Editor’s Note From Rivera Sun
The International Court of Justice has issued an advisory opinion that nations, businesses, and others have a duty to boycott, divest, and sanction (BDS) Israel over its illegal occupation and apartheid state. They say that BDS is “not just legal, but obligatory”. This has already prompted the Church of England to reverse its stance on Israel’s colonization and occupation. The question is: will others follow suit?
Pressure over the bombardment and assault on Gaza continues. Inside Israel, conscientious objectors continue to face imprisonment and other risks to refuse to fight in the war. US vice president and presidential candidate Kamala Harris confronted protesters over the issue, and US policy on military aid to Israel is one of the key issues for demonstrators outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, IL, this week.
In other Nonviolence News, Turkmenistan banned child labor in cotton fields, a Chinese airline quit forcing stewardesses to wear high heels, and Louisiana activists halted a grain elevator project that would have disrupted Black historic sites. Other stories to explore include a “take back the night” march in India, the family of Michael Brown pressuring the city of Ferguson to stop glossing over his death in their efforts to rebrand, and Punjabis in California forming a healthcare organization that responds to cultural needs.
The mass protests in Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria have prompted some to claim it’s the start of an “African Spring”. Others point out that mass movements in Sudan, Angola, and Algeria have been going on for months, even years. The movements do have common ground around opposing high cost of living and the corruption or failure of government to provide economic justice. Similar conditions worldwide have prompted numerous protest movements this part year, including in Argentina, Panama, Peru, and other countries … including Bangladesh.
Having succeeded in ousting their corrupt prime minister and installing Noble Prize winner Muhammad Yunus as interim leader, Bangladesh is now grappling with the fallout of political upheaval. A high-ranking judge – a loyalist to the previous regime – is being pressured to resign. Incidents of violence have been targeting Hindus and other minorities. Yunus called upon the protestors to help stop the attacks and many have been showing up to de-escalate threats to temples and neighborhoods.
Climate news is interesting this week. Just Stop Oil temporarily called off its direct actions amidst the racist rioting and mass counterprotests that swept the United Kingdom. In Serbia, tens of thousands came out to once again oppose the Rio Tinto lithium mine. (This and other anti-lithium mine struggles in Bolivia and Oak Flat, USA, are keen reminders that climate adaptations will face pushback if they require ‘sacrifice zones’ and come with toxic pollution for communities.) In Madrid, a campaign of tree protectors is holding tree-sits and other direct actions to stop development-driven urban deforestation in the face of extreme heat. Similar high temperatures and heat-related deaths led US workers to rally for better protections amidst the climate crisis.
All of the stories in Nonviolence News offer us lots to think about and act upon. I hope it nourishes your craving for justice, action, and change.
In solidarity,
Rivera Sun
Developers Halt Louisiana Grain Elevator Project That Would Disrupt Black Historic Sites: The grain terminal was the subject of a May 2022 ProPublica investigation that revealed how a whistleblower’s findings had been buried. “It is an unbelievable victory, and it shows what happens when communities fight,” said Joy Banner, right, a Wallace, Louisiana, resident who has led resistance to a grain elevator as the co-founder, along with her sister Jo Banner, left, of a group called the Descendants Project. Read more>>
Bangladesh Chief Justice Agrees To Resign Amid New Wave Of Student Protests: The chief justice of Bangladesh’s top court has said he agreed “in principle” to resign after an ultimatum from protesters, days after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to neighboring India. Obaidul Hassan, who was appointed to helm the Supreme Court last year and is seen as a loyalist to Hasina, was told to step down on Saturday by protesters who gathered outside the court in the capital, Dhaka. Read more>>
International Court of Justice Finds That BDS Is Not Just Legal, But Obligatory: The ICJ’s ruling found that states have a duty to bring Israeli occupation, colonization and apartheid to an end. Read more>>
