deception and exploitation. It visualizes the words of Arundhati Roy, specifically her famous Come September speech, where she spoke on such things as the war on terror, corporate globalization, justice and the growing civil unrest. It’s witty, moving, alarming and quite a lesson in modern history. We is almost in the style of a continuous music video. The music used sets the pace and serves as wonderful background for the words of Ms. Roy and images of humanity in the world we live all in today. We is a completely free documentary, created and released anonymously on the internet. There are many ways to download and view it. See the About This Project page for more information about the documentary, the filmmaker and this web site.”
Read More “The War Resisters League affirms that all war is a crime against humanity. We are determined not to support any kind of war, international or civil, and to strive nonviolently for the removal of all causes of war, including racism, sexism and all forms of exploitation.”
Read MoreBook: “The son of an Alabama sharecropper, and now a sixth-term United States Congressman, John Lewis has led an extraordinary life, one that found him at the epicenter of the civil rights movement in the late ’50s and ’60s. As Chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Lewis was present at all the major battlefields of the movement. Arrested more than forty times and severely beaten on several occasions, he was one of the youngest yet most courageous leaders. Written with charm, warmth, and honesty, Walking with the Wind offers rare insight into the movement and the personalities of all the civil rights leaders-what was happening behind the scenes, the infighting, struggles, and triumphs. Lewis takes us from the Nashville lunch counter sit-ins to the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, where he led more than five hundred marchers on what became known as “Bloody Sunday.” While there have been exceptional books on the movement, there has never been a front-line account by a man like John Lewis. A true American hero, his story is “destined to become a classic in civil rights literature.” (Los Angeles Times)”
Read More “Waging Nonviolence is an independent, non-profit media platform dedicated to providing original reporting and expert analysis of social movements around the world. We believe that when ordinary people organize they have incredible power and are the drivers of social change — not politicians, billionaires or corporations.”
Read MoreBook: “Instructs how to strategically plan nonviolent action, a technique of waging conflict that uses protest, noncooperation and intervention. Draws parallels between nonviolent and military strategy. Documents twenty-three cases showing how nonviolent action has been applied to conflicts throughout the world in the twentieth century”
Read More“Waging Nonviolence is an independent, non-profit media platform dedicated to providing original reporting and expert analysis of social movements around the world. We believe that when ordinary people organize they have incredible power and are the drivers of social change — not politicians, billionaires or corporations. In short, people power is our beat, and we cover the ways it is shaping our world, grounded in both history and the latest research. Since our founding in 2009, we have published reporting from contributors in more than 80 countries — with a special focus on overlooked movements in the Global South, as well as issues that traditional media tend to ignore.”
Read More “Voices for Creative Nonviolence has long-standing roots in active nonviolent resistance to U.S. war-making. Begun in the summer of 2005, Voices draws from the experiences of those who challenged the brutal economic sanctions imposed by the U.S. and U.N. against the Iraqi people between 1990 and 2003. Members of Voices led over 70 delegations to Iraq to challenge the economic sanctions and were present in Baghdad in resistance the 2003 U.S. military invasion. Since 2009, Voices has led delegations to Afghanistan to listen and learn from nonviolent grassroots movements and to raise awareness about the negative impacts of U.S. militarism in the region. We are on the precipice of a full blown world war if one is not already under way. And we ask: what must our response be? And our answer- as tentative, grappling, searching and seeking as it may be- is that it falls upon us as citizens of the country initiating this world war to utilize all nonviolent means available to turn off war- to engage the electoral and legislative process, most definitely; to protest, of course; and to march and demonstrate. We must also move from protest to active nonviolent resistance. We must withdraw our collaboration and complicity with this system and use our bodies and lives as a means to bring the machinery of death to a grinding halt. Nonviolence cannot be a single day event- it must be a commitment we make and act upon every day of our lives. What might this active nonviolent resistance look like? And how might we act in solidarity with the Iraqi and Afghan peoples and others who find themselves in the crosshairs of U.S. war-making? Voices is committed to strategic campaigns and experiments. We engage in active nonviolent resistance. Such resistance must take into account that war-making is both military and economic.”
Read More “Voices for Creative Non-Violence UK work in solidarity with non-violent Afghan peacemakers; namely the Afghan Peace Volunteers (APV). Our activities include taking peace delegations to Afghanistan to gather testimonies and analysis from grassroots Afghan peace activists then using that information for campaigning purposes. We want to support non-violent Afghans in voicing their wishes for their country and do what we can in the UK to strengthen the peace movement and pressurise our Governments to end its involvement in a war which has lasted 13 years, is fuelling violent radicalism in Afghanistan as well as the UK, and moreover continuing a stream of violence in a country which has experienced bloodshed for over three decades.”
Read More “Virginia Organizing is a non-partisan statewide grassroots organization dedicated to challenging injustice by empowering people in local communities to address issues that affect the quality of their lives. Virginia Organizing especially encourages the participation of those who have traditionally had little or no voice in our society. By building relationships with individuals and groups throughout the state, Virginia Organizing strives to get them to work together, democratically and non-violently, for change.”
Read More “The Vernal Education Project is a long-term effort to create a comprehensive education and support network that can bolster and sustain grassroots progressive social change movements in the United States. The project is described in the book Inciting Democracy: A Practical Proposal for Creating a Good Society by Randy Schutt. The project seeks to create a network of 50 educational centers around the United States, each of which would facilitate a 1-year program on social change for 120 students every year. The project is currently in the early development stages, focused on distributing Inciting Democracy and recruiting volunteer staffmembers.”
Read More “The UPEACE Online programme prepares competent professionals to resolve pressing and complex global problems, that concern humanity, and to create new approaches to old problems through various levels of analysis and action. Whether you are looking for training or obtaining credits take one of our many graduate level courses in Peace and Conflict studies. The deparment programme offers: -Individual online courses for credit and training. -The Online Master of Arts in Sustainable Peace in the Contemporary World. -Automated Courses for training.”
Read More “While Dr. King was one of the greatest advocates for peace we had ever seen, behind him were dozens, hundreds, and thousands of unsung individuals – men and women – who helped to shape him and the movement. We encourage everyone to know their names and acknowledge their contribution to the struggle. Below is a list of just a few of the unsung heroes/sheroes of the Civil Rights Movement. Click on their names to learn more.”
Read More “We, the members of United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ), stand opposed to the “pre-emptive” wars of aggression waged by the Bush administration…We come together to turn the tide, to overwhelm war with peace, and oppression with justice…We seek to build a broad mass movement for peace and justice composed of all who are threatened by the new war program…We will link the wars abroad with the assaults at home, and U.S. militarism to the corporate economic interests it serves…We will work for peace and justice through nonviolent means. We will strive to embody in our day-to-day work the values we espouse and the world we seek to build.”
Read More List divided into categories. “Examples of changes from which we benefit today. Some are ongoing. Grassroots groups began the work, faced opposition, and were primarily nonviolent. ” (2 page pdf)
Read More “Inspired by the words and deeds of social justice visionaries of past eras, we create documentary films, educational web sites, critical thinking essays, teaching presentations and grassroots advocacy programs that expose hidden injustices, awaken compassion, empower individual transformation and encourage nonviolent resistance to oppression and socially sanctioned violence.”
Read More “Trauma Healing: Advanced Workshop Manual is designed for Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) volunteer facilitators and includes complete descriptions for:
Workshop Routines – schedule, agenda, methods, evaluations and closings. Workshop Sessions – safety, remembering, mourning and reconnecting. Workshop Threads – companions, grounding techniques and self care.”
Publications (books, training activities, handouts, etc). “Training for Change is a training and capacity building organization for activists and organizers. We believe strong training and group facilitation is vital to movement building for social justice and radical change.”
Read More “Below is our toolbox of tool topics. Click to reveal tools that correspond with the categories you select…3rd Party Nonviolent Intervention, De-escalation & Peacekeeping, Direct Action, Diversity & Anti-Oppression, Energizers & Games, Meeting Facilitation, Online Training Tools, Organizing & Strategy, Team Building, Training Fundamentals”
Read More “Training for Change is a training and capacity building organization for activists and organizers. We believe strong training and group facilitation is vital to movement building for social justice and radical change. Since 1992, we’ve supported groups taking direct action, building strong teams and organizations, and working at the grassroots. We train thousands of people each year in North America, and also internationally, across issues and sectors – from campaign strategy retreats for anti-gentrification community groups, facilitation training for union leaders, to de-escalation skills for immigrant rights groups resisting deportation.”
