Editor’s Note from Rivera Sun
I hope you’ll set aside some time to dive into this week’s stories. The 58 stories come from 40 different journals from around the world. My favorite story this week? An activist came to the Unist’ot’en Camp (Wet’suwet’en) blockades of Coastal Link’s pipeline dressed up in a Bigfoot costume. He told the police to just call him “Sasquatch” then ran off into the woods. This forced police to radio to each other “uh, Sasquatch just ran into the woods”. This is just one of the impressive stories of Indigenous resistance and solidarity actions sweeping Canada, including rail blockades that are disrupting most of the country’s freight shipping, shutdowns of the port of Vancouver and more. We’ll be putting together a special report on these impressive solidarity actions, so stay tuned.
Don’t miss this! I write articles on “take-away” lessons drawn from Nonviolence News stories. You can read the latest, “When Emptying the Streets Is Safer Than Filling Them” here. This piece explains the difference between concentrated and dispersed actions, and suggests when and how we should shift gears in our movements.
What common themes can you spot in this week’s Nonviolence News? I see many campaigns of people standing up for Indigenous rights and protection of the environment. Our lead photo is from a movement in Brazil to achieve justice from the largest mining disaster in the country’s history. Across the world, people know that the health of our planet and the health of humanity are inextricably entwined. We must protect the Earth and our communities, together.
Rivera Sun, Editor
Lead Photo Credit: Movement of People Affected by the Dam Collapse members hold signs that say, “We are all affected,” “For Justice and Rights” and “Profit is not Worth More than Life” on January 25, 2020, in Córrego de Feijão, Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Google’s Black History Month Video Goes Viral: Celebrating the Most Searched Athlete/Music Video/NASA Scientist, etc, Google’s viral video demonstrated Black Americans’ phenomenal contributions in writing, science, music, sports, movements, and well, everything. Read more >>
Saugeen Ojibway Nation Protects Lake Huron from Radioactive Nuclear Waste: On January 31, the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) overwhelmingly voted down the proposed deep geological repository for storing radioactive nuclear waste next to Lake Huron. Read more >>
Plan To Expand Bristol Airport Rejected After Climate Protests: Think protests don’t work? Here’s proof that they can. Councillors rejected an airport expansion plan because of climate protests. The decision is being hailed as ‘historic’. Read more >>
Idaho Becomes First State To Take Official Action on MMIW: Designating a Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women is considered the first step in a set of policy changes to address the issue. Read more >>
Venezuela Embassy Protectors’ Walk Free With A Hung Jury: There may be a retrial, but for now, the Embassy Protectors are not facing prison. Read more >>
Students Are the ‘Backbone’ of Iraq Anti-Government Protests: Iraqi students in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square say they will remain at the sit-in until their demands have been answered. Read more >>
Thousands Protest IMF in Argentina: Amidst an economic crisis, Argentinians have little tolerance for austerity measures or the predatory practices of the IMF. Read more >>
Brazilian Communities Devastated By Dam Collapse Push for Justice: 350 people marched for 5 days to commemorate the 279 family and communities members killed when a dam collapsed in the worst environmental disaster in Brazilian history. They are demanding that the mining company, Vale, be held fully accountable. Read more >>
Greek Islanders Overwhelmed by Migrant Camps Protest: Thousands of islanders protested against the “closed door” policies of Europe that have led to an overwhelming and unsustainable migrant camp populations on the Greek islands. The largest camp, built to hold 2,000 people, hosts 19,000. Read more >>
UC Santa Cruz Graduates Strike For Living Wages In High Rent City: The strikers are demanding a cost-of-living adjustment of $1,412 per month, which student educators say is necessary to avoid living on the brink of homelessness as they teach classes and provide essential work to keep the university running. Read more >>
A Rank-and-File Teachers’ Movement Takes On Asbestos and Lead in Schools: A spin-off of the Philadelphia Teachers Union tackles toxins in the schools. Read more >>
40+ Rights Groups Call on Universities to Ban Facial Recognition Technology: “This mass surveillance experiment does not belong in our public spaces, and certainly not in our schools.” The campaign says it does not improve safety for anyone. Read more >>
US Solidarity Against India’s Anti-Citizenship Laws Movement Grows: Another US city passed a resolution against India’s citizenship law. Following Seattle’s lead, a resolution by Cambridge city council in Massachusetts asks India to repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act. Read more >>
Teens Surprise Trans Classmate with Money To Legally Change Name: High school is hard for everyone – and especially challenging for young, trans students. But these teens showered a classmate with a type of support that affirms their friend’s humanity and identity. Read more >>
Wet’suwet’en Solidarity Actions Sweep Canada: Over 100 actions have called on the Canadian government to respect the First Nation’s right to reject the pipeline. 200 trains have been delayed by rail blockades, the port of Vancouver was shut down, offices are being occupied and more. Find them on the map >>
India’s Advanis Resist Plans for Massive Coal Mining: The proposed coal mines would destroy 30 villages and the forest of one of India’s most ancient tribal cultures. The company that wants to mine is Adani, a corporation also facing protests in Australia and Germany (see below). Read more >>
Afghanistan’s “Climate Mullahs” Preach Care of the Earth: “Our country has already been destroyed by war, we don’t want to also destroy the environment any further”. Read more >>
XR Muslims Release Guidelines for Engaging Muslims In Climate Action: This Extinction Rebellion affinity group offers reflections and answers to frequently asked questions on organizing for climate justice among Muslims. Read more >>
