Editor’s Note from Rivera Sun
This week’s Nonviolence News shares stories from around the world about how people are stopping wars, countering hate, challenging extremism, and dealing with bigotry. Using love, creativity, and persistence, these stories show the remarkable capacities of humans to use nonviolence to make a difference. One particular story to look at is the rising movement of Buddhist monks in Myanmar (photo above) calling out extremism within their faith, challenging anti-Rohingya preachers, and hoping to end the persecution of the Muslim minority. Their example reminds us all to maintain courage and persistence in our own efforts for peace and justice – especially when we seem to face insurmountable challenges.
Nonviolence is a global field. We learn from each other’s stories. The Afghan activists’ Hemland Peace March shows us all how to work for peace even when it seems impossible. A powerful message from a Palestinian caregiver shows how the decades-long struggle for Palestinian survival has generated wisdom that we can all use to navigate COVID-19. The story of Choctaw-Irish relief efforts (for potato famine and COVID-19) offers an example of mutual aid can stretch across continents and over centuries.
Nonviolence News explores these stories so we can use nonviolence in our lives. To go deeper, you’re invited to join us at the next Nonviolence News Coffee Hour on June 9th, 4-5pm ET. Find out more here >>
May these stories bring you hope,
The Nonviolence News Coffee Hour is a hit! Our next conversation is on June 9th at 4pm ET and is hosted by the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence. All are welcome at this event. It is FREE, but registration is required and donations are appreciated. Register here>>
Pipeline Activists Defeat Controversial Fracked-Gas Pipeline in New York Harbor: The Williams Pipeline, the target of years of organized resistance, is dead.The New York Department of Environmental Conservation today denied a needed water quality permit. Read more>>
Canada Raises Wages For Essential Workers: Canada is hiking wages for essential workers across the country, in a blunt admission that many who are now risking their health to work during the pandemic are in some cases making the least. Read more >>
The Choctaw Sent Aid During the Irish Potato Famine. Now Irish Citizens Are Returning the Favor During COVID-19: In 1847 the Choctaw people sent $170 to help during the potato famine. Irish donors are citing that gesture as they send $1.8 million to two tribes during the Covid-19 pandemic. Read more >>
Facebook Content Moderators Win Mental Health Pay Lawsuit: 11,000 people who sort through pornography, violence, and cruelty on the social media platform won a $52 million lawsuit. These workers earn as little as $28,000/year and have no mental health coverage. The lawsuit helps those with depression, PTSD, and work-related trauma. Read more >>
Agroforestry Land Restoration Improves Food and Ecological Security in Honduras: Since 2012, the Inga Foundation’s revolutionary agroforestry system of Inga alley cropping in Honduras has dramatically transformed the lives of 300 subsistence farming families, planted over 3 million trees, and become a model for true environmental sustainability and ecological resilience. Read more >>
Serbian Activists Start A Nationwide Anti-Authoritarian Protest: A nightly cheer for healthcare workers has inspired thousands of people to bang pots, blow whistles and blast music to protest Serbia’s ruling regime. Read more >>
Essential Sanitary Workers Strike for Hazard Pay and PPE in New Orleans: The garbage collectors’ strike entered its second week. The lack of hazard pay, fair wages, and PPEs highlights the pitfalls of privatizing public services. Read more >>
Bolivia’s Teachers Join the Hunger Protests: Educators joined the strikes and protests against the coup-born regime’s failure to provide for the people during the economic recession of the pandemic. Read more >>
El Salvadorans Hang White Cloth Out Windows To Protest Hunger: Like Bolivia’s red cloth campaign, it is both a request for aid and a protest against the failures of relief programs. Read more >>
Hundreds Gather In Baghdad For Anti-Government Protest: Hundreds of Iraqis have gathered in central Baghdad for fresh anti-government protests demanding better living conditions and an overhaul of the country’s political system, just days after the formation of a new government. Read more >>
Sioux Tribe Refuses To Take Down Road Blockades After Governor’s Orders: “We will not apologize for being an island of safety in a sea of uncertainty and death,” Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Chairman Harold Frazier said. Editor’s Note: Refusing to comply is a nonviolent action; setting up barricades is a nonviolent action; asserting one’s tribal sovereignty is a nonviolent action; resisting pandemic exposure is a nonviolent action. (Did you spot the articles last week on pandemic survival as a form of Indigenous resistance?) Read more >>
COVID-19 Strike Wave Enters Third Month: Over 200 wildcat strikes have occurred since early March; even more have not been reported. Read more >>
Protesters Use Car Horns To Protest Prison Conditions: Calling attention to conditions inside state prisons, people took to the streets in a socially distanced picket line and car horn protest to voice their concerns at Central Prison in North Carolina. Read more >>
Over 200 People Demonstrated Outside An Ohio State Prison: Prisoners at this facility receive only two meals a day. The prison drew national attention after 80 percent of the prisoners tested positive for COVID-19. Protesters are demanding change to the conditions inside and demand prisoners who meet certain criteria be released. Read more >>
