Episoder
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“I failed to realize that the vast majority of people, even in a progressive environment, such as what Berkeley claimed itself to be – I sometimes wonder – there was a tremendous fear of disruption without constructive program. And that took me years, really, after the movement to learn. That you have to not only incorporate but lead with constructive program. Meaning, what are you going to build and not just what you are going to tear down?”
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Victoria Wolcott joins Stephanie and Michael on this episode of Nonviolence Radio to talk about her recent book, Living the Future: Utopianism and the Long Civil Rights Movement. Victoria, a history professor at the University of Buffalo, explores the long history of utopianism in the US and its relation to nonviolence, specifically nonviolence as manifested in constructive program, that is, the active building of a nurturing and supportive community as an alternative to a discriminatory and oppressive one. Much of traditional history doesn’t shed light on this ‘constructive’ aspect of the Civil Rights Movement. In this, most histories of the movement have failed to reveal its much longer past and extensive roots, connecting it to early labor unions, to Gandhi, to experimental utopian communities, in both the north and south of the US.
"One of the things that's really interesting is that once you start looking, you start finding these [radical interracial] communities all over the place – including in places like the rural South, where you wouldn't necessarily expect them to be. So that kind of communal experimentation, the interest in prefigurative politics, the constructive program…Usually, historians of the long civil rights movement really talk about it as dating to the 1930s. The relationship between the labor movement and the Civil Rights Movement is really important to understand coming out of the radicalism of the 1930s. … some of the experimentations in radical nonviolence, radical pacifism, really emerged in the late 1930s. And then it goes through the 1970s."
Our capacity to see nonviolence as a viable choice to challenge injustice in the world grows in part from seeing its many facets (active resistance and constructive program) as well as the many times dedicated men and women have proven it to be a powerful and effective force. Victoria’s book, and this conversation, illuminate just that.
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Mangler du episoder?
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In these examples, you see how the conversion of a person from a state of anger and fear to a state of what Marshall Frady called a forgiving love, actually does seem to have an impact on the entire emotional-spiritual consciousness environment and affects the outcome of a situation and changes the minds of others.
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A bonus segment for Nonviolence Radio, the Nonviolent Moment is a 30-minute exploration of nonviolence out of KPCA Petaluma’s Free Range Studio.
Hosted by Michael Nagler
If you can somehow compass a success without a conquest, you will not have alienated your previous opponent. And that means that you will have built closer relationships, and we should remember that this is always a goal of nonviolent action. -
Michael Nagler with your Nonviolence Report for the middle of August 2024.
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Amira Musallam is a peace activist from Beit Jala, Palestine. She joins Nonviolence Radio to share her experiences living in the West Bank. Her family is currently facing eviction from their land by nearby Israeli settlers who are backed by the Israeli military. She is part of an exploratory team for Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP) in the West Bank and Gaza. She was introduced to the power of UCP when she was 12 years old after her house was bombed by Israel (with American manufactured bombs) and a group of UCP women came to live with her family to prevent further violence and destruction. Since then, she has been actively engaged in nonviolence and UCP.
To hear Amira’s story is to hear the story of so many Palestinians who are struggling for equality and peace through nonviolence in the most heartbreaking and horrific of circumstances. Her story is an urgent call-to-action for all of us to be courageous and work in solidarity with activists on the front lines of the world’s more critical struggles for justice.
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A bonus segment for Nonviolence Radio, the Nonviolent Moment is a 30- minute exploration of nonviolence out of KPCA Petaluma’s Free Range Studio.
Hosted by Michael Nagler
Nonviolence, to be practiced with effect, requires training and preparation and strategy. It requires astuteness in understanding your situation. And underneath, giving life to all of that, an understanding that every one of us, as he says, has an instinct towards the feeling that what happens to our fellow human beings in some way also happens to us. -
This episode of Nonviolence Radio welcomes David Hartsough, long time nonviolent activist, former executive director of PeaceWorkers and co-founder of Nonviolent Peaceforce. Stephanie and Michael talk with David about his early exposure to the power of nonviolence through his parents and early upbringing, his later activism in the Civil Rights Movement in the US and abroad in Sarajevo and Gaza – to name just a few places he’s worked bravely and lovingly for peace. Throughout their conversation, one sees David’s fundamental commitment to the principles and practice of nonviolence, from resistance to oppression through boycotts and sit-ins to the creative work of constructive program in which people actively build an alternative to the existing power structure. By the end of the interview, David makes it clear how natural and accessible nonviolence is to everyone:
"Well, I think every person has the potential to respond to nonviolence. The problem is most of us never try. And that's certainly not what people get taught in the schools. It's not what our newspapers tell us. It's not what our president and vice president or congress people tell us. But I think the people that were in the civil rights and the freedom movement in the 60s realized that."
