Editor’s Note By Rivera Sun
I love it when people add a dash of strategy, a pinch of disruption, and a dose of creativity to our nonviolent actions. This week’s news highlights how powerful that combination can be. In Bangkok, Thailand, protesters (above) halted the entire transit system in its tracks. In Belarus, Supergirl (and Viernsnica, the Belarusian version) have become mighty symbols in the women-led uprising. An artisan in Indian took the calls to boycott imported Chinese goods seriously and constructed a Durga statue from all local materials. In Brazil, the “Invisible House” is one of hundreds of squats – vacant houses extralegally occupied – working in networks of mutual aid. When people-power gets creative, there’s no end to the ways we can work for change with nonviolence.
In more Nonviolence News, Nigeria gripped global news with its mass resistance to police brutality. On Indigenous Peoples’ Day (Oct 12), the United States showed just how attached it was to its colonialist, racist past – and present – by teargassing and arresting members of the O’odham Anti Border Collective as they protested Trump’s border wall. (There’s also some good news in this week’s news about how butterflies halted a portion of that wall.) Meanwhile, Wet’suwet’en women, youth, and community members held a blockade and prayer ceremony against the Coastal GasLink Gas through their unceded territory in Canada.
I also want to highlight the incredible, in-depth reporting on peacebuilding brought to us by the Peace Science Digest. Drawing knowledge from efforts around the world, these stories illuminate an often-overlooked field of nonviolence: the ways ordinary people build and uphold peace in their communities.
Last, but not least, there’s an anti-coup resistance movement growing in the United States. Thousands have been training to take action if Trump loses the election and refuses to leave office. If you missed my recommended resources, ways to get involved, and suggested nonviolent actions for countering a coup: you can find it here>>
May these stories inspire you in your efforts for nonviolent change,
Rivera Sun, Editor
Proctor & Gamble Shareholders Vote To Protect Forests: In win for advocacy groups, 67% of shareholders split from company’s recommendation and vote yes on key proposal to protect boreal forest of Canada, tropical forests in Southeast Asia. Read more>>
Students Create Free Tutoring Services To Help During The Pandemic: When COVID-19 hit, their team of high schoolers quickly transitioned to online tutoring and later banded together with two other student volunteer organizations — Girls Empowering Girls, founded by Annette Yuan, a junior at Irvine High School, which offers one-on-one English conversation practice with language learners, and Code Champion, a coding class Ding started with his sophomore sister Cindy Ding — to form the nonprofit StudySmart Youth Services. While the teens previously served their local community, now they tutor students from Seattle to Toronto. Read more>>
US Border Wall Construction Stopped By Butterflies: The South Texas National Butterfly Center won a court injunction against Trump’s expanded border wall construction. Read more>>
Indigenous People Protesting Border Wall Were Tear Gassed and Arrested On Indigenous Peoples’ Day: “It’s obscene and offensive to us that local and state governments move to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day while the federal government blows up our sacred sites, steals our kids, militarily occupies our communities, and shoots at Native Americans.” Read more>>
Thai Protests Shut Down Bangkok Transit System: Transportation was paralyzed across central Bangkok on Saturday as thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators gathered for a third straight day in defiance of emergency laws after a chaotic Friday night that saw riot police use water cannons on protesters Thai capital. Read more>>
Lebanon’s Protest Flame Still Flickers: Demonstrators marched through Lebanon’s capital to mark the first anniversary of a protest movement that toppled the government but was then overwhelmed by economic crisis, coronavirus and a devastating explosion in Beirut. Read more>>
Thai Farmers Continue Farming Despite Bullets And Laws Trying To Stop Them: Thai farmers have been struggling for legal recognition of their land rights. They face punitive arrests, violent attacks, and more, but continue to protest and organize. Read more>>
Indian Health Workers Continue To Boycott Outpatient Services At State Hospitals Without Hazard Pay: Doctors, nurses and paramedics continued their protests against the discontinuation of the Covid-19 health risk allowance (akin to hazard pay in the US) for the fourth day on Friday, boycotting the outpatient departments (OPDs) in all government hospitals. Read more>>
Indian Farmers Hold Industry-Wide Strike Against Land Reforms: Various farmers’ organizations held an industry-wide strike and protested against the amendments to an agricultural bill and land reforms acts made by the BS Yediyurappa government. Read more>>
Thousands Protest Against Trump’s Supreme Court Pick: Demonstrators at the Women’s March said they were angry that Republicans appear ready to confirm Barrett’s nomination so close to Election Day. The protesters marched through downtown Washington to the Supreme Court steps. Hundreds of marches and demonstrations were planned at city halls, parks and monuments across the country. Read more>>
She Was A Farmworker. Her Grandson Is A Lyft Driver. A Fight For Workers’ Rights Unites Them: She fought Proposition 22’s attempt to stop workers’ rights. But decades later Cardona’s grandson, Carlos Ramos, is fighting his own battle against another Proposition 22. This one, too, is backed by powerful corporations – including Uber, Lyft and Instacart – and would limit workers’ power to unionize. And while Ramos’s job as a Lyft driver may seem far removed from picking grapes, the struggle of today’s gig workers in many ways echoes that of the farm workers in the 1960s and 70s. Read more>>
