Editor’s Note from Rivera Sun
The Global Climate Strikes are the headline grabbers this week. 4.1 million people in 185 countries took to the streets to demand climate justice. And some people are warning that this is just the beginning: the General Strike for Climate is coming up on Friday, Sept 27th. No work, no school, no shopping, no banking. Can you do it?
It’s a big week. 50,000 members of the United Autoworkers are on strike for labor justice. 3,330 actions and events to build a culture of peace and active nonviolence, free from war, poverty, racism, and climate destruction are taking place during the Campaign Nonviolence Week of Actions. The University of California’s $80-billion endowment and pension funds have divested from fossil fuels. Three Mile Island Nuclear Reactor officially – finally – closed down. Armenians have been maintaining a 24-7 car blockade for over a year to stop a gold mine. In France, 21 mayors are rebelling against French laws by banning cancer-causing Round-up. 1000 students have pledged not to work for Palantir because of the company’s work with immigration officials. And there’s so much more!
Thanks for being part of the upswell of action,
Rivera Sun, Editor
Photo Credit: Climate rally in Bucharest, Romania. Photo by Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea via REUTERS. See this and other photos from around the world here.
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Here’s what you’ll find in
this week’s Nonviolence News:
Victory! Success Stories
Recent Actions
Climate Action
Racial Justice
Peace Action
Creative Action
Knowledge & Reflection
Learn & Study
Calls-to-Action
Here are some recent successes brought about by nonviolence in action.
University of California divested their $13.4 billion endowment and $70-billion pension fund from fossil fuels … but not because they want to save the planet. They’re doing it because climate action, and the rise of the clean energy economy has made fossil fuel investment “risky”. (Hooray us!) Read more>>
California bans private prisons, including ICE detention facilities. Read more>>
“Huge win, but not enough.” Amazon workers who pushed Bezos to unveil climate plan say there’s more work to be done and take to the streets with the Global Climate Strike. Read more>>
Three Mile Island’s last day as a working nuclear reactor happens on Sept 20th, the same day as the Global Climate Strike. Read more>>
Shinnecook Tribe restores damaged coastline, bringing it back to life. Read more>>
US federal court blocks South Dakota’s “riot-boosting” anti-protest laws. Read more>>
Oregon joins Massachusetts and California in requiring eggs from commercial farms to be cage-free. Read more>>
Detroit prosecutor finishes herculean task of testing 11,000 back-logged rape kits, identifying 824 serial rapists in one county. Read more>>
Nevada teachers in the fifth largest school district in the United States used online organizing tools to call for a strike and student walkout … and the school district met their demands to avert the actions. Read more>>
Here’s how people are taking action this week for a wide range of causes.
Armenians blockade roads to stop controversial gold mine. Manned day and night, the blockade has been going since June 2018 and has succeeded in halting construction. Read more>>
Thousands of Argentinians protest to pressure the government to pass an emergency food plan to alleviate rising food scarcity. Read more>>
French mayor bans glyphosate and 20 others join him in what is essentially a rebellion against French law. Read more>>
Crowdsourcing campaign aids Kazakhstan’s victims of maltreatment in Chinese detention camps. Read more>>
Protesters soar Baby Trump balloon over his Palo Alto, CA, fundraising luncheon. Read more>>
50,000 US autoworkers are on strike. Read more>>
Striking autoworkers in Tennessee arrested for blocking a scab truck. Read more>>
Social workers, doctors, and senior citizens form a “Guardian” team for younger Hong Kong protesters. Editor’s Note: the Hong Kong protests have struggled with violence for weeks. I recommend that we all read a wide range of sources on this campaign, as it is a complex one. I chose to share this article namely because of the ways these nonviolent citizens are taking action to keep people safe – a valuable tactic in any of our struggles. Read more>>
Tech woman creates filter to stop online sexual harassment, specifically blocking unwanted dick pics from hitting your direct messages and inboxes. (In trial runs, while soliciting test photos under the #ShowYoDiq – for science – she had to build a separate filter to weed out the Donald Trump images people sent her to express their dislike of the US president.) Read more>>
Nonviolence towards the Earth is nonviolence toward humanity. Here are ways people are working to save the planet . . . and our species.
4.1 million (and counting) people rise up for climate justice. Here’s what it looks like.
General Strike for Climate is coming up on Friday, Sept 27th. Activists will walk out of school and work, suspend commercial operations and boycott banks. Read more>>
Denmark holds world’s first climate change telethon and raises enough money to plant 1 million trees. Read more>>
On the eve of the Global Climate Strike, 450+ groups call for a global ban on fracking. Read more>>
New York City Schools grant amnesty to all 1.1 million students to go on climate strike. Read more>>
Quebec’s largest school district cancels classes for school strike. Read more>>
The entire city of Oxford, UK, will walkout on climate strike. Read more>>
While the Amazon burns, Brazil’s Indigenous Peoples rise up. Read more>>
Solomon Islands students walk into the sea to protest how climate change and rising sea levels threaten to submerge their islands by 2030. Read more>>
Greta Thunberg and US teens march in front of the White House. Read more>>
People have used nonviolent action to strive for racial justice for decades. Here are some ways they are taking action today.