Nonviolence doesn’t ask us to be anything but our most human and humane selves – and while not difficult, it does call on us to find models and examples of behavior outside of what much of our current media reports.
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Full interview with Dr. Amit Goswami, founder of the Center for Quantum Activism and former professor at the University of Oregon. Amit talks to Stephanie and Michael about the relationship between quantum physics and nonviolence. One of the basic ideas he puts forth as essential to quantum physics is the notion that the universe, at its core and most fundamental, is immaterial consciousness. This challenges the basic tenets of materialism (the theory underlying much contemporary science), which posits that ultimately, the universe is made up of physical stuff and is governed by universal natural laws. If we accept (or at least consider) the principles of quantum physics, genuine choice and agency become possibilities, We are not reduced to being human machines, compelled by external forces (the laws of nature) to react – often violently – to those around us. Instead we can act creatively, spontaneously and nonviolently.
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This episode of Nonviolence Radio features Dr. Amit Goswami, founder of the Center for Quantum Activism and former professor at the University of Oregon. Amit talks to Stephanie and Michael about the relationship between quantum physics and nonviolence. One of the basic ideas he puts forth as essential to quantum physics is the notion that the universe, at its core and most fundamental, is immaterial consciousness. This challenges the basic tenets of materialism (the theory underlying much contemporary science), which posits that ultimately, the universe is made up of physical stuff and is governed by universal natural laws. If we accept (or at least consider) the principles of quantum physics, genuine choice and agency become possibilities, We are not reduced to being human machines, compelled by external forces (the laws of nature) to react – often violently – to those around us. Instead we can act creatively, spontaneously and nonviolently.
…in quantum physics, forces, which is the way that we change people, subjugate people to our way of thinking, by applying a force, that's Newtonian. But in quantum physics, forces can only give you possibilities to choose from, and you don't have to choose that one [the violent one]. You can choose also persuasion.
So, in quantum physics, force is a place by choice. The other is choosing the violent way. So, you can change your choice by being humble, by being persuasive, by being straightforward, by being authentic, by exemplifying what you are saying, not using violence.
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Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb is one of the first women to become a rabbi in Jewish history. She’s a storyteller, artist, and community educator. Listen in as she takes us on an inner pilgrimage of revolutionary nonviolence. Rabbi Lynn’s experiences paint a picture of a world where diverse identities intersect, find, and strengthen one another. Her vision and experiences call toward a world of unity-in-diversity, a shared World House, as Dr King called it, where we all need one another to be who we are; a house of creativity, of love, compassion, and peace that we actively build across our divides, and is one where our hearts rejoice in healing. Her chapbook, Shomeret Shalom: Replanting the Seeds of Jewish Revolutionary Nonviolence – after October 7th is for anyone who wants to help live into this more realistic and necessary vision of the world as it can be.
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This episode of Nonviolence Radio welcomes Mel Duncan, the founding director of Nonviolent Peaceforce and longtime peace activist. Mel talks to Michael and Stephanie about a proposal to bring unarmed civilian protectors to Gaza. Unarmed civilian protection (UCP) – the practice of protecting vulnerable groups by having well trained unarmed people accompany them in areas of danger – has been shown to be extremely effective, even in places entrenched in violent conflict. Too often we are told by conventional history and mainstream media that the appropriate, and indeed, only ‘realistic’ response to violence is yet more violence. Mel encourages us to question this assumption:
When we're presented with these kinds of situations [of violent conflict], we have been fed, so often, that the only way to deal with that is by bringing in the drones and the jets and the 2,000-pound bombs, that we see what is counterintuitive. When we see entire neighborhoods blown up, and blown up, and blown up and the response by policymakers is, let's do it more, that's counterintuitive. And so, what we're doing is rational and intuitive and speaks to the core of the human spirit.