Moshi Moshi Campaign Fights Fossil Fuel Bank Financing in Japan: Activists are targeting three big banks for four big reasons. Read their bilingual leaflet here >>
German Activists Target Tech Firm, Saying “Siemens Fuels Fires”: Protests were held at the company’s annual meeting, demanding that Siemens stop providing signaling technology to the Adani mine’s railway. Read more >>
Bushfire Survivors Make “Trail of Destruction” outside Parliament: To demand that politicians cut ties with coal, survivors made a row of wheelbarrows with remains of their burnt homes that stretched from parliament to a mining company’s lobby building. Read more >>
Big Ten University Students Unanimously Pass Resolution Calling On Schools to Divest: The Association of Big Ten Students, which passed the resolution, represents more than 500,000 students and 5.7 million living alumni. Read more >>
Female Artists Throughout the Middle East Galvanized Revolutions: Female artists are not only leaving a mark on the historically male-dominated graffiti scene in the region, but are pioneering their own digital form of revolutionary art . . . and inspiring a wave of revolutionary nonviolent movements. Read more >>
“Misbehavior” Film Shows the Radical Upheaval of the 1970 Miss World Beauty Pageant: At one of the most-watched live television events of the time, feminist protesters stormed the stage, and a black woman walked away from the beauty contest with the crown for the first time. Read more >>
Mexican Women Protest Against Femicides and Government Complicity: Editor’s Note: The protesters in this situation used spray paint and threw red-paint balloons at the doors of the National Palace. Such actions have been hotly contended over whether or not they are “violent” or “nonviolent”. Take a moment and reflect for yourself how you think about property destruction. Read more >>
#MeToo Weinstein Accuser Helps Survivors Cope After Trauma: As attention is turned more than ever to sexual assault survivors, Louise Godbold has been helping them overcome the injuries powerful men leave in their wake. Read more >>
Men’s Soccer Union Slams Federation In Solidarity With Women’s Soccer: The union representing the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team waded into the rift between the national women’s team and the U.S. Soccer Federation over equal pay Wednesday, demanding that the federation end its “false narrative” over the female players’ compensation. Read more >>
Early US Suffragettes Inspired by Iroquois Women’s Equality: Many key suffragettes in New York State read about the Haudenosaunee Councils and customs in their local newspaper. That level of gender equality was something white women did not have in those times. Read more >>
NYC Students Plan Citywide School Boycott: Calling for desegregation of schools, students have been boycotting at a different school each week. Read more >>
Anti-Racism 101 for Kids: Here’s a booklist for opening up those tough conversations in just the right way for just the right age. Read more >>
Black Teen Who Refused To Cut Dreadlocks Attends Oscars With Creators of Short Film Winner, “Hair Love”: DeAndre Arnold was told he would have to cut off his dreadlocks to walk at graduation. He refused, setting off a media storm. Then the creators of the amazing short animated film “Hair Love” invited him to the Oscars in a perfect affirmation of the beauty of Black culture. Read more >>
Woman Opens Black-Owned Grocery Store in Kentucky Food Desert: Merging food access with racial justice, this Black-owned grocery store builds an alternative to entwined injustices. Read more >>
The Ojibwe Women Reclaiming the Shore: Here’s how a Native American tribe reclaimed the land they once sacrificed in exchange for their physical survival. Read more >>
Go Beyond Symbolism When Working for Indigenous Rights: Symbols and gestures are important, but they’re meaningless without the substantive changes Indigenous people are demanding. Read more >>
Inside the Effort to Save CHamoru Language of Mariana Islands: This Indigenous language educational program is keeping one of the islands’ traditional languages, CHamoru, from going extinct after the US military tried to destroy it. Read more >>
“She Did That” Docuseries on Black Women Entrepreneurs Launches: Representation and truth telling matters to our ideas and impressions of people. This Netflix series highlights the achievements of Black Women Entrepreneurs. Read more >>
Columbia’s Women Need A Peace Deal That Includes Women’s Rights: Battles over “gender ideology” have undermined the peace process for Colombia’s women human rights defenders. What can be done when a peace deal that was meant to emphasize women’s rights makes some women’s lives worse instead of better? Read more >>
Nonviolent Peaceforce Organized Night Patrols to Protect South Sudanese Women: Women reported facing assault, harassment and robbery on their way to and from the market at night, so this group of unarmed peacekeepers organized a protective accompaniment response. Read more >>
Nonviolent Peaceforce Builds New Cadres To Support African Union Peace Goals: The African Union (AU) is expanding its role in preventing and resolving conflicts. This expansion comes after successes last year in preventing further blood shed in response to the nonviolent uprising in Sudan, and sponsoring an agreement between the government and rebel groups in the Central African Republic. Nonviolent Peaceforce is training new cadres of unarmed peacekeepers in conjunction with the AU’s goals. Read more >>
How Climate Activists, Tech Workers, and Anti-War Activists Can Work Together: Just as divestment campaigns can make a real difference, tech workers rebellions can make a real difference. There are many ways climate change activists, tech workers rebellion activists and antiwar activists can begin to work together, and we will be doing so in every way we can. Read more >>
US War Powers Resolution Passes Senate: The bill would reinstate older laws and remove the power to go to war from Trump’s hands. Read more >>
US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar Unveils “Pathway to Peace” Proposal: The bold and unusual foreign policy plan is deeply rooted in justice, diplomacy, and demilitarization.