Farmworker Unions and Advocacy Organizations Cheer EPA Ban on a Toxic Pesticide: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced an emergency order this week suspending all use of an herbicide known to cause irreversible developmental damage to human fetuses. The now-banned pesticide — dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate, or DCPA, marketed under the trade name Dacthal — stops the growth of certain annual grasses and weeds, and was registered for use with broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and onions, among other crops, as well as turf. But mounting evidence has shown the chemical is dangerous to people — “so dangerous that it needs to be removed from the market immediately,”. Read more>>
Apple Wins 10% Raise Over 3 Years In First Union Contract: Apple store workers just won their first union contract. Workers got a 10% raise, plus benefits and severance pay. This was one of the most high profile union battles of the last few years. Read more>>
Chinese Airline Stops Forcing Female Attendants to Wear High Heels: Chinese carrier Hunan Airlines has soared in popularity on domestic social media by announcing that it is scrapping requirements for its female flight attendants to wear high heels. The decision by Hunan Airlines has sparked an outpouring of support on Chinese social media — and calls for more airlines to follow their lead. Read more>>
A Win-Win For Preschoolers And Farmers: For nearly a decade, American Friends Service Committee has helped local farmers supply fresh vegetables to preschool children in New Mexico. Partnering with Head Start, we introduce fresh vegetables to low-income children in preschools around the state. Creative campaigns like “Great Carrot Crunch” have inspired kids to try new foods. Meanwhile, local farmers have benefited from having a new market for their fresh produce. Read more>>
Turkmenistan Has Officially Banned The Use Of Child Labor In Cotton Harvesting: A government decree that was approved in July, but only reported now, adds cotton-picking to a list of hazardous occupations prohibited for people aged under 18. Activist groups have applied pressure to the Turkmen regime by highlighting the ways in which cotton from Turkmenistan, much of which is harvested through the deployment of forced labour, ends up in textile supply chains that produce clothing sold to consumers in the West. Read more>>
Facing Outcry, CDC Updates Guidance Around IUD Insertion Pain: It’s well-documented that the insertion of an IUD, that is an intrauterine device, can be painful, really painful. And now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued guidance recommending that doctors share options for pain management with their patients. It might seem obvious that if a medical procedure causes pain, steps should be taken to reduce that pain. But in this case, it took a public outcry about extreme stabbing discomfort to bring the issue to the foreground. Read more>>
Bangladesh Hindus Protest Against Violence, Muhammad Yunus Responds: Hundreds of Hindus in Bangladesh are believed to have been injured in attacks on their homes and businesses since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5. Lakhs of Hindus have taken to the streets in Bangladesh to protest against the ongoing attacks on the community after Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled to India. Read more>>
Temples In Dhaka Being Guarded By Students And Locals: Minorities in several parts of Bangladesh were attacked on Monday after the resignation of Sheikh Hasina. However, students and local people came for the protection of temples in some places. ‘Temple’s safety depends on the country’s situation’. Read more>>
Is Africa Experiencing a Protest-Led Revolution? Amid protests in Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria, some analysts say an ‘African Spring’ is in the making. Others say this is an incomplete story. Read more>>
Students Join Educators And Advocates In Effort To Reverse Book Bans Across The Country: Legal and research experts say community resistance and the power to protect literary freedom still rests in the hands of parents, kids and educators. Read more>>
Activists Who Heckled Kamala Harris Call For Nationwide Disruptions: A group of young pro-Palestine activists who heckled US presidential candidate Kamala Harris earlier this week, due to concerns she wouldn’t pursue meaningful policy changes towards Israel if she won the race for the White House, have started a campaign to disrupt her election rallies across the country. Pro-Palestine activists said they are convinced the Democratic Party has no intention of changing its policies towards Israel. Read more>>
