Editor’s Note From Rivera Sun
From firefighters to ballet dancers, everyone deserves fair wages … and workers are organizing to get it. This week’s Nonviolence News celebrates some recent union wins and shares reports of strikes, walkouts, and more. Local 11 Unite Here – whose LA union has been making headlines with their historic campaign, recently mobilized the hotel workers in Phoenix, Arizona, to disrupt a major graduation weekend in the city. (Pictured above) Economics was also on the mind of thousands of Argentines who participated in a general strike as the unions blasted the president’s austerity measures.
In more Nonviolence News, Aruba’s locals are protesting against the unregulated and unsustainable growth of the tourism industry, and the ways colonialism – past and present – worsens the situation. In Mexico, activists are confronting intentionally-set forest fires that are being used by corrupt real estate firms to hasten development in a new wave of colonialism. In tree-sits, blockades of mining sites, and locking onto partially-built pipelines, environmental activists are rallying to halt ecological destruction in its many forms. Some constructive actions also made headlines, including a Utah program that pays people to replace lawns with low-water landscapes, a First Nation’s effort to establish the first ‘Blue Park’ in Canada, and the ways that traditional seeds are helping Moroccan farmers weather drought.
Student encampments for Gaza and a ceasefire are spreading across Europe and mobilizing high school students, too. In the US, several encampments were evicted by police while others achieved some of their demands of the university administrations. In either case, these bold protest actions are keeping the heat on leaders, officials, and administrators – and we’re seeing some shifts in those people. For example, a senior officer in the U.S. Army who also served as an intelligence official for the Pentagon has resigned over the Biden Administration’s stance on Gaza, saying, “At some point … you’re either advancing a policy that enables the mass starvation of children, or you’re not.”
Take the time to visit the full round-up. With 62 articles in this Nonviolence News issue, there’s plenty to explore! Some of my favorites include peace-related stories like how civilians in Burundi are working to heal after decades of civil war, how Women’s Protection Teams are keeping people safe in Sudan, and a new digital magazine on peace for kids. I also enjoyed the review of War Resisters’ League’s 100-Year Anniversary book and touring exhibit, a story about how K-Pop fans are joining climate actions, and a report on how beavers are returning to London.
In solidarity,
Rivera Sun
A Coastal First Nation Earns Canada Its First ‘Blue Park’: The Kitasoo Xai’xais First Nation’s marine protected area recently became Canada’s first certified “blue park” in honor of its exemplary conservation efforts. Located north of Vancouver, the site in Kitasu Bay is also notable for being the world’s first Indigenous-protected marine park. Read more>>
Union Theological Seminary Votes To Divest From Companies Profiting From Gaza War: Union Theological Seminary’s board of trustees voted Thursday to divest from all companies profiting off the war in Gaza. “We do it with humility and we do it with a sense of moral conviction,” said Union’s president, Serene Jones. Read more>>
Lab Professionals At LabCorp Win a Union: The lab professionals employed by the medical lab services company, LabCorp of America, held a union election from May 1-3 where 434 workers voted to join together in a union with the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (OFNHP), a local affiliate of the 1.7 million-member AFT. These healthcare professionals work at labs within seven Legacy Health facilities in Oregon and Washington, including Emanuel and Good Samaritan in Portland, and Salmon Creek (WA). Read more>>
Green Groups Call US Electric Transmission Rules ‘Major Leap Forward’: Experts celebrated the “critical step to ensuring our electric grid has the capacity and durability necessary to keep up with our clean energy ambition, meet climate goals, and guarantee affordable and equitable energy access for all.” Read more>>
The First-Ever US National Limits on PFAS in Drinking Water: After decades of community organizing, the EPA has taken a historic step to protect public health by setting the first-ever national limits on six harmful PFAS chemicals in drinking water. These regulations will save thousands of lives by limiting and requiring the removal of these toxic “forever chemicals” from our water. This is welcome progress! Now, we must ensure that the EPA regulates the entire class of PFAS chemicals, bans all nonessential uses of PFAS, and holds polluters accountable to clean up their mess. Read more about this important victory. Read more>>
Beavers Are Back in London — and Gnawing the City into Shape: After a 400-year absence, nature’s best engineers have returned to the British capital, and they’ve brought their ecosystem management skills with them. Read more>>