Protests at Amy Coney Barrett Hearing Rail Against GOP Power Grab: At least 21 were arrested after staging a sit-in to oppose the Senate pushing through Barrett’s nomination. Read more>>
Somali American Amazon Warehouse Workers Push For Workplace Justice: Using walkouts and strikes, this hub of organizers pushes continuously for justice at an Amazon warehouse in Minnesota. Read more>>
170+ US Protests Planned to Protect the Vote On Nov 4: Pro-democracy advocates are organizing more than 170 events in anticipation of President Donald Trump illegitimately declaring victory in the Nov. 3 election before all the votes are counted, or potentially refusing to accept the election results. Protect the Results, a coalition of more than 100 national groups including Indivisible, Stand Up America, 350 Action, and Mijente, released an interactive map on Friday showing events planned for Nov. 4 across the country. Read more>>
Wet’suwet’en Youth, Women, and Community Members Occupy Pipeline Drillsite To Protect Sacred Headwaters: Coastal GasLink has called in the RCMP to try and remove Wet’suwet’en community members and Indigenous youth as they hold a ceremony at a proposed drill site for Coastal Gaslink’s pipeline. Coastal Gaslink has been evicted from our territories by the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs – who have full jurisdiction over Wet’suwet’en lands. Read more>>
Australian Aboriginal Leaders Testify Mining Firm’s Gag Clause Silencing Opposition to Destruction of Ancient Sacred Site: “Rio Tinto must acknowledge, and seek to correct, the unequal bargaining positions that have always resulted in a disadvantage for Traditional Owners.” Read more>>
‘After All, It’s Our Money’: Global Climate Campaigners Call for Public Banks to Fund Just Recovery and Green Transition: Climate justice advocates urged public banks around the world to treat government responses to the coronavirus crisis as opportunities to coordinate just recoveries from the ongoing public health and economic calamities and to simultaneously facilitate just transitions from dirty to clean energy. Read more>>
Nigerian Army Threatens Action Against ‘Trouble Makers’ as Government Bans Police Brutality Protests in Nation’s Capital: The Nigerian military has issued a warning to the public amid weeks of anti-police brutality protests, calling on “subversive elements and troublemakers to desist.” While protesters have actually been the target of violence this week as they continue demonstrations against the country’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), the warning from an army spokesman has been widely viewed by activists as a threat against them. Read more>>
New Podcast ‘Resistance’ Shares Stories of Activism During the BLM Movement:
In the premiere episode, Brooklyn native Chi Ossé described how he went from his first protest to running for city council in three weeks. Read more>>
COVID, Collective Resistance and Columbus: Celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2020: Multiple crises in Indian country make organizing all the more urgent now. Read more>>
Tackling Racism As A Public Health Threat: 39 members of the Healthcare Anchor Network, representing health systems in 45 states and Washington DC, have signed on to a statement committing to address racism and the public health disparities caused by racism. Read more>>
Community Land Trusts Can Help Heal Racial Disparity and Segregated Cities: Community land trusts are a form of permanently affordable housing based on shared equity. The trust retains ownership of the land and maintains it for the benefit of homeowners present and future and the community as a whole. Now, advocates are saying cities can advance racial justice by using them strategically. Read more>>
How to Support Indigenous Organizers Fighting Coronavirus in Native American Communities: Indigenous communities are organizing to look after their own, and here are three ways you can help Indigenous communities during this time. Read more>>
Black Lives Matter’s Alicia Garza / Leadership Today Doesn’t Look Like Martin Luther King, Jr.: In seven years, BLM has gone from hashtag to global rallying cry. So why has the co-founder stepped away from the movement she helped create? Read more>>
Black Immigrants Find Camaraderie & Division Amidst Protests: The protests for racial justice include Black immigrants – but responses to the protests vary widely. Read more>>
Breonna Taylor Protests Continue: For four months, protesters have marched through Louisville’s streets, demanding justice for Breonna Taylor and an end to racist systems they say lead police to kill Black people at disproportionate rates. And though the unrest has angered some who say it’s time for the protests to end, local activists show no signs of stopping as they continue to demand transparency and change from city and state officials. Read more>>
Special Issue On Local, National, and International Peacebuilding: Local peacebuilding makes peace stick. The broader peacebuilding field has recognized and is increasingly supporting local peacebuilding, but this shift also presents a new set of challenges and considerations. These new reports explore several angles on local peacebuilding. Read more>>
Recognizing Hidden Politics In Local Peacebuilding: This report looks at how peacebuilders can be aware of ways that local peacebuilding can reinforce inequalities and exclusions … and how to make sure local peacebuilding is fair and inclusive. Read more>>
Amidst Civil Unrest, How Do We Keep Each Other Safe? Nonviolent Peaceforce staff share best practices from peace work around the world. Read more>>
Nonpartisanship and Unarmed Civilian Protection Offer Tools In A Time of Division: People often think of protest movements when we talk about nonviolent action, but there are other tools and practices from the nonviolence toolbox that can help us in these divided times. Read more>>
Kings Bay Ploughshares Activists Sentenced For Anti-Nuclear Actions: Father Stephen Kelly and Patrick O’Neill were sentenced to nearly three years and 14 months in prison, respectively. “Armed” with hammers, bottles of their own blood, crime scene tape, and an indictment charging the U.S. government with crimes against peace, the seven splashed the blood on a wall, spray-painted an anti-war slogan on a sidewalk, and hammered away at a monument to nuclear war. They caused minimal damage. Read more>>
Indian Artist Boycotts Chinese Imports, Makes Sculpture Solely From Local Goods: An artisan in West Bengal has protested against the ongoing Chinese aggression in a creative way. Taking the call to boycott Chinese products more seriously than many, he has crafted a Durga idol with only local materials. Read more>>
Death Row Exonerees Photo Project Humanizes Injustice: Martin Schoeller’s devastating new photography exhibition captures the faces and stories of Americans accused of crimes they didn’t commit. Read more>>
A Banner in a Coffin – Djibouti’s Nonviolent Struggle against Authoritarianism: This small African nation has been resisting an authoritarian regime using banners placed in coffins put in the middle of streets as a tactic. Read more>>
Supergirl and Viersnica: Belarus’ Revolution Has A Female Face: In addition to photos of real-life people who exemplify collective heroism, digital artists who support the protest movement in Belarus also use iconic images of female empowerment which are part of the global culture, and combine them with images from Belarus historic heritage. Read more>>
Internet Influencers Are Unionizing: The influencer industry is worth billions – but Instagram and YouTube content creators are often exploited. What happens when a personal brand joins a union? Read more>>
Kasa Invisível – Invisible House Offers Solidarity, Direct Action, and Self-Determination: The three formerly abandoned houses in Brazil are now occupied by an autonomous, anti-capitalist collective that serves as a home for people in need, a social and cultural center for the community, and a meeting and organizing space for anti-authoritarian resistance and mutual aid. Read more>>
4 Things To Know About Indigenous Peoples’ Day: First of all, it’s Peoples’, not People’s. As more and more cities and towns honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day, here are four key things to know. Read more>>
A Guide For Military & Service Members Who Want To Protect Pro-Democracy Movements: Let’s say that you serve in the police, interior security, intelligence services, or the military. A ruler at the helm orders you to repress a pro-democracy movement and its unarmed people who are going out to protest against him. You do not agree with what the ruler and his political sycophants expect from you. You are looking for ideas on how to delay, derail, or go against the ruler’s orders to suppress the nonviolent movement. You are not alone. Read more>>
How To Face Right-wing Violence While Defending the Election — A Conversation With George Lakey: As Americans prepare to stop a coup, concerns for safety are rising. Longtime trainer George Lakey offers lessons on overcoming fear and minimizing violence. Read more>>
What’s In A Name? Does It Matter If We Use “Nonviolence” And “Nonviolent Struggle” Interchangeably: Drawing on feedback from about 700 participants from around the world during the past six years that we have led the exercise, International Center On Nonviolent Conflict has learned that carelessness with regard to terminology is counterproductive at best and dangerous at worst. This includes conflating nonviolence (a system of beliefs that denounce violence) with nonviolent conflict (contention characterized by ordinary people’s use of strikes, boycotts, and other nonviolent tactics to leverage pressure against unjust leaders or systems). Read more>>
Hold the Line – A Guide For Defending Democracy: Check out Hold The Line where researchers, organizers, and activists — who have witnessed how people-powered movements have protected freedom and democracy — put together resources for steps people can take from now until Election Day. You can also check out and download their 52-page guide here. Read more>>
Local Peacebuilding Special Report: Friday, October 23rd, at 1:00pm Eastern/10:00am Pacific, join us along with Peace Direct and the Better Evidence Project for a special issue launch and discussion on local peacebuilding. Read more>>
Nonviolent Peaceforce Cafe On “What Is Safety In My Community?”: What is safety in your community? How could you use nonviolence to provide safety in your community? We will be sharing knowledge, experiences, and goals on nonviolent community safety in small groups. (Oct 22) Read more>>
Rooted In Spirit For Right Action – Social Change & Nonviolence: Through exercises and examples, this virtual workshop will give you an overview of different aspects of how nonviolent practices specifically speak to the times we are living in. Participants will explore the principles, strategy, and spirit of nonviolence – essential skills for navigating the election crisis and beyond. (Oct 25) Learn more>>
Preparing Together: East Point Peace Academy Trains For November: This series of online trainings prepares citizens for challenges around the US November elections. (Oct-Nov) Learn more>>
Choose Democracy Announces New Trainings In Anti-Coup: Worried about what might happen if Trump loses and refuses to leave office? Choose Democracy is training thousands in how to use nonviolent struggle to stop a potential coup. Learn more>>
Black People’s March On White House: The Black Is Back Coalition calls on all to march, rally and convene in Washington, D.C., during the “Black People’s March On White House.” Registration is required. (Nov 7-8) Read more>>
Kingian Nonviolence Mini-Workshop: Join Kazu Haga to discuss the principles of Dr. Martin Luther King and their relevancy for these times. (Nov 14) Read more>>