Gaza’s Ceasefire And Prisoner Deal Hangs In The Balance: With its continuous war crimes and violations of international law, Israel has been jeopardizing negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza and captives-for-prisoners swap deal. Read more>>
Protecting Water Protectors: Not only has Waniya Locke’s community in Standing Rock—like so many Indigenous communities—faced threats to their land and water, but they have also faced escalations and violence when advocating for protection from these threats. Familiar with these safety concerns and with NP’s work in protecting civic spaces, Waniya sought tactical support to facilitate the safety of Indigenous youth and other Water Protectors during a nonviolent rally at the United Nations Headquarters. Read more>>
Police Arrest 50 Individuals Over Anti-EACOP Pipeline Protest: Police in Kampala arrested 50 individuals from universities who planned to march on the Ugandan parliament over the East African Crude Oil Pipeline. Read more>>
Workers Across the US Rally After String of Heat-Related Deaths: Airport, retail, and agricultural workers in 13 cities are demanding elected officials enact heat protections. “Dying on the job is just simply out of the question, and it should never be a part of anyone’s routine. Yet employers are failing to act, and in doing so, they are failing to protect workers’ lives and their health,” said Verrett. Read more>>
Outrage as NYPD Arrests Cello-Playing Grandfather at Citibank Climate Protest: “Rather than doing something about its role in the climate crisis, Citi is choosing instead to target climate activists with false charges and unwarranted arrests,” said cellist John Mark Rozendaal. Read more>>
UK Festival Raises Awareness for Nature With Incredible Forest Concerts: For over two decades, music fans and nature lovers have been convening in England’s scenic woodlands to dance and rock out while helping protect trees. Called Forest Live, the annual outdoor event comprised six festivals with well-known musicians. Read more>>
Thousands of Serbians Protest In Belgrade Against Lithium Mine: Thousands hit the streets in Serbia’s capital Belgrade Saturday to protest against the rebooting of a controversial lithium mine set to serve as a vital source to power Europe’s green energy transition. Thousands chanted “Rio Tinto get out of Serbia” and “You won’t dig” as they rallied in downtown Belgrade before setting off on a march through the city. Protesters later entered Belgrade’s main railway station where demonstrators blocked tracks, halting traffic. Read more>>
10K Climate Survivors & Family Members Demand Inquiry into Real Causes of Disasters: Survivors of climate disasters signed a letter delivered in person to the US Department of Justice on Thursday, demanding federal investigation into the fossil fuel industry’s “climate crimes”. Read more>>
Amid Scorching Summer, Madrid’s Tree-Sitters Resist Corporate Cuttings: Madrid is one of the worst heat islands in the world, and its foliage offers a welcome reprieve from unbearable temperatures. But officials are trying to cut down 85% of trees in certain neighborhoods. Here’s why residents are resisting. Read more>>
The 90th Anniversary of the 1934 Truckers’ Strike Honors Minneapolis’ Militant Labor History: Union members, labor leaders, and descendants of the 1934 Truckers’ Strike honor the 90th anniversary of the historic strike in south Minneapolis. Read more>>
Teachers Union Demands Probe of Predatory Big Banks Loans That Made Chicago Schools ‘Broke on Purpose’: “It is not that Chicago Public Schools does not have the funds. It’s that Rahm Emanuel sold the school district to Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase, and other bankers and left it broke on purpose.” Read more>>
I Helped Organize an Architect’s Union. Here’s How Designers Can Build a Stronger Labor Movement: Unionization in design industries is approaching a tipping point. In July, three different sectors achieved major victories for the labor movement. While the numbers are relatively small, these victories represent a massive shift in how designers see themselves: We went from being a privileged set of artisans to workers seeking solidarity with other workers in all industries. Read more>>
UAW Hits Trump, Musk With Federal Labor Charges Over Effort to ‘Intimidate Workers’: “When we say Donald Trump is a scab, this is what we mean,” said United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain. The UAW argued Tuesday that Trump and Musk’s remarks during the conversation, which was viewed live by more than a million people, amounted to “illegal attempts to threaten and intimidate workers who stand up for themselves by engaging in protected concerted activity, such as strikes.” Read more>>