Amazon Labor Activism Is International: The Amazon strikes and walk-outs are spreading internationally. Editor’s Note: Remember, international Amazon workers have taken frequent action against the company. This is yet another wave of demanding worker justice. Read more >>
Bus Drivers Strike Across the United States: The union is providing some testing and health services for drivers, but warns that its not enough without the support of the transit agencies. Drivers across the country are engaging in work stoppages to make sure transit agencies understand what’s at stake if they don’t take immediate action to protect workers and riders. Read more >>
In the Absence of Federal Action, U.S. States Scramble to Address Hunger Crisis: States are implementing their own programs to keep farms and food banks afloat and needy families fed. Read more >>
Spotlight Story:
Nonviolence News’ sister project, Nonviolence Now, has rolled out a new series of bus advertisements (above) that promote nonviolence in Rochester, NY, neighborhoods. Prompts such as, “I keep my cool by …” and “my neighborhood matters because …” engage citizens in finishing those sentences in ways that promote nonviolence in its many forms. Does this give you ideas for how you could inspire nonviolence in your neighborhood? Read more about Nonviolence Now here>>
Water Protectors Turn To Minnesota’s Line 3 Pipeline As Next Target Of Resistance: Community leaders on the White Earth reservation challenge Enbridge Energy as part of a larger struggle for indigenous sovereignty. Read more >>
#NoMowMay Asks Us To Leave Our Lawns Alone Until June To Save Bees: Not mowing in May results in more flowers and nectar all summer long for struggling pollinators. This campaign asks us not to mow. Read more >>
Wet’suewet’en Clans Sign Agreement With Canada Over Territorial Control: Wet’suwet’en clans in British Columbia have ratified a memorandum of understanding that will see them take back management of their traditional territories, although one clan says the deal doesn’t go far enough in response to the controversial Coastal GasLink fracked gas pipeline now being built across their lands. The next few weeks will be crucial to the effort to evict the pipeline. Read more >>
No KXL Activists & Indigenous Protest As Construction Sneaks Through: Indigenous rights defenders protested last week with a virtual banner as major oil company TC Energy Corporation (formerly TransCanada Corporation) started placing pipes in the ground despite legal challenges to its pipeline project. “Not Today. Not Tomorrow. Not Ever. No KXL. Mni Wiconi,” read the banner. Read more >>
Pennsylvania Has a Plan To Convert Lawns Into Forests & Meadows: The state’s initiative is designed to prevent pesticides, dog poop, chemicals and more from washing into the Chesapeake River. Read more >>
#IRunWithMaud Organizes People To Run For Racial Justice On Ahmaud Arbery’s Birthday: The effort included resistance runs, protests, and fundraising for racial justice efforts. Read more >>
Chinatown Gentrification Struggles Reignite Movement: Direct action and inclusivity are driving the new Asian American movement as it resists gentrification and bigotry. Read more >>
Hundreds Protested Delays In Arrests of Murderers Outside the Court House: Hundreds of protesters gathered in front of a Georgia courthouse on Friday to decry the killing of an unarmed black man, Ahmaud Arbery, in February and the delay in charging two white men in a shooting captured on video that was released earlier this week. Read more >>
Indianapolis Citizens Protest Three Police Killings In One Day: Protesters crowded the streets of Indianapolis on Thursday to voice concerns about police treatment after officers shot and killed two men and fatally struck a pregnant pedestrian in three separate incidents just hours apart. Read more >>
Former Mayor of Philadelphia During MOVE Bombing Says It’s Time For City To Officially Apologize: 35 years ago, police dropped bombs on a housing collective, igniting a fire that burned 63 homes and killed 11 people. Read more >>
Facing Down Bigotry And A Pandemic: Against harassment and bigotry, Asian-American officials are finding ways to care for their communities through this crisis. Read more >>
Here’s 60+ Things White People Can Do For Racial Justice: Editor’s Note: This is an older post, but as long as racism continues, these actions are always needed. Read more >>
How Women-Led Mutual Aid Initiatives Are Strengthening the COVID-19 Response: Throughout history, women have played key roles in advocating for those around them. Today, those ideals are helping to spur activism amid COVID-19. Read more >>
Brazil Has A Domestic Violence Problem; Here’s How They’re Working On It: Wrap-around services for women, an all-female police team, “time-out” houses for abusive men, there’s a lot of unusual approaches in this effort. Is it working? Read more >>
Afghanistan Peace March & Hemland Peace Movement: Two years ago, a peace march, hunger strike, and tent encampments for peace helped propel the peace talks forward. Now, here are the challenges the movement faces. Read more >>
How Buddhists Monks In Myanmar Confront Militant, Nationalist Buddhists: From within the sangha, monks (many experienced organizers) are pushing back against extremist violence toward Muslims. Read more >>
The Global Ceasefire Struggles: Managing coronavirus is hard under any circumstances, but the lack of adherence to the global ceasefire makes it even harder. Read more >>
War Tax Resisters Speak About Simple Living As A Form of Resistance: Half of every US tax dollar goes to the military. Tax resisters refuse to pay … and share their strategies of resistance. Read more >>
Building the Peace Movement Teach-In: This free webinar draws speakers from different wings of the peace movement to explore how to build the US and global efforts.