Locals In Aruba Protest Unsustainable Growth Of Hotel And Tourism Industry: Aruban locals took to the streets of the capital, Oranjestad, and interrupted the protocol for King’s Day, a day when the entire Kingdom of the Netherlands celebrates the King’s birthday. The protest was about the current environmental crisis that Aruba, like many other Caribbean nations, is facing. There was a particular focus on the unsustainable and unregulated growth of the hotel and tourism industry, exacerbated by the colonial impacts The Netherlands has had on Aruba and the rest of the ABC-SSS islands (Dutch Caribbean). Read more>>
Ann Wright On The Gaza Freedom Flotilla & Upcoming NATO Protests: This week, Clearing the FOG radio speaks with Ann Wright, a retired Colonel, former State Department official and prominent peace activist. Wright, who resigned in protest of the Iraq War from the State Department in 2003, speaks about recent resignations over the genocide in Gaza and the Biden administration’s new report on Palestine. She also discusses the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which is ready to sail but is being prevented from doing so, and the protests and activities being planned for this July when the NATO leaders meet in Washington, DC around the 75th anniversary of its founding. Read more>>
General Strike Brings Argentina to a Halt Over Milei Austerity Program: The unions blasted President Javier Milei’s attacks on labor rights, social security, public health and education. “It is a day of resistance and demand,” the groups said, blasting the Milei government’s “brutal” attacks on labor rights, social security, public health, education, science, and “our cultural identity.” The policies of austerity, say opponents, have disproportionately impacted working people and retirees. Read more>>
Nicaraguans Use Social Media To Protest “Peace Law” That Whitewashes Massacres: The Nicaraguan government established April as a Month of Peace – largely to shift energy away from the traditional mass protests that often happen. Through hashtags such as #AbrilNoSeOlvida (#WeWontForgetApril) and #SOSNicaragua, they reject the “Peace Law” and show their determination to continue fighting for justice and democracy. Read more>>
George Washington University Students Return With 2nd Encampment: George Washington University students stormed back by the hundreds onto the campus streets on Thursday afternoon. The student-led action came 36 hours after 32 were arrested during a predawn Wednesday morning raid on the U-Yard. Read more>>
Georgia’s Ruling Party Adopts Controversial Foreign Agent Bill Despite Widespread Protests: As protests raged in the capital and elsewhere across the country, the ruling Georgian Dream members continued pushing the foreign agent law. Read more>>
Locked-Out Firefighters Picket Boeing: The aerospace giant Boeing locked out 125 firefighters across multiple facilities in Washington state May 4 after contract negotiations broke down. “We want to be out there working and protecting the community of Boeing employees,” said firefighter Jon Riggsby, vice-president-elect of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local I-66. “But the company won’t allow us.” Read more>>
Why Tempe Hotel Workers Are Striking Amid ASU’s Graduation Week: Workers at Hyatt’s Tempe Mission Palms have been without a collective bargaining agreement with the hotel for a year. As hotels fill up for Arizona State University’s graduation weekend, the workers are striking to demand higher wages, an affordable health care plan, a pension and “fair and human workloads.” Read more>>
No Contract, No Pirouette – Ballet Dancers Organize For Labor Rights: As they perform Swan Lake, dancers at Miami City Ballet in Florida have been facing a union-busting campaign from the company’s management. These dancers are just one group in a wave of ballet companies unionizing with the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA). But in Miami, organizing dancers endured significant challenges. Read more>>
UW Academic Student Employees On Strike: 6,000 Academic Student Employees at the University of Washington (UW) walked off the job and onto the picket line today beginning at 6am, after the University administration still refused to agree to their demands after multiple extensions. Read more>>
Josh Cullinan Calls For State-Owned Supermarket To Reduce Prices, Break The Duopoly: Food prices have surged over the past few years while supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths post massive profits. A Senate inquiry into supermarket prices, set up in December to examine the “price setting practices and market power” of the two major supermarkets, released its report on May 7. Read more>>
Activists Protest In Trees, File Lawsuit To Block Old Growth Logging: A coalition of conservation groups and activists have blocked a logging site and filed a legal complaint over another area with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Read more>>
Protester Locks Himself To Mountain Valley Pipeline Construction Equipment: Early Wednesday morning, pipeline fighter Finn locked himself to a side boom on a Mountain Valley Pipeline worksite on Poor Mountain in Montgomery County, VA, preventing MVP construction at the site for 11 hours. Highlights Connection Between Appalachia And Palestine. Read more>>
Apache Stronghold Standing In the Way of Massive Copper Mine: The ancient, sacred grounds of Apache Native territory are under threat from a looming giant — a massive copper mine that promises riches for the locals, and a pathway to the so-called green transition. But, as is often the case, it comes at a cost. Read more>>
Traditional Seeds Are Keeping Morocco Farming Through Climate Change: A seed bank of carefully stored, drought-resistant varieties is keeping agriculture sustainable for a hotter, drier future. Read more>>
Riot Police Break Up Gold Mine Protesters In Kazakhstan: Riot police broke up an unsanctioned rally of around 100 people in the village of Maraldy in northeast Kazakhstan. Demonstrators were protesting against construction of a gold-processing plant that they say threatens to pollute the nearby Maraldy River, a tributary of the 4,200-kilometre-long Irtysh River. Officials told media that protestors broke into the construction site and clashed with workers, but protesters say they maintained law and order, with elders observing the protests. Read more>>
Eight Hundred Protesters Attempt To Storm German Tesla Factory: Hundreds of protesters opposed to the expansion of a Tesla plant in Grünheide, near Berlin, clashed with police on Friday as some of them attempted to storm the electric vehicle manufacturing facility. About 800 people took part in the protest, according to the organizing group Disrupt Tesla, which claims the expansion would damage the environment. Read more>>
77% of Top Climate Scientists Think 2.5°C of Warming Is Coming—And They’re Horrified: Nearly 80% of top-level climate scientists expect that global temperatures will rise by at least 2.5°C by 2100, while only 6% thought the world would succeed in limiting global heating to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels. Nearly three-quarters blamed world leaders’ insufficient action on a lack of political will, while 60% said that corporate interests such as fossil fuel companies were interfering with progress. Read more>>
Pro-Palestine Protesters Find Solidarity With Climate Advocates At Student Encampments: Student protesters across the U.S. are pointing out how Israel’s destructive campaign results in climate devastation. Many groups are saying that Palestine is not only suffering from a genocide, but an ecocide as well. Ecocide is the intentional widespread destruction of an area’s natural environment. Read more>>
This Utah County Will Buy Your Lawn: Would you ditch your grass if the price was right? In one of America’s driest places, “turf buybacks” are converting lawns into cash –– and saving millions of gallons of water. Read more>>
Corrupt Real Estate Firms Are Displacing Indigenous Mexicans in New Colonialism: On March 27, activists closed a road to denounce what they say were intentionally set forest fires to the east of Mexico City allegedly caused by real estate companies seeking to build in the area. This is one of the tactics that local activists are struggling with. Locals say the real estate industry is using organized crime, intimidation and even arson to clear the way for profits. Read more>>
Groups Look To Bail Out Black Mothers, Caregivers in Pretrial Detention for Mother’s Day: “We don’t look at the crime. We are looking at predetention when you have not been convicted of a crime. We didn’t make the system. The system says, ‘You are innocent until proven guilty.’” Read more>>
Peace Walk 2023 – Mindfully Bring The Sacred Back Into Your Journey: As a peace walk embarks, Sherri Mitchell of the Penobscot Nation set the tone. “There have been a lot of reasons why people have marched throughout time. Those reasons have historical significance. And so when we think about the reasons why people have marched or been in processions, on pilgrimage — at the heart of those walks, those journeys, there was an element of the sacred that was present.” Read more>>
Australian Protesters Say Bill Will Give Minister ‘Trump-Like’ Anti-Refugee Powers: NSW Greens Senator David Shoebridge told a “Kill The Bill” protest at Sydney Town Hall on May 11 that Labor’s Deportation and Entry Ban bill would give the immigration minister “god-like powers”. Read more>>
University of Michigan Protesters Keep Focus On Genocide: Over the last two weeks, camp activity has prioritized education and building community. Well over 100 permanent residents of the encampment have staged protests, teach-ins, and public engagement campaigns. They have drawn in donations from the community to establish a daily food supply for protestors and any community members who are hungry, free of charge. They have also established a small library, stocked with handouts, zines, and donated books ranging from Palestinian histories and poetry to contemporary anti-colonialist novels. Read more>>
Pro-Palestinian Educators Stage Die-In After Chancellor Banks Testifies On Antisemitism: Dozens of pro-Palestinian educators and parent leaders staged a die-in outside the Education Department’s Lower Manhattan headquarters on Wednesday, just hours after New York City’s schools Chancellor David Banks testified at a congressional hearing focused on antisemitism. Read more>>
Jerry Seinfeld Commencement Speech Spurs Walkout at Duke University: The comedian’s steadfast support of Israel resulted in calls to cancel his graduation day appearance. Read more>>
Army Major and Pentagon Officer Resigns Over US Support of Gaza Genocide: Another Biden administration official has resigned over the U.S.’s unconditional support of Israel’s genocide in Gaza — this time a senior officer in the U.S. Army who also served as an intelligence official for the Pentagon. “At some point … you’re either advancing a policy that enables the mass starvation of children, or you’re not,” he said. Read more>>