Hundreds of Legal Experts Push Biden to Drop ‘Punitive and Deadly’ Sanctions: “Hundreds of millions of civilians around the world suffer—and hundreds of thousands have died—even in times of ostensible peace under the broad economic sanctions imposed unilaterally and illegally by the United States.” Read more>>
Photo by Frances Madeson
Michael Brown Jr.’s Father Is Still Fighting for Justice and His Son’s Legacy: Overall, Brown Sr. celebrates the infusions of enhanced business development since his son was killed, but he’s noticed that the new development papers over the reality of policing, which includes the police killing of his son. He says city development attempts “to rebrand Ferguson and erase what happened.” Read more>>
Alaska Tribes Appeal to International Body to Pause “Reckless” Canadian Mining: Canada ordered the tribes be denied “participating Nation status,” diminishing their say in the permitting process. A group of Southeast Alaska tribes requested on Aug. 1 that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights order a temporary pause on Canadian mining activity. They say “reckless” mining activity violates their human rights. Read more>>
The Path For Abolishing The Police Already Exists: From the country of Georgia to communities across the U.S., successful models for decreasing the footprint of the police are in full swing. Read more>>
Indian Women March To ‘Reclaim The Night’ After Doctor’s Rape And Murder: At the stroke of midnight, thousands of women holding flaming torches and blowing conch shells began to march through dark streets. The processions were part of several days of protest against the brutal rape and murder of a junior doctor inside a hospital in the state capital, Kolkata, last week. The women marched to chants of “Reclaim the night”. The call for women to come out emerged from the anger expressed on social media, and quickly created the largest protest movement the state has seen for a long time. Read more>>
New Mexico Teachers Organize Rainbow Contingent in Pride Parade: “Organizing around our queer teachers is vital,” Shelton said. “Kids need to see themselves in us.” Shelton is enthusiastic about this new energy in the union, where members are turning to ATF and each other for the issues that matter to them at home and at work. Read more>>
National Monument Pushed for New Deal Leader Frances Perkins, First Woman in Cabinet: A national monument would mean “more people could learn about this incredible woman and the power of government to be a force for good,” a member of Congress said. Frances Perkins became the first woman to serve in a presidential Cabinet when she was named secretary of labor in 1933. She was instrumental in establishing Social Security, unemployment benefits, a minimum wage, and a 40-hour work week. Read more>>
Newly Approved Missouri Referendum Could Reverse State Abortion Ban: “By passing this amendment, we can end Missouri’s total abortion ban and ensure that Missourians regain access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare,” said one organizer. Read more>>
Queer Youth Are Derailing the Controversial Kids Online Safety Act: Worries over censorship and LGBTQ content has lawmakers in both parties casting doubt on the bill. Across the internet, communities of queer and trans youth have mobilized to oppose KOSA as the legislation became increasingly entangled in longstanding culture war debates over sex education and queer visibility in schools. Despite many changes to the bill’s language since it was first introduced in 2022, KOSA continues to face stiff opposition from LGBTQ and digital rights groups. Read more>>
Three Israeli Army Refusers: ‘We Will Not Participate in Genocide’: Conscientious objectors Yuval Moav, Itamar Greenberg, and Oryan Mueller explain why they are willing to go to jail in order to stand against the war. Read more>>
US Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Remembered Amid Growing Threat Of Nuclear War: US bombings of the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9 of 1945 are the only incidents of nuclear bombings in world history. Over 50,000 people, including representatives from 109 countries, joined an event marking the 79th anniversary of the US’s bombing of Hiroshima. The main ceremony was held at Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park on Tuesday, August 6. Read more>>