UCP, already practiced (though rarely reported) by organizations and individuals all over the world, has been successful in Sudan, in the Philippines, in Colombia – even in parts of Palestine – to name only a few places. UCP meets violence with the courage to create a different path, and in this reminds us of our core decency, kindness and the incredible strength we show when we choose to act from love.
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Tim Chapman, restorative justice practitioner, trainer and former chairperson and board member of the European Forum for Restorative Justice, comes to talk with Stephanie on this episode of Nonviolence Radio. Together, they explore the practice of and principles behind restorative justice, the ways in which it is able to offer a kind of lasting resolution to all parties involved in a conflict – including the larger community in which it happened. Restorative justice is a way to ‘to move out of that sense of antagonism’, often cultivated in traditional legal systems, and instead into a place where everyone listens, everyone is acknowledged and everyone tries hard to understand the stories of others.
"I think in listening to somebody who you believe was your enemy and listening to his story, not necessarily saying it's all true, I don’t agree with everything, but really trying to understand how they've come to that position that made them – is the beginning of a transformation away from that sort of simple label of ‘you are my enemy’, towards you are a human being."
It is only with a renewed sense that we are all human – albeit, with very different backgrounds and experiences – that we can act decently, hold ourselves and others accountable and truly forgive.
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Topic Scans and Links:
Mel Duncan has written an excellent article on the possibilities of inserting peace teams into the West Bank in Israel-Palestine.
Educational institutions have agreed to divest from investments that go to Israel.
In Central India, 90 villages have formed Maha Gramsabha.
Gandhi Research Foundation is offering a postgraduate diploma in Sustainable Rural Reconstruction from a Gandhian perspective.
Operazione Colomba, active in Colombia, Albania, and Gaza to guarantee unarmed civilian protection to war victims.
World BEYOND War, is offering a six-week online course on unarmed civilian defense.
International Peace Training Institute is doing projects in 33 countries, training hundreds of women in civilian-based defense.
Unarmed Civilian Defense course by Eli McCarthy.
International Institute for Strategic Studies has documented the highest number of armed conflict that they've been able to document in three decades. “This all makes this one of the most perilous moments for global geopolitics.”
The IDF has made allowance for 100 civilian deaths in Gaza for every Hamas official that they are targeting by an error-prone AI system.
The International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice have issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister and military chief of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.
Residents in a Tibetan threatened mountain community are showing the world through videos their resistance to the building of a Chinese dam.
Time to Let Youth Lead
Nonviolence News
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In this episode, we delve into the heart of campus activism sweeping across the United States, spotlighting the recent student protests in support of Gaza and calls to end violence. We connect with a faculty member from Yale to discuss the nuances of the current movement, and journey back to the spirited 1960s with a professor from Berkeley who once walked in similar protests. Join us as we explore how today's demonstrations resonate with the past, uncovering the threads that link generations of students in their pursuit of justice and peace.
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Part of the fun of nonviolence is showing where alternative practices and systems already exist and to lift them up to inspire more of us to explore and adapt them to our own time, cultures and needs. Take mediation: We know that when practiced with the intent of healing divides, de-escalting violence, and restoring relationships, it works (and “works” if you know Michael Nagler’s “work” vs. work concept), and we don’t hear enough about it in the news. Everyday mediators across the world are building peace in families, communities, and working to heal even our political divides. That’s something hopeful to remember! And the skills of mediation are also something each one of us can learn and adapt for our own needs as they are life skills and benefit those who use them as well as those who are on the receiving end. Sounds a lot like nonviolence to us.
In this episode of Nonviolence Radio we speak with Mike Fraidenburg who is a mediator and co-author of The Art of Mediation about how this work has changed him, and how it can change the world if we do more of it.
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This episode of Nonviolence Radio welcomes Dr. Craig Atwood, professor of theology at Moravian Theological Seminary and director of the Center for Moravian Studies. Together with Stephanie and Michael, Craig discusses his research and teaching on the history of Moravian thought and faith with special attention to medieval thinker, Peter Chelčický.
