Action for Nonviolence

Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals.

–Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King preached nonviolence in the 1960s. How are his ideas inspiring action in 2016?

The Sea of Rage

Our media fills our lives with constant news of gang shootings, cop shootings, terrorist shootings and bombings. Sometimes it can feel like the whole world has taken up arms.

But it’s not true. And it’s really important to hear news of the work that’s being done to carry on Dr. King’s movement of nonviolence.

Choruses of Peace

There’s strength in numbers. I find it’s hard to raise my voice in peace when it feels sure to be drowned out by shouts of violent rage. But when I know I am joining a chorus, my spirits and my voice soar.

So here are some choirs you might want to join.

• #Where Is The Love? After the shooting of Trayvon Martin, students in Miami started a nonviolence campaign grounded in what they call Martin Luther King’s six principles of nonviolence. They spread the love on social media with the twitter handle Where Is the Love@sharethelovemia. The coolest thing they’ve done to date is to organize a concert for peace. I also love their tweets that include quotes from Gandhi, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Dolly Parton, among others!
• Aaliyah Stewart’s brother went to a basketball game one day in his hometown in Indiana. And he never made it back. He was gunned down at a gas station. Aaliyah was just seven years old. Seven years later, Aaliyah’s other brother and a cousin were killed in the very same week. At the age of fifteen, she has been to twelve funerals of friends and family. Her response: raise money for college scholarships for classmates to break the cycle of violence through education. She’s got a pack of fundraising tools – started a “gofundme” campaign, put together a benefit, sells #IAmThem T-shirts. Her message: Stop the Violence.
• Nonviolence International operates on a global scale helping to nurture local nonviolent activity in the United States and around the world. You can learn more at http://nonviolenceinternational.net/?page_id=1580.

There are many more people, young and old, raising their voices for peace. If you are interested in getting involved, do a little Internet searching to find one that is right for you.

Do you have stories to share about action for nonviolence?