Church of England Reverses Stance On Israel-Palestine: In significant reversal, Church of England head says Israeli occupation must end following ICJ opinion. “The [recent] Advisory Opinion by the International Court of Justice,” Archbishop Justin Welby writes, “makes definitively clear that Israel’s presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is unlawful and needs to end as rapidly as possible.” Read more>>
State and Local Efforts to Divest From Israel Are Gaining Steam: Cross-movement coalitions have been vital to the progress of these campaigns to end the transfer of US taxpayer dollars. Read more>>
Pro-Palestine Activists Are Under Attack In Europe: Studies by human rights organizations confirm what activists have warned. In Europe, and especially in Germany, fundamental rights are under attack with regard to Palestine. Read more>>
New Orleans Residents Rebuke Sham ‘Peace Statement,’ Demand Gaza Ceasefire Resolution: On August 6, at 9:30 a.m., nearly 100 local activists and community organizations converged onto New Orleans City Hall. They gathered to stand against the New Orleans City Council adopting a “Statement of Peace,” and demanded instead a resolution for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Read more>>
A Ukrainian-Russian Border Plebiscite? Anyone Got a Better Idea? If we can’t even imagine and articulate methods of settling border disputes that don’t involve tanks and drones we’re in even more trouble than we thought. Read more>>
Sustaining Transitional Peace: With support from IOM Philippines and the Government of Japan, Nonviolent Peaceforce developed a community-oriented safeguarding and conflict management training to assist members of the Joint Peace and Security Team (JPST) in their efforts to sustain peace, manage conflict, and foster resolution in the Philippines. The JPST is a transitional peace and security mechanism composed of members from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippines National Police, and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Read more>>
Wyoming’s New Instagram Filter Helps Keep Wildlife & Tourists Safe: Wyoming launched a new social media filter aimed at keeping tourists safe around wildlife. People can add the #GetSomeSelfieControl filter to their photos as they post. Read more>>
‘Walls Are Where We Communicate’: How Murals Paint Chile’s Politics: Alejandro ‘Mono’ González has used walls as his political voice for six decades in Chile, a ‘nation of muralists’. Read more>>
Picnic Tables Are Becoming Poetry Installations at National Parks, Thanks to US Poet Laureate Ada Limón: Nature has inspired a wealth of beautiful poetry and U S poet laureate Ada Limón is among those who frequently turn to the environment as a muse This year Limón is inviting the public to share in that connection with You Are Here Poetry in Parks a series of installations on picnic tables. Read more>>
Comic Strip Helps US See The Vision Of New Economic Bill of Rights: A comic strip creator has joined forces with the authors of the New Economic Bill of Rights to help people understand the 80-year history that led to this economic crisis – and the opportunities that could unfold if people organize for a new vision. Read more>>
#ChooseDemocracy Updates Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Strategy Book To Include Kamala Harris: They made a choose-your-own-adventure book to guide people through possible scenarios if Trump won, lost, or refused to concede the 2024 election. With Biden stepping out of the race, they’ve updated it to cover options including Kamala Harris as a presidential candidate. Read more>>
Punjabi Californians Find a Lifeline Through Community Health Workers: Facing a health care system without sufficient translation services and a grueling economic landscape, Punjabi residents in Fresno, California, have created an organization to help meet their community’s unique needs. Read more>>
How To Make Sure Your Disruptive Protest Helps Your Cause: Five key factors determine whether controversial protests are more likely to spark backlash or create positive outcomes. Read more>>
Palestine Has Mobilized a Global Movement. For It to Last We Must Get Organized. Past solidarity movements teach us that organization is just as important as mobilization. Read more>>
Just Stop Oil Just Showed Exactly How The Left Needs To Organize: Just Stop Oil is calling a pause on further actions while far-right race riots are continuing to affect many towns and cities around the country. However, by pausing its own actions it means it can mobilise with communities and other groups to present a united front against the far-right – exactly the approach that’s needed. Read more>>