800+ Jewish Professors Urge Biden, Senate to Oppose ‘Dangerous’ Antisemitism Bill: “Criticism of the state of Israel, the Israeli government, policies of the Israeli government, or Zionist ideology is not—in and of itself—antisemitic,” reads a new letter. Read more>>
European Campuses Erupt In Protest Over Gaza Genocide: More European college campuses have erupted in protest over Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip, as the massive pro-Palestine movement at US universities continues to inspire students worldwide. Read more>>
Free Gaza Protests: ‘All We Want For Mothers Day Is a Free Palestine’: Thousands rallied around Australia on the weekend of May 12, for the 31st consecutive weekend of protests against Israel’s genocide and Australia’s complicity. Read more>>
Whistleblower David McBride Sentenced, War Criminals Remain Free: The jailing of Afghanistan war crimes whistleblower David McBride on May 14 has been condemned by truth-tellers across the globe. Read more>>
High School Students Walk Out in Support of College Encampments: As pro-Palestine protests on college campuses continue to sweep the nation, high school students have joined the movement to demand an end to US military aid to Israel and the ongoing war in Gaza. Amid finals, classes, and college decision celebrations, high schoolers have organized sit-ins and marches to nearby university campuses, echoing the frustrations of their college peers. Read more>>
Rep. Cori Bush: Stop the Violent Crackdowns on Social Movements: “It’s time our government responded to popular social movements with an ear, instead of a boot,” Rep. Cori Bush says. “It’s time our leaders focused on investing in community-led safety through violence interruption, mental health crisis response, and summer jobs programs, among others, instead of endless war. And it’s time our president heeded the lessons of the past, including the anti-war and anti-apartheid protests he has lived through.” Read more>>
Student Encampments Have The Power To Change Minds — If They Control The Narrative: While media and universities try to delegitimize student encampments, there’s still a way they can shift public opinion to support an end to the genocide in Gaza. Read more>>
Carrying On Kent State’s Legacy Of Antiwar Organizing, Students Press For Divestment: Students at Kent State won disclosure of the university’s investment portfolio, but the fight to divest from the war industry is just beginning. Read more>>
4 Lessons From the Palestine Solidarity Student Encampments: For the encampments to alter America’s “common sense” on Palestine, they must center solidarity, speak to the majority and popularize an alternative to Zionism. Read more>>
How Unions Have Supported the Palestine Student Protests: Over the last few weeks across the US, pro-Palestine student protesters have faced harsh crackdowns from university administrators and police. At many campuses, labor unions have been coming to the protesters’ defense. Read more>>
Student Journalists Are Needed Now More Than Ever: Police and university administrations are attempting to repress the student press. In the United States—where the freedom of the press is enshrined in our Constitution’s First Amendment—law enforcement and university administrations have routinely disregarded the rights of student journalists who have been working tirelessly to cover the ongoing pro-Palestine campus protests. Read more>>
The Work of Nonviolent Peaceforce: In this video, learn examples of how Nonviolent Peaceforce uses the principles of Unarmed Civilian Protection (UPC) in conflict zones and areas experiencing violence. Witness how UCP not only protects civilians but also strengthens the entire community’s resilience against the cycle of violence. By the end of the video, you’ll have a clearer understanding of the crucial role of unarmed protection in achieving sustainable peace and enhancing the capacity of communities to handle conflicts without violence. Watch here>>
Community and Women-led Protection in Sudan: The capacity of communities to work together to keep each other safe amid the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces in Sudan can be seen through Women’s Protection Teams (WPTs). In North Darfur, Nonviolent Peaceforce supports these Women Protect Teams to identify the most important protection risks they and their communities face and develop local responses to reduce or resolve those protection risks. Read more>>
Learning Together for Peace: From the heart of North Minneapolis, Minnesota, the NP U.S. Community Peace Builder team set out on a trip to Traverse City, Michigan, where they joined the Meta Peace Team for a weekend dedicated to exchanging knowledge and strategies of peaceful coexistence and collective safety. Here are there reflections and insights. Read more>>
Facing The Past, Building a Peaceful Future: In Burundi, communities are working to heal after decades of civil war—and to prevent violence from happening again. With support from AFSC, thousands of community members took part in trainings and community dialogues on transitional justice. For many young people, it was the first time they heard elders speak of the violence and loss they had experienced. Read more>>