Identifying the central role of nonviolence in Moravian theology at that time illuminates its long historical roots, extending the community of those committed to nonviolence far into the past and in this, strengthening and legitimizing a tradition which – as seen in the Nonviolence Report at the end of the show – continues to grow today.
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As a Palestinian, Sami and his family have suffered directly under the long Israeli occupation and more acutely now, from the current war. Sami speaks candidly about the ways in which politicians and media harness fear and exploit unhealed traumas so that violence seems to be the only response to conflict. This, he insists, is a distortion – and one that must be actively resisted. Instead of accepting the simplistic binary categories of victim and victimizer, Palestinians can envision and then work collectively through nonviolent means to realize a just future, one which they themselves have chosen. Such a path calls for broad education in nonviolence, it calls for deliberate organization, it calls for genuine leadership and crucially, it calls for love to be our primary motivation. The situation in Palestine is horrific, there is no quick fix, but when we reject fear as our driver and turn to love instead, possibilities for real change emerge
"I think part of loving is to deeply understand who the other is and where they're coming from and what motivates them to behave the way they behave and do the things they do. And in that love and care and compassion, creates space for transformation and healing. And I think that is definitely much more powerful than fear, and is key. But it's a journey." - Sami Awad
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On this episode of Nonviolence Radio philosophy professor, Jen Kling (University of Colorado at Colorado Springs), talks with Michael and Stephanie about refugees and the complex issue of resettling and caring for those who have had to leave their homes. Ensuring that people fleeing hardship at home can find a safe place to live, genuine opportunities to engage in school and meaningful work, to integrate and flourish in a new place is fraught with tensions, tensions which are often overlooked, avoided or simply ignored. Jen encourages us all to look closely at the problem and to deal with it, however imperfectly, head on:
… it’s insufficient to just say, “Okay, we're just going to resettle folks,” right? And there are a number of different ways to resettle folks. Once folks are resettled or in the process, you also then have to be making sure that they have access to justice. That’s such a philosopher thing to say, but I think it’s true. And having access to justice is having somebody check up. Ii is understanding your rights, responsibilities, obligations, and opportunities; that there’s someone you can go to, that this is the kind of thing that shouldn’t be happening to you. And I think that’s why it’s so important to work through the details, to say, What does justice demand of us in this case? Because I think it actually demands a lot more than we would like to believe. I think it does. We owe it to folks, not as a matter of compassion or as a matter of mercy, but as a matter of justice because they're people too, you know, and we owe it to them.
All of us in the global community have a responsibility to step up to the big work of taking care of each other, especially those who, like refugees, are vulnerable and without recourse to the rights and support they deserve. This is not a small endeavor, but it is an important one and a necessary one. In Jen’s words, “Sometimes we are responsible for fixing things we did not break.”
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Topic Scans and Links:
Tariq Habash, from the US Department of Education resigns over the war in Gaza.
Good Shepherd Collective campaign called No Ceasefire, No Votes.
800 government employees from the US and other 12 nations published a letter protesting Israeli policies and stating that the leaders of their countries could be complicit in war crimes in Gaza.
USAID, a thousand of their employees have released an open letter with the same concern.
Hundreds of thousands of Germans rallied in a hundred cities against the plan that the AfD developed to deport people.
Marlene Engelhorn has recently drawn attention to herself by giving away or preparing to give away 90% of her wealth. She said, “I’m creating the tax I would want to pay.”
But there’s a bill before the Senate and the House which would make nonviolent protests a federal crime called the “Safe and Open Streets Act.”
Mexico has brought seven US gun manufacturers to court.
Truthforce.works
Solutionary climate fiction
Unarmed Civilian Peacekeeping and Accompaniment — worldwide meeting, 61 organizations representing 24 countries in Geneva who called themselves the Community of Practice.
Nonviolent Peaceforce are offering a trip to the Philippines.
Pace e Bene — $1000 grant for innovative projects that address community violence. Apply soon!
This month is the 40th anniversary of the MST - Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra, Movement of Landless Workers. - Se mer
