Editor’s Note From Rivera Sun Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is commemorated each January in the United States. In many places, he is honored with “service”. This focus, while admirable, evades the radical legacy of resistance that defined Dr. King’s use of nonviolence as a tool of social change. To me, every person engaged in…
Tag: racial justice
Special Report: 56+ Racial Justice Gains In 2020
Editor’s Note by Rivera Sun #GeorgeFloyd #BreonnaTaylor #IRunWithAhmaud – Racial justice campaigns defined Summer 2020. The murder of George Floyd catalyzed the largest mass protests in United States history. At least 20 million people participated in the weeks-long demonstrations. 10,000 people were arrested. Demonstrators faced heavy police repression. And though the headlines screamed about fires,…
Rubber Duckies & Rosie the Riveter
Editor’s Note From Rivera Sun What’s up with those giant rubber ducks? Thai pro-democracy protesters brought them to a rally as a joke … but when the police broke out the water cannons, those giant inflatables came in handy as water shields. From railroad blockades to Rosie the Riveter feminist revolts, this week’s Nonviolence News…
3,500 Climate Strikes, Underground Protests, & 150K Poor People Flooding Phones
Editor’s Note From Rivera Sun It’s been a big week. 3,500 climate actions happened in 150 countries. Amid continuing pandemic restrictions and concerns, children sent their shoes to stand in protest in their place. In addition, another 4,000 actions and events took place for a culture of peace and active nonviolence, free from war, poverty,…
From Blockades To Embroidery
Editor’s Note Moving beyond protests, people around the world are using nonviolent acts of noncooperation and intervention to strive for change. From blockades to embroidery, