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Nonviolent Action

Reconstructing Nonviolence: A New Theory And Action For A Post-Secular Society

September 3, 2019 Antonio C. S. Rosa, Transcend.org ,
Nonviolent methods of action have been a powerful tool since the early 20th century for social protest and revolutionary social and political change, and there is diffuse awareness that nonviolence is an efficient spontaneous choice of movements, individuals, and whole nations. Yet from a conceptual standpoint, nonviolence struggles to engage with key contemporary political issues: the role of religion in a post-secular world; the crisis of democracy; and the use of supposedly ‘nonviolent techniques’ for violent aims.

Sudan’s Protesters Find New Tactics For Civil Disobedience

June 16, 2019 Kaamil Ahmed, Middle East Eye. , ,
Build the barricades, then run. The message from protest leaders to the young Sudanese on the streets of the capital has been consistent ahead of Sunday's call to began a comprehensive campaign of civil disobedience. Initially used to guard the sit-in outside Sudan's military headquarters - where protesters demanded the ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC) step aside - barricades built from bricks and metal scavenged from the very roads they block have been a symbol of Sudan's protest movement. But after Sudanese forces forcibly dispersed the sit-in on 3 June, those protesters have now spread their opposition through the country. "The barricades are your guards," according to one of the many rallying calls released by the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), the group that spearheaded protests against former president Omar al-Bashir since December.

The Bottom Line: Go For The Money

May 31, 2019 By Rivera Sun, Popular Resistance ,
It's rare to hear business magazines admit the power of nonviolent action. As the editor of Nonviolence News, a service that collects and shares 30-50+ stories of nonviolence in action each week, I often see business journals minimizing the effect of activism. Usually, industry tries to conceal the impact nonviolent action has on their bottom line by chalking it up to market pressures—as with the case of Shell's Arctic drilling rig. Business magazines credited falling fossil fuel prices with the decision to withdraw from drilling in the Arctic.

Taking Nonviolent Action In Defense Of Mother Earth

April 20, 2019 By Michele Naar-Obed, Progressive.org ,
Our case will be tried before a twelve-person jury, who will decide whether ours was an act of criminality or one of necessity. But the last word will not come from the jury, the judge, or the lawmakers. On February 4 of this year, four farmers and Catholic workers from the Midwest, myself included, attempted to shut off the flow of deadly, poisonous tar sands oil through Minnesota and the treaty territory of several Ojibwe nations. As the “Four Necessity Valve Turners,” we felt compelled to take this necessary, nonviolent action in the face of the imminent threat of the climate crisis – which, according the United Nations’ October 2018 report, requires an immediate response.

Nationwide Week Of Nonviolent Action

September 14, 2018 Campaign Nonviolence,Pace y bene. ,
Over 2650 marches, actions, events and rallies are poised to take place in all 50 states nationwide as part of Campaign Nonviolence Week of Actions September 15-23. This unprecedented campaign of grassroots activism calls for nonviolent action against racism, war, poverty, and environmental destruction. In its inaugural year of 2014, 230 events took place. In response to the hate speech, racism, wars, environmental destruction, and government corruption presently dividing our nation, this year over 100,000 people will join together in more than 2650 rallies, marches and events to spread the word of unity, justice, peace and nonviolence in the tradition of nonviolence.

Answering “What Should I Do?” Is Easier When You Know The Roles Of Social Movements

August 5, 2018 Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers, Popular Resistance , ,
The United States is going in the wrong direction on a wide range of social, economic and foreign policy issues and people are justifiably upset and angry about this. One question we are regularly asked is: "What should I do?" In our last two newsletters, we examined the stages of successful social movements to show how movements can progress toward victories. This week, we attempt to answer the question by describing the fifth class of the Popular Resistance School,  "The Roles of Individuals and Movements" and how to be effective at them.

Direct Action Campaigning Today: Manual For Organizers

December 13, 2017 George Lakey, www.wagingnonviolence.org ,
For the past year I’ve been book touring to over 60 cities and towns across the United States and have been asked repeatedly for a direct action manual that addresses challenges we face now. The requests come from people concerned about a variety of issues. While each situation is in some ways unique, organizers in multiple movements face some similar problems in both organization and action. What follows is a different manual from the one we put out over 50 years ago. Then, movements operated in a robust empire that was used to winning its wars. The government was fairly stable and held great legitimacy in the eyes of the majority. Acknowledge that the United States has not seen this degree of political polarization in half a century. Polarization shakes things up. Shake-up means increased opportunity for positive change, as demonstrated in many historical situations.

John Lennon’s Message Of People Power Still True Today

December 10, 2017 John Whitehead, www.counterpunch.org , , ,
Do you want an end to war? Then stop supporting the government’s military campaigns. Do you want government violence against the citizenry to end? Then demand that your local police de-militarize. Do you want a restoration of your freedoms? You’ll have to get the government to recognize that “we the people”  are the masters in this relationship and government employees are our public servants. The choice is ours. The power (if we want it), as Lennon recognized, is in our hands. “The people have the power, all we have to do is awaken that power in the people,” concluded Lennon. “The people are unaware. They’re not educated to realize that they have power. The system is so geared that everyone believes the government will fix everything. We are the government.”