Agape – A Peacemaking Guide For Kids: A new digital magazine has launched for children who are age 8-12 and eager to learn more about peacemaking. The first issue focuses on Resisting War. Read more>>
K-Pop Fans Rally For Climate & Environment: Fans of Korean pop bands around the world are increasingly channeling their millions-strong online community into climate and environmental activism, protesting business deals linked to coal power, urging K-pop entertainers to cut waste and raising awareness about climate-related issues. Read more>>
Israel’s War On Gaza Takes Center Stage At Eurovision 2024: While the annual Eurovision Song Contest is supposed to be a fun, apolitical event, organizers’ decision to allow Israel to participate is drawing controversy and boycotts. Read more>>
‘Bushnell’s Men’ Hack 30,000 Western Printers In Protest of Gaza Genocide: The hacker group is inspired by the 25-year-old US Air Force serviceman who self-immolated in a radical act of protest of Israel’s war. Read more>>
Social Media Users Are Collectively Blocking Celebrities And Influencers Who Have Been Silent On Gaza: Hundreds of celebrities are on the “digital guillotine” as social media users campaign for a #blockout — urging one another to block the social media accounts of big names who have remained silent about the ongoing humanitarian atrocities in Gaza. Read more>>
A Century Of War Resistance: The War Resisters League’s storied hundred-year history is celebrated in a new book and traveling display. Read more>>
I Run a Food Pantry but It’s Not Enough. We Need Funding for SNAP: “I’m proud to help my neighbors. But food donations are no substitute for government nutrition programs like SNAP, which is now under threat.” Read more>>
How the Anti-Apartheid Movement Took Off in the United States: HBCUs, especially, became incubators for anti-apartheid activism. Read more>>
Transforming Trauma Into Action: After an intense experience with gun violence, Quinones “Q” Corniel, Jr. knew things had to change. He got involved with Cure Violence. “Violence is a toxin that is poisoning the minds and decision-making of our young people much faster and deadlier than ever before. We didn’t need band-aids or quick-fix solutions to behavior change, which often involve incarceration as the most frequently used tool. We needed a cure, a treatment that promoted health and self-worth.” Read more>>
Practicing Protest Safety: Nonviolent Peaceforce Director of Mutual Protection, Kalaya’an Mendoza, spoke with Public News Service (PNS) about how students and others involved in peaceful, nonviolent protest can stay safe while exercising their right to protest. Read more>>
Redefining Philanthropy’s Purpose And Role By Centering Social Movements: This essay delves into the pivotal relationship between philanthropy and social movements, challenging traditional paradigms. Emphasizing the need for philanthropy to move beyond mere funding and engage in true allyship with movements, the authors envision a praxis of solidarity philanthropy rooted in liberation. Read more>>
Mutual Aid Sustains Human Rights Movements Worldwide: To understand the shape that social justice movements are taking around the world, as communities engaged in human rights we have to make visible the connections between participatory action, mutual aid, and legal empowerment. Read more>>
From Pain To Liberation – Healing Collective Trauma: Combatants for Peace and American Friends of Combatants hosted a conversation on moving from pain to liberation and healing collective trauma. This virtual event was led by Dr. Gabor Maté, retired physician, internationally renowned speaker, and bestselling author. The discussion was moderated by Sami Awad, Palestinian peace activist, and founder and former executive director of Holy Land Trust. Read more>>
Tell US Congress To Stop Arming Israel: The U.S. government is still arming Israel despite grave violations of U.S. and international law. Tell President Biden and Congress: Stop arming genocide! President Biden has paused some arms shipments but is still poised to send others. Take action today>>
Tell the Army Corps Not To Fast-Track a Dangerous Pipeline: For more than a decade, the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa has fought to remove the Line 5 oil pipeline from their homeland in northern Wisconsin. A federal judge recently ruled in their favor, agreeing that Enbridge is illegally trespassing on the Bad River Band’s reservation. However, Enbridge wants to re-route the pipeline. Urge the Army Corps to delay their public hearing until the State of Wisconsin and the Bad River Band weigh in. Take action>>
NO To NATO, YES To PEACE: The largest war machine ever will be celebrating itself, with the help of presidents and prime ministers, in Washington D.C., in July. Can you come help us unwelcome NATO and hold a counter-summit featuring some of the strongest voices for a peaceful alternative to machinery that depends on conflict for its (temporary) survival? Learn more>>
Speak Out On Sudan: Over one year into the conflict in Sudan, the international community’s response remains woefully inadequate. And as the conflict drags on, more and more civilians are facing hunger and malnutrition. Demand action and show solidarity with the people of Sudan. It’s not too late to urge President Biden to speak out on the crisis by adding your name to the petition, which already has 10,000+ signatures. Get involved & sign the petition >>