Wed, May 20, 8pm ET Read more >>
No War 2020 Goes Online! Access From Anywhere May 28-31: Divest, disarm, demilitarize, this year’s World Beyond War conference features three days of online teach-ins, talks, and workshops. Find out more here >>
Animal Rights Activists Risk Prison To Force Jurors Into Virtual Reality Experience of Factory Farming: It’s a bold and unusual strategy. They risk imprisonment and try to use the court system to enter virtual reality footage of factory farms into the trial. Read more >>
Chalkitivist Arrested for Writing “Trump = Plague”: A 67-year old writer’s spontaneously-inscribed message of protest in pink chalk has turned into a controversy of racism, over-policing, and the disproportionate impacts of Trump’s pandemic approach. Read more >>
Chile Revives “Common Pots” Solidarity Cooking: Thousands of people living in poor neighborhoods eat every day thanks to the “common pots”, a solidarity mechanism that allows families to access some food. The approach has a long history, including being used under the Pinochet regime. Read more >>
Appalachia’s Front Porch Network Is A Pandemic Lifeline: A traditional gathering place where the public meets the private is now the critical point of contact for families isolated during the pandemic. Read more >>
What Can The Pandemic-Stricken World Learn From Palestinian Resilience? The Palestinian experience with dispossession, displacement, denial of basic rights, uncertainty and visceral grief offers insights for everyone. Read more >>
The Old Systems Are Weakening; Movements Need To Get To Work: The push toward corporate profits over people’s needs is already happening, but it doesn’t have to go that way if movements start planning big. Read more >>
Lord of the Flies Is An Outdated Myth: A real life story of shipwrecked boys belies the destructive narratives of that novel. In reality, people – even adolescent boys – are driven by compassion, collaboration, and cooperation for mutual survival. Editor’s Note: In other words, humans are designed for nonviolence, folks. Read more >>
Finding A Just Transition During A Pandemic: Movement Generation members spoke on “The Next World: A Podcast About Building Movements”. They give us a rundown on Just Transition during times of pandemic and discuss viral superhighways, our relationship to land, and how transitioning to regenerative economies requires returning our collective understanding of the sacredness and science of place. Read more >>
Adventures In Digital Organizing: This podcast interview explores storytelling and building power amidst the pandemic. Read more >>
“The Force of Nonviolence”: An Interview with Judith Butler: Butler speaks about the violence of neglect that is becoming so starkly visible during the pandemic crisis. Read more >>
Take A Look At Rent Strikes: This article puts the Rent Strike 2020 in historical and international perspective. Read more >>
New Cohort Forming! Nonviolence Online Community Course – 6 Week Course with Rivera Sun, Wednesdays starting May 28th: Co-facilitated with Pace e Bene’s Veronica Pelicaric, this online course is intended to provide an opportunity to build community while studying nonviolence. Read more >>
Intergenerational Peace Literacy Through Peace Literature Course w/ Nonviolence News Editor Rivera Sun: Using the award-winning Ari Ara Series, this summer course introduces practical skills for building peace in our lives, communities, and world. Starts June 10th. Read more >>
4 Ways Allies Can Take Action For #JusticeForAhmaud: Supporting Black-led movements and calling in your cousins, and more. Read more >>
#GeneralStrike2020 – How To Participate: General Strikes are being organized for the first of each month, including worker, rent, debt, and shopping strikes. Read more >>
Global Week of Actions May 25 to 31 Against Sanctions and Imperialism: Join with others to organize against sanctions and imperialism. Be creative – if we can’t gather then do something virtual or a car caravan. Read more >>
#FreeThemAll: Detention Release Now Phone Zap: Join us for an hour-long virtual action to make calls to get migrant people released from detention.
We will be calling governors, ICE directors, etc as part of campaigns across the country
to #FreeThemAll. Wednesdays 12 PST/ 1 MST/ 3 EST. Read more >>
#ShareMyCheck Supports Economic Justice Based Stimulus Check Redistribution: Here’s how people are sharing the wealth. Read more >>
8 Ways To Support Immigrant Communities: From supporting decarceration efforts to pushing for the return of DACA, here’s how to help immigrant communities. Read more >>
Donate to the NYC Black Mutual Aid Fund: This is a fund that supports an important mutual aid network in severely impacted Black communities in the NYC area. Read more >>
Global Degrowth Day 2020: Celebrate the second annual Global Degrowth Day on June 6. Be part of a diverse movement for global justice, sustainability and well-being. As the coronavirus pandemic may still prohibit gatherings in June, they offer support for creating virtual events. Read more >>