Venezuelans Defend Their Revolution Against Another US Coup Attempt: The United States government has refused to recognize President Maduro, instead claiming without evidence that an opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, was the winner, a tactic reminiscent of the Juan Guaido charade. Clearing the FOG speaks with Venezuelan political analyst Maria Paez Victor about the Bolivarian Revolution, the most recent US-backed coup attempt, media attacks, and how Venezuelans have prepared to protect their deep democracy and social gains. Listen here>>
How San Francisco Longshoremen Made Their Union a Powerhouse. When they started strategically resisting the bosses’ divisive tactics, meeting racism with solidarity, San Francisco longshoremen went “from wharf rats to the lords of the docks.” Read more>>
21 Resources to Plan Your Next Peacebuilding Training: A compilation of the best resources with guidance and activities to help you plan your next peacebuilding training. This blog post I have compiled 21 resources on how to plan and carry out a peacebuilding training or activities to facilitate a peacebuilding training. Read more>>
How a Strong Messaging Strategy Helped Defeat Brazil’s Bolsonaro: Pedro Telles helped rally Brazilians against the far right. Here he explains how communications strategies can be used to fight authoritarianism. Read more>>
Write To Your Local Editor And Utilities & Fossil Fuels: Will you submit a letter to the editor to your local news outlets to help expose the relationship between utilities and the fossil fuel industry, and demand these companies stop burning our future? Learn more>>
Demand Reparations During #BlackAugust: Black Lives Matters writes “Reparations are about Black liberation. Reparations are about the demand for resources needed to repair the historical and ongoing damage to descendants of Africans enslaved in the United States. For decades, the prevalence of systemic racism has usurped resources from Black communities. They’ve unjustly imprisoned members of the community, placed obstacles in our path to thrive, and pulled opportunities whenever they’ve gotten the chance. We have been fighting an uphill battle for over 400 years since slavery.” Tell President Biden, it’s time for reparations. Learn more>>
Kickstart Your Climate Advocacy: Are you a composter, local business owner, farmer, environmentalist, public interest advocate, or someone who wants to get more involved in your community? Join Localism on September 19 from 12 – 1:30 p.m. ET to hear elected officials and advocacy groups share tips for engaging in policy advocacy around food systems, waste, and climate. Learn more>>
Tell US Congress To Push For a Ceasefire: Win Without War is mobilizing tens of thousands of people to urge every member of Congress to push for a ceasefire in Gaza that can lead to the region-wide de-escalation necessary to save lives, get the hostages home, and allow the millions of people currently holding their breath to exhale. Will you add your name? Learn more>>
Extinction Rebellion Announces ‘Mass Occupation’ To Upgrade Democracy: Extinction Rebellion UK has responded to the general election result by inviting people to join Upgrade Democracy. It will be a three-day mass occupation of a high-profile location from Friday 30 August to Sunday 1 September. Learn more>>
#NoWar 2024 Conference – Resisting US Militarism: Ending all wars means closing all military bases. The United States of America, unlike any other nation, maintains a massive network of foreign military bases around the world, over 900 bases in more than 90 countries and territories. Join World BEYOND War in this global conference on resistance to US militarism. Learn more>>
Global Week of Action for Peace and Climate Justice: The first annual Week of Action for Peace and Climate Justice will address the links between war, militarism and climate injustice, promoting grassroots action and policy making for peace and climate justice. This year’s theme is divest from war – invest in climate justice!(Sep 21-28) Learn more>>
Campaign Nonviolence Action Days: From Sept 21 to Oct 2, 2024, (Int’l Day of Peace to Int’l Day of Nonviolence), join tens of thousands of people in creatively building a culture of peace rooted in active nonviolence. Last year, people held over 5,000 actions, events, and marches across the USA and in 20 countries. Over 60,000 people participated in these events. In 2024, join us in advancing peace and nonviolence, and addressing the entwined issues of violence, war, poverty, racism, and environmental destruction. (Sep 21 – Oct 2) Learn more>>