Principles Of Nonviolence

[G_j]

www.thekingcenter.org/prog/non/6principles.html

Derived from "Pilgrimage to Nonviolence" in Dr. King's book Stride Toward Freedom, Harper & Row, 1958.

Martin Luther King- Six Principles Of Nonviolence

--Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people. It is active nonviolent resistance to evil...

--Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding. The end result of nonviolence is redemption and reconciliation...

--Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice, not people. Nonviolence recognizes that evil doers are also victims.

--Nonviolence holds that suffering can educate and transform. Nonviolence willingly accepts the consequences of its acts...

--Nonviolence chooses love instead of hate. Nonviolence resists violence of the spirit as well as the body. Nonviolent love is active, not passive. Nonviolent love does not sink to the level of the hater. Love restores community and resists injustice.

--Nonviolence recognizes the fact that all life is interrelated.
Nonviolence believes that the universe is on the side of justice. The nonviolent resister has deep faith that justice will eventually win.

Six Steps for Nonviolent Social Change

--Information Gathering: In order to understand and articulate the issue, problem or injustice facing the community, you much first research, investigate and gather all vital information that will increase your understanding of the problem. Know all sides of the issue, including the other party's position.

--Education: It is essential to inform others about your issue. This minimizes misunderstandings, and gains you support and sympathy.

--Personal Commitment: Eliminate hidden motives and prepare yourself to accept suffering, if necessary, in your work for justice.

--Negotiation: Using grace, humor and intelligence, confront the other party with a list of injustices and a plan for addressing and resolving these injustices. Nonviolent communication does not seek to humiliate, but to call forth the good in an opponent.

--Direct Action: Used to morally force the opponent to work with you in resolving the injustices, direct action imposes a "creative tension" into the conflict.

--Reconciliation: Nonviolence does not seek to defeat the opponent, but to seek his/her friendship and understanding. It is directed against evil systems, forces, policies and acts not against persons.
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If you succumb to the temptation of using violence in the struggle, unborn generations will be the recipients of a long and desolate night of bitterness, and your chief legacy to the future will be an endless reign of meaningless chaos.

- Martin Luther King Jr., "Justice Without Violence", 4.3.57
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http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0119-05.htm

Dr. King’s Gauntlet: Nonviolence or Nonexistence
by Father John Dear

I consider Martin Luther King, Jr. the great, holy prophet to the nation. He was a prophet of nonviolence sent by the God of peace and justice to call our country to repent of the sin of violence and war and to call us to the new life of nonviolence and peace. On this national holiday, as we recall the life of Dr. King, I hope we can remember his central, crucial, critical message.

On April 3, 1968, the night before he was assassinated (by our government), Dr. King told thousands of people at the Mason Temple in Memphis, Tennessee: “For years now, we have been talking about war and peace. But now, no longer can we just talk about it. It is no longer a choice between violence and nonviolence; it’s nonviolence or nonexistence.”

..more..
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Non-Violence & Non-Violent Training

http://www.crmvet.org/info/nv.htm

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links below listed at: www.unitedforpeace.org


Trainers

The War Resisters League
One of the oldest peace organizations in the United States, has a national network of trainers who can support local activists and organizations by providing training in nonviolence, direct action, tactics and strategy, anti-oppression, and related skills.

339 Lafayette Street
New York, NY 10012
[phone]
fax [phone]
[e-mail] ;
[e-mail]

Fellowship of Reconciliation
The oldest interfaith peace organization in the country, the FOR's Directory of Nonviolence Trainers helps grassroots groups select members of FOR who are committed to and experienced in active and principled nonviolence.

Fellowship of Reconciliation
Janet Chisholm
845/358-4601 or
[e-mail]
FOR, POBox 271, Nyack, NY 10960

RANT, Root Activist Network of Trainers
Provides training and organizing support to grassroots local, regional, national and international groups.

Their primary focus is creative nonviolent direct action but they can train on strategy, organizing, consensus and facilitation, trauma and healing, and anti-oppression.

Contact Lisa at [e-mail] .

The Ruckus Society
Provides non-violent direct action and creative action training by facilitating the sharing of information and expertise that strengthens the capacity to change our relationship with the environment and each other.