Maori tribe bans replica of Captain Cook’s ship from docking in their port during 250 centennial anniversary of explorer’s arrival, saying, “he’s a barbarian”. Read more>>
Indigenous women hold a sovereignty and safety rally in Washington, DC, to uphold and expand protections, and to raise awareness of the problems of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Read more>>
Protesters hold sit-in to demand that Microsoft stop profiting off concentration camps, immigrant raids, and deportations. Read more>>
Over 1000 students from 17 colleges pledge not to work for Palantir over the company’s work with ICE. Read more>>
Teach Central America Week Oct 7-13th organizes educators to expand Latinx history and heritage understanding. Teaching for Change offers resources. Read more>>
Peace and nonviolence go hand-in-hand. As Gandhi said, “means are ends in the making”. Here’s some recent peace news.
3300 actions and events kick-off the Campaign Nonviolence Week of Actions September 14-22. Here’s the history and backstory. Read more>> See photos from global actions for a culture of peace and active nonviolence!
For years, Peace One Day has campaigned to make the September 21st, International Day of Peace, recognized around the world as a day to take action for peace. They’re succeeding. Read more>>
50 protesters injured by Israeli troops during ongoing Palestinian “Great March of Return” protests in Gaza. Since March 30, 2019, Israeli troops have killed 307 people and injured more than 18,000. Read more>>
Can a historic land swap between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan help end repeated flareups on the border? People on both sides hope so, but land swaps or giveaways have historically proved politically risky in Kyrgyzstan. Read more>>
Pashtun diaspora forms international coalition to push for peace in their homeland. Read more>>
People’s Mobilization to Stop the US War Machine and Save the Planet begins week of direct actions for climate justice and peace in New York City. Read more>>
Nonviolence unleashes our human creativity. Here are some ways creativity and the arts merged with social action this week.
Group swaps out subway ads with a sign showing the “end of the line” for Planet Earth, teaching how climate catastrophe is looming. Read more>>
Indiana police department allowed people to pay off parking ticket fines with donations of animal supplies to the local shelter. Read more>>
Taylor Swift is hitting headlines with a protest song – but she’s not the only musician/superstar writing protest songs. It has a robust tradition and practice in contemporary music, Teen Vogue reports. Read more>>
Two-story tall Ruth Bader Ginsberg mural is unveiled in DC by a real estate group working for housing justice. Read more>>
Austin, TX, group prints 3-D printer tiny homes to help end homelessness. Read more>>
We are fortunate to live at a time when there is so much knowledge about nonviolence available to explore. Here are some articles that invite us to dig deeper.
What Columbia’s Kogi people can teach us about environmental destruction. Read more>>
The Meira Paibis: the Brave Mothers of Manipur resisting during India’s citizenship revocation crisis. Read more>>
How change happens: progress is not inevitable, it takes work, says Rebecca Solnit. Read more>>
How the “Save the Rainforest” campaigns laid the groundwork for current environmental movements. Read more>>
Connecting the dots between workers and renters, labor and landlords is key to ending economic injustice. Read more>>
How the youth-led climate strikes grew into a global mass movement. Read more>>
What happens when the student strike expands into an intergenerational movement? Read more>>
The liberating potential of local action. Stuck on national change? Go local to get the goods. Read more>>
Nonviolence is a life-long study. Fortunately, great resources are becoming available each week. Here are a few recent releases.
Engaging Nonviolence is a new nonviolence manual from Pace e Bene/Campaign Nonviolence. It offers an indispensable sequel and update to their Engage Study Guide, which has helped train over 30,000 people. Read more >>
Metta Center offers “Nonviolence 101: Crash Course for Educators”. Read more>>
Metta Center also launched a new website, Educators for Nonviolence, with tools and resources for integrating nonviolence into the classroom. Read more>>
“Created Equal” curriculum offers middle and high school students and educators resources for teaching about class and classism. Read more>>
Here are a few upcoming actions inviting your participation and support.
Tell Black Rock to divest from Amazon destruction! Learn more >>
Sept 20-27th, join the Global Climate Strike. (It’s not just for the kids, any more. Get ready to go on strike.) Read more >>
Shut Down DC on Sept 23 as part of the Global Climate Strike. Learn more >>
The People’s Mobilization to Stop the US War Machine and Save the Planet, Sept 20-27th in New York City while the United Nations is in session. Learn more >>
World Beyond War Learn more about the conference and rally planned for October 5-6 in Limerick, Ireland. Learn more >>
Oct 5th is a Day of Action Against Domestic Violence. Hold or join a 2-min die-in protest. Learn more >>
Oct 6, DC, Reclaim the Courts protest for gender justice on the one year anniversary of Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation. Learn more >>
Oct 7th is a Day of International Rebellion for climate justice organized by Extinction Rebellion. Learn more >>
Oct 11th, DC, March on the Pentagon rally and actions for peace and against militarism, imperialism, and war. Learn more >>
Sign the Global Appeal for Peace that pushes all nations to follow international law – an important demand at a time when governments routinely flout the law. Learn more >>
Support the Embassy Protectors Defense Committee as they push for the charges against the Venezuelan Embassy Protectors to be dropped. Learn more >>
Author/Activist Rivera Sun has written many books and novels, including The Dandelion Insurrection and The Way Between. She is a nationwide trainer in strategy for nonviolent movements and her essays are published in journals across the country and around the world. www.riverasun.com