Read more >>
Was Gandhi the First Peace Journalist? Known as an organizer and leader, Gandhi also served as a journalist for most of his life. Read more >>
Iraqi Singer Uses Music to Calm Tensions in Protest Hot-Spots: Ahmed Torky’s songs have given a boost to protesters, diffused potential violence and factional tensions, and inspired others to join in. He performs in the street or on a protest stage. Read more >>
Climate Activists Bring Trojan Horse to British Museum to Protest British Petroleum: Activists dressed as warriors brought a giant wooden horse to the museum’s front entrance to protest against the corporate sponsorship deal with the oil firm. Read more >>
“Sasquatch” Stalls Police Arrests at Wet’suwet’en Blockade: A guy in a gorilla suit told the police to call him “Sasquatch”. He delayed the police arrests by debating colonial history. Then he dashed into the woods, forcing the police to radio report that, “Uh, Sasquatch just ran into the woods.” Read more >>
The Librarian of Baghdad Is Rebuilding Iraq’s Rich History One Book At a Time: Octogenarian novelist Safira Jamil Hafidh has opened part of her Baghdad home to the public in hopes of helping to revive Iraq’s rich cultural history. Read more >>
Replica of 2000-year-old Boat Sails for #CleanSeas: This Phoenician trading ship sailed 6,000 miles from Tunisia to the United States to advocate for clean seas. Read more >>
Syrian Refugee Children Draw Pictures for Bushfire Children: “I hope it rains a lot,” says one of the images that sends a message of hope around the planet. Read more >>
In Buenos Aires, Queer Tango Takes a Revolutionary Dance Back to Its Roots: In traditional tango, men lead and women follow. Queer tango is creating a new paradigm. Read more >>
In India, a Mother and School Principal Were Arrested Over Anti-Citizenship Law Play: A single mother and a school principal were arrested for mounting a play criticizing the Muslim citizenship laws that have sparked immense, nationwide protests. The arrests have triggered a debate on the misuse of sedition law. Read more >>
10 Ways To Be An Indigenous Ally: From learning where you stand to taking respectful solidarity action, here’s how to step up. Read more >>
US Workers Strike Activity Reaches 35-year High: “We’re just getting started,” says a union leader. Strike activity is expected to increase in 2020. Read more >>
New Economy Coalition Releases 2020 Toolkit: The Toolkit contains 20 high-level policy demands, 70 detailed policy asks, and multiple organizing resources focused on four key new economy areas: worker ownership, community-controlled housing, financial justice, and climate justice. Read more >>
Lessons From the Fight to Impeach and Remove Trump: The Senate may have betrayed the American people, but the movement for impeachment secured critical victories that will propel us forward in the longer battle for democracy. Read more >>
Nonviolence For Our Rageful Times: Feminist and nonviolence trainer Judith Butler says it’s not about squelching rage … it’s about channeling into powerful nonviolent movements for change. Read more >>
Wet’suwet’en First Nation Pipeline Resistance Camp Supporter Toolkit: Here’s a guide to the numerous ways that you can support Wet’suwet’en and engage in solidarity actions. Read more >>
Canadians Boycott Nestle Pledge: If you’re Canadian, here’s where to take the pledge to stop water privatization. Read more >>
#NoWar2020, World Beyond War’s 5th Annual Global Convergence, will be held in Ottawa, Canada, May 29-30, 2020, to coincide with CANSEC, Canada’s largest weapons expo. Register to join us this May for nonviolent activism, skills trainings, art-making, panel presentations, rallying, and more, culminating in the #NoWar2020 Conference on May 29-30. Read more >>
How To Replace War with an Alternative Global Security System: Join this free webinar from World Beyond War on February 19 at 4:00pm EST about the alternative global security system laid out in World BEYOND War’s book. Presenters will explain the frameworks, processes, tools, and institutions necessary for dismantling the war machine and replacing it with a peace system based on common security. Learn more >>
United National Anti-War Coalition Aims to Unite US Peace Movement: UNAC has a big vision for their upcoming conference, Feb. 21 to 23 in New York City at The People’s Forum. Read more >>
Stop Deadly Sanctions: The new Sanctions Kill campaign is organizing to educate and mobilize to stop the sanctions. The first set of actions is March 13 to 15. Learn more >>
Solidarity With Palestine: Palestinians are calling for a global week of solidarity actions March 24 to 30. Find information on how to participate >>