Everyday Use Of Militaristic Jargon Makes Us More Combative

December 27, 2016 Nan Levinson, www.transcend.org ,
By Nan Levinson for Waging Nonviolence - 20 Dec 2016 – “War is merely the continuation of politics by other means,” wrote the Prussian Gen. Carl von Clausewitz. Lately, it’s been sounding like the other way around. That’s not likely to change soon, since the language of warfare and violence pervades Americans’ discourse, even when we’re not talking about war. But as we struggle to come to terms with what wasn’t heard during the campaign, we need also to reckon with what was. “The country has descended into full partisan battle mode,” proclaimed the Washington Post in typical campaign coverage, while journalism sites warned against relying on such warlike clichés.

#NoDAPL Scores Major Victory: No Final Permit For Pipeline

December 4, 2016 Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers, www.PopularResistance.org , , , , ,
By Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers for Popular Resistance. Cannon Ball, North Dakota (Oceti Sakowin or Council of the Seven Fires Camp) - Today, the people won a major victory in the fight to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). The US Army Corp of Engineers sided with the Water Protectors and refused the final permit that would have allowed Energy Transfer Partners to drill under Lake Oahe. There will be battles ahead but this was another amazing people-powered victory. When people unite, we have power. This time people power defeated big oil and big finance. 20161204_112709When we arrived at the Oceti Sakowin Camp, we were impressed by its size and organization. From our view on the highway, the camp stretched far into the distance and was packed with all kinds of structures.

Campaign Nonviolence Week Of Actions

September 23, 2016 Ryan Hall, www.paceebene.org
By Ryan Hall for Pace E Bene - The third annual Campaign Nonviolence Week of Actions was launched September 18 through September 25, 2016. Events are taking place across the United States and beyond. This year we’ve got over 700 nonviolent actions in all 50 U.S. states and in 18 other countries See some of the images from these 2016 events in this slideshow below.

New Film ‘Love and Solidarity’, Non-violence For Systemic Change

August 14, 2016 Will Jones and Mike Honey, www.portside.org , ,
By Will Jones and Mike Honey for Portside. Non-violence is NOT passive, but is militant and effective theory and practice. Portside Moderator Will Jones interviews Honey about the film and highly respected, long time RELIGIOUS LEADER, organizer, and educator James Lawson. Will Jones: Why this film now? Mike Honey: James Lawson’s theory and practice, ranging from the early civil rights and anti-war movements until now, offers us on the left, in the streets, a long term view based on his experience of teaching and organizing since the 1950s. He never claims to have all of the answers but provides a framework that challenges us to not just protest but to transform situations and systems, to build coalitions, to win people over to sanity. The Black Lives Matter movement’s evolution from impressive protests in Ferguson and elsewhere to a platform and call for continued action is an example of both the power and challenges faced by us here in USA and globally.

Campaign Nonviolence Week Of Actions

August 14, 2016 Staff, www.paceebene.org ,
By Campaign Nonviolence. United States - Campaign Nonviolence is a long-term movement for a culture of peace and nonviolence free from war, poverty, racism, environmental destruction and the epidemic of violence. We invite people and organizations in the U.S. and worldwide to take action during CNV Action Week September 18-25, 2016 including on the International Day of Peace, September 21. Together we will join our voices from around the planet to support a global nonviolent shift! During Campaign Nonviolence Week, September 18-25, our goal is 500 marches for a culture of peace and nonviolence in cities and towns in all 50 states and in nations around the world, Campaign Nonviolence will march against violence and for a world of peace, justice and sustainability. During Campaign Nonviolence Week, we will connect the dots between war, poverty, racism, climate change, and all forms of violence —and join forces to work for a culture of peace.

Peace Flotilla Nonviolent Direct Action Protest Trident Nuclear Submarines

August 12, 2016 Leonard Eiger, www.gzcenter.org , ,
By Leonard Eiger for GZ Center - Silverdale, Washington: Local peace activists staged a water-based nonviolent protest and witness for peace in Hood Canal at the Trident nuclear submarine base on August 9th marking the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. The activists travelled along the Bangor waterfront where nuclear warheads and Trident missiles are loaded onto submarines and where submarines are resupplied for ballistic missile patrols in the Pacific Ocean. On August 8th activists staged a vigil and nonviolent direct action in which some activists blocked the entrance gate to the same Naval base.

Dorothy Day Refuses To Duck-And-Cover

June 13, 2016 Rivera Sun, www.counterpunch.org ,
By Rivera Sun for Counter Punch - On June 15th, 1955, Catholic Worker founder Dorothy Day joined a group of pacifists in refusing to participate in the civilian defense drills scheduled on that day. These drills were to prepare the citizenry in the event of a nuclear attack, and involved evacuations of city centers, taking shelter in subway tunnels, and, for schoolchildren, “duck-and-cover” to hide under their school desks. Such actions would be futile if a nuclear attack were underway, but the drills were part of a government propaganda program to convince Americans that nuclear weapons were a necessary part of the US arsenal, and that it would be possible to survive a nuclear war.
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