Read More “Training for Change is a training and capacity building organization for activists and organizers. We believe strong training and group facilitation is vital to movement building for social justice and radical change. Since 1992, we’ve supported groups taking direct action, building strong teams and organizations, and working at the grassroots. We train thousands of people each year in North America, and also internationally, across issues and sectors – from campaign strategy retreats for anti-gentrification community groups, facilitation training for union leaders, to de-escalation skills for immigrant rights groups resisting deportation.”
Read More “The name “Towards a Nonviolent World” stands for a big vision that this world can be more nonviolent, if there is the awareness and willingness to direct our actions towards that goal. It is a process, or ‘journey’, for which we need to train our ‘peace-building’ skills.”
Read More Recordings of webinars on nonviolent action. “The name “Towards a Nonviolent World” stands for a big vision that this world can be more nonviolent, if there is the awareness and willingness to direct our actions towards that goal. It is a process, or ‘journey’, for which we need to train our ‘peace-building’ skills.”
Read MoreBook: “There is a craft to uprising—and this craft can change the world. From protests around climate change and immigrant rights, to Occupy, the Arab Spring, and #BlackLivesMatter, a new generation is unleashing strategic nonviolent action to shape public debate and force political change. When mass movements erupt onto our television screens, the media consistently portrays them as being spontaneous and unpredictable. Yet, in this book, Mark and Paul Engler look at the hidden art behind such outbursts of protest, examining core principles that have been used to spark and guide moments of transformative unrest. With incisive insights from contemporary activists, as well as fresh revelations about the work of groundbreaking figures such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Gene Sharp, and Frances Fox Piven, the Englers show how people with few resources and little conventional influence are engineering the upheavals that are reshaping contemporary politics. Nonviolence is usually seen simply as a philosophy or moral code. This Is an Uprising shows how it can instead be deployed as a method of political conflict, disruption, and escalation. It argues that if we are always taken by surprise by dramatic outbreaks of revolt, we pass up the chance to truly understand how social transformation happens.”
Read More “The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) aims to achieve a more just and equal world, free of war and violence, where everyone has the full benefit of human rights. Do you wish you could be part of a group which works for peace, freedom, justice and human rights? Which works to educate others to understand why violence and war don’t work? Interested? Then please join us. One person alone can make a contribution but by working together women can and do achieve much more. WILPF is here for all persons who want to work together to fulfill our aims.”
Read More “The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) is an international, nonviolent and democratic membership organisation. Its Members are indigenous peoples, minorities, unrecognised States and occupied territories that have joined together to defend their political, social and cultural rights, to preserve their environments and to promote their right to self-determination.”
Read More “Three attributes can make the difference between success and failure for nonviolent movements around the world: unity, planning, and nonviolent discipline.”
Read More“The Kingian Nonviolence workshops are transformational experiences that have helped thousands of people from around the world understand the depth of the philosophy of nonviolence, and learn to begin to bring the practices into their lives and their work…Whether you are an organizer working for social change, a teacher trying to change the culture of your school or simply an individual trying to deal with the conflicts in your personal life, each person will walk away from our workshops with new skills and a new perspective.”
Read MoreBook: “Is There No Other Way? is the mature work of one of the world’s most widely respected peace scholars and activists. Beginning with the achievements of Mahatma Gandhi, and following the legacy of nonviolence through the struggles against Nazism in Europe, racism in America, oppression in China and Latin America, and ethnic conflicts in Africa and Bosnia, Nagler unveils a hidden history. Nonviolence, he proposes, has proven its power against arms and social injustice wherever it has been correctly understood and applied. Nagler’s approach is not only historical, but also spiritual. He argues, drawing upon the experience of Gandhi and other activists, that the shift to nonviolence begins within the individual, through the reshaping and re-visioning of how one understands the world. He then shows how from changes in the individual, changes in the larger community follow. Is There No Other Way? is a provocative and emotionally powerful document that challenges readers’ assumptions about the workings of power in their homes and communities, as well as the larger political arena.”