5111 Telegraph Ave. #326
Oakland, CA 94609
Tel [phone], Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]

The Spin Project (Strategic Press Information Center)
Provides media technical assistance to nonprofit public-interest organizations across the nation who want to influence debate, shape public opinion and garner positive media attention.

77 Federal Street, 2nd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94107
Tel [phone] x309, Fax [phone]
[e-mail]

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Non-Violence Help
http://nonviolencehelp.tripod.com /

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[jpgray]

1. Good post for those heading to NYC

(P.S. it should be 'principles' in your subject line)

[G_j]

3. that was my basic intent :-)

( I hadn't noticed the spelling of 'Principles ' as it was spelled that way in the original, now changed...thanks!)

[Eloriel]

2. Thanks for posting!

Excellent.

[Kanary]

4. I was hoping you'd post this. ^_^ NOMINATED!

And continue to enlarge on this as we progress towards the RNC.

I especially take note of "Reconciliation", and wish that was a principle of DU.

I'm going to be hoping very strongly that *everyone* heeds your plea to take advantage of the training that is available.

Thank you, G_J, you're performing a valuable service to our cause!

Kanary

[jpgray]

5. I'll nominate this too

Thanks for reminding me--I keep forgetting about that feature.

[G_j]

8. thank you

I reposted this because the original did not mention nonviolence in the subject line.

Nonviolent discipline as a 'tactic' generally takes some thought and discussion to be most effective.
Trainings often include role-play and discussion involving various possible scenarios. (It can be quite 'eye-opening' to play the 'cop' role sometimes.)

[bryant69]

6. I just hope that those visiting New York Take this to Heart

Big article at Salon yesterday (which I'm sure was discussed here) about the protesters and violence/vandalism. And, of course, how that could help Karl Rove and President Bush pull one over on the American people.

Bryant

Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[G_j]

13. Just one thing I like to remind people of

At the last large NYC protest, despite being herded into pens and pushed around by some police, demonstrators remained very committed to maintaining a peaceful protest.

I know the heat has been turned up on this one, and the Mayor seems to be trying to create a dangerous and negative situation, but I still have tons of faith in people.

Of course, as many have said, we must watch out for 'plants'.

[bryant69]

18. Those plants worry more than the regulars

But I am hopeful and a bit confident that the protesters will rise to the occasion.

[Desertrose]

7. awesome post G_j and thanks

**Nonviolence chooses love instead of hate. Nonviolence resists violence of the spirit as well as the body. Nonviolent love is active, not passive. Nonviolent love does not sink to the level of the hater. Love restores community and resists injustice.

Good one :)

:hi: G_j:loveya:
DR

[G_j]

10. "Nonviolence resists violence of the spirit as well as the body."

A very deep and profound statement. One can spend a lifetime learning this.


:hi:DR :loveya:
G_j

[H2O Man]

9. Great job!

This is the most important post I've seen on here in weeks. Thanks.

[gratuitous]

11. Excellent post

Allow me to dovetail a couple personal items. Other good nonviolent resister folks are On Earth Peace of New Windsor, Maryland and the Christian Peacemaker Teams, operating out of Chicago.

I am also at pains to point out the biblical roots of much of peace witness. When I take the usual raft of nonsense from ill-informed people, it's quite useful to point to passages from the Bible (both Hebrew and Christian Testaments), which usually blunts a lot of criticism. If your fundamentalist friends and acquaintances want to wave their Bibles in your faces, have a stock of ready scriptural quotations that refer to peaceful change. It really helps.

[Kanary]

12. Very good suggestion.

It's hard to imagine that people can really take issue with non-violence, eh?

Kanary

[Stone_Spirits]

26. the Quakers would agree

and many other Christians as well

[DrWeird]

14. Just because I'm an evil bastard:

"Our religion teaches us to be intelligent. Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone lays a hand on you, send him to the cemetery. "

- Malcolm X, 1963, on nonviolence..

