Editor’s Note from Rivera Sun “Another world is possible. She is already on her way. On a quiet day, you can hear her breathing.” – Arundati Roy Mass protest has won a world unimaginable only a few weeks ago. Major cities are defunding police units, implementing professional crisis response teams, setting up community-led public safety…
Crumbling Racism, Pillar By Pillar
Editor’s Note from Rivera Sun If you watch what’s happening in the United States carefully, you’ll spot a key insight into how nonviolent struggle works. In nonviolent change, we use a model called Pillars of Support to describe how groups, individuals, organizations can prop up a problem or injustice in our world. These may be groups like…
Black. Lives. Matter. Rising Up For Racial Justice
Editor’s Note from Rivera Sun The United States is, once again, erupting with racial justice struggles. The murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis cops comes on the heels of the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, and just days after a white woman in Central Park overreacted to Christian Cooper as he told her to control her…
Giant Murals, Banner Blockades, Street Dances, and More
Editor’s Note from Rivera Sun The pandemic has shape-shifted activism, but it hasn’t stopped it. In our opening image (above), these activists blocked four streets in downtown San Francisco while they painted a giant mural (side image – and notice how small the people are!) of a hot air balloon that was visible from the skyrise…
Love In Action: Nonviolence Tackles Hate
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…
Strikes Grow Bigger, Bolder, Broader
Editor’s Note from Rivera Sun Rent strikes, worker strikes, debt strikes, shopping strikes . . . they’re all building toward the goal of a general strike. On May Day, hundreds of organizing groups held strikes to support the many campaigns for healthcare, PPEs, hazard pay, paid sick leave, decarceration, keeping stay-at-home orders while increasing economic relief…
Meat Boycotts, Sidewalk Mural Protests, & Kites For Climate Justice
Editor’s Note from Rivera Sun Never doubt the creativity and determination of your fellow human beings. Canada banned assault weapons in the wake of a mass shooting. Walmart workers launched their own contact tracing program to help protect people during the pandemic. The Lebanese mass protest movement is back in action with enormous car protests…
Epic Heroes = Nurses In Nonviolent Action
Editor’s Note from Rivera Sun Nurses are badass heroes in scrubs. Period. But when they step into traffic to halt a car protest of gun-toting “astroturf” protesters demanding that social distancing end, they reach heroism of epic proportions. In Michigan, “Reopen Protest” car demonstrations blocked an emergency room entryway. A few days, Denver medical workers had zero tolerance. They…
Action Is the Antidote To Despair – And It’s Working!
Editor’s Note from Rivera Sun Today is a good day for some uplifting news. Therefore, I direct your attention to the 12 success stories. Worker strikes are winning some change. People continue to step up to take care of one another. Anonymous took down child porn dark web sites. The KXL pipeline was handed a…
“Rosie The Riveter” Remake Honors Frontline Heroes
Editor’s Note from Rivera Sun Creativity, laughter, tears, horror, and hope: it’s all here. Weaving through these stories are the acts of nonviolence – large and small – done by people like you and me to help care for people and planet. Car motorcade protests are increasing. Worker strikes for health and safety are sweeping the…