Read More “Our vision is an eco-centric, life-enriching global culture of normalized nonviolence. The mission of the Sacred Lifeline Project is to create safe, living spaces as experiential education and research centers (Imaginal Cell Academies) where such a culture can flourish, where we integrate human economy with natural ecology, creating and cultivating thriving, regenerative nonviolent systems of joyful living, founded on compassion for all life. Such a Great Transition in culture from our mainstream ego-centric consumer culture of normalized violence requires changes in foundational stories, common attitudes towards others including other life-forms, processes and practices. This is a multi-disciplinary undertaking involving artists, anthropologists, psychologists, political scientists, engineers, doctors, lawyers, architects and spiritual leaders, among others. Hence we have assembled a strong team with diverse international experience and strong knowledge to mentor this project as it takes shape with primary, hands-on participation of the younger generation.”
Read More “The Ruckus Society is a multi-racial network of trainers dedicated to providing the necessary tools, preparation, and support to build direct action capacity for ecological justice and social change movements. We work with Indigenous communities and other communities of color working to preserve their homes and environments and for climate justice.”
Read More “This is the final dharma talk of the 2000 21-Day Retreat, The Eyes of the Buddha, offered from Lower Hamlet at Plum Village by Thich Nhat Hanh on June 20, 2000. The primary theme of the dharma talk is the Noble Eightfold Path. In Part I, we begin with an introduction to deep listening – protected by compassion – followed by a teaching on the Noble Eightfold Path threaded with teachings on the Five Mindfulness Trainings. 1.Right View 2.Right Thinking 3.Right Speech 4.Right Action 5.Right Diligence 6.Right Livelihood 7.Right Mindfulness 8.Right Concentration. In Part II, beginning at 1-hour and 8-minutes we turn to the topics of violence, nonviolence, UNESCO’s Manifesto 2000, and dependent co-arising.”
Read More“A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good! Since 1909, The Progressive has aimed to amplify voices of dissent and those under-represented in the mainstream, with a goal of championing grassroots progressive politics. Our bedrock values are nonviolence and freedom of speech. Based in Madison, Wisconsin, we publish on national politics, culture, and events including U.S. foreign policy; we also focus on issues of particular importance to the heartland. Two flagship projects of The Progressive include Public School Shakedown, which covers efforts to resist the privatization of public education, and The Progressive Media Project, aiming to diversify our nation’s op-ed pages. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We publish multiple stories every day on our website, and also produce a bimonthly magazine featuring investigative reporting, cultural and political analysis, and poetry. Recent issues have focused on climate change, and being “othered” in today’s America.”
Read MoreBook: “The idea of non-violence (passive-resistance) has always seemed beautiful but too good to be true. As a practical proposition it arouses scepticism and ridicule. But Mr Gregg is strangely convincing. He marshals the whole weight of contemporary knowledge,and uses the experience of Gandhi,who has employed non-violence methods on a wider scale and with greater success than any other figure in history. Non-violent resistance is the doctrine of absolute pacificism. In theory, it recognizes no use of violence as legitimate in practice it includes all human relations,national and social as well as individual. Contents Include Modern Examples of Non-Violent Resistance Moral Jiu-Jitsu What Happens Utilising Emotional Energy How is Mass Non-Violent Resistance An Effective Substitute for War The Class Struggle and Non-Violent Resistance Non-Violence and the State Further Political Aspects Biological Considerations Doubts and Queries Preperation for Non-Violence Further Understanding Self Discipline Group Training and Discipline Notes by Chapters”
Read More Book: “The Path of Most Resistance: A Step-by-Step Guide to Planning Nonviolent Campaigns is a practical guide for activists and organizers of all levels, who wish to grow their nonviolent resistance activities into a more strategic, fixed-term campaign. It guides readers through the campaign planning process, breaking it down into several steps and providing tools and exercises for each step. Upon finishing the book, readers will have what they need to guide their peers through the process of planning a campaign. This process, as laid out in the guide, is estimated to take about 12 hours from start to finish. The guide is divided into two parts. The first lays out and contextualizes campaign planning tools and their objectives. It also explains the logic behind these tools, and how they can be modified to better suit a particular group’s context. The second part provides easily reproducible and shareable lesson plans for using each of those tools, and explores how to embed the tools in the wider planning process.”
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