[G_j]

15. I have great admiration for Malcolm

but yes you are an 'evil bastard'. :-) LOL

seriously though, certainly in terms of the RNC, tactical NV is by far the wisest path even if one is not philosophically on board with NV as a way of life. Malcolm X's differences with MLK were over self defense. This has been a subject of much debate of course.
By nature I resonate with the MLK approach.

[DrWeird]

17. Not much choice, I predict.

The protests at the RNC will be nonviolent up until the police decide to bust a few heads.

At which point all bets are off.

[H2O Man]

20. It would be incorrect

to imply that Malcolm X ever advocated taking part in violent or potentially violent street demonstrations. One of the ironies of history is that people associate him with "violence." Any and all demonstrations he took part in were non-violent.

More, when he was in Africa, and some American news media questioned him about violent demonstrations occuring in the US, Malcolm advised people not to participate.

If Malcolm were alive today, there is no reason to believe that he would do anything other than suggest people participate in orderly, peaceful demonstrations. Likewise, he would tell people to avoid violent and potentially violent confrontations.

There is not a single piece of evidence from Malcolm's experiences that would indicate otherwise.

[murray hill farm]

16. Thanks for that!!!

What an amazing being was Martin Luther King...so good to be reminded of his wisdom. Thanks

[G_j]

19. "Beyond Vietnam"

King's 1967 speech at the Riverside church is certainly one of the most significant and eloquent American speeches. Most of us have heard this at some time, but I heard it recently on the radio and was struck by how timely it is.

read/listen:
http://www.aavw.org/special_features/speeches_speech_king01.html

<snip>


As I have walked among the desperate, rejected and angry young men I have told them that Molotov cocktails and rifles would not solve their problems. I have tried to offer them my deepest compassion while maintaining my conviction that social change comes most meaningfully through non-violent action. But they asked, and rightly so, what about Vietnam? They asked if our own nation wasn't using massive doses of violence to solve its problems, to bring about the changes it wanted. Their questions hit home, and I knew that I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghettos without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today, my own government. For the sake of those boys, for the sake of this government, for the sake of the hundreds of thousands trembling under our violence, I cannot be silent.

<snip>

[H2O Man]

21. It's one of the greatest

speeches in American history.

[WEagle]

22. I never get tired of hearing that speec h

it really needs to be heard again by Americans today.

[Dob Bole]

23. Great post

nt

[cosmicvortex20]

24. Ive met very few people from either party that believe in non-violence

Just ask either side what should be done with someone that stops paying taxes for his/her favorite cause... (defence, social security, etc...).

Most people have no problem "delegating" power to the government to confiscate people's property if they fail to pay "tribute" (and shoot them if they resist).

Non-violence means leaving people alone, directly or via representation.

[H2O Man]

28. Actually

nonviolence means recognizing that there will be a consequence to not paying taxes, and being willing to accept that consequence non-violently. That is distinctly different that the few violent confrontation of tax-evasion that happen from time to time. The historic precedent for non-violence has included many wonderful people who oppose the way their taxes are spent, and take advantage of ways to protest non-violently.

[cosmicvortex20]

34. you got that backwards...

Lets rephrase your text here a bit

"nonviolence means recognizing that there will be a consequence to not letting the 500lbs monster rape you, and being willing to accept that consequence non-violently."

I dont recall any tax protestors attacking city hall. Most the time the swat team is seen busting into thier property - like they have a right to be there or something. Its no surprise people defend their own property. Keep your goons off people and they wont have to defend themselves.

[ulysses]

30. "Non-violence means leaving people alone"

No it doesn't.

[cosmicvortex20]

33. uh yeah it does

[annabanana]

35. If you peacefully stand in front of a line of tanks.......................

Not only are you extremely brave, you are not "leaving alone" that line of tanks... please.

[ulysses]

36. no.

Like it or not, we live in a nation of almost 300 million people, on a planet of, what, 7 or 8 billion now? We live in societies by necessity, and it does no violence to you or anyone else to require that we pay for those societies.

[G_j]

25. morning kick

[G_j]

27. ~kICk~

[Ghetto_Boy]

29. Thanks for posting........

[Stone_Spirits]

31. kick

[G_j]

32. thanks for the kick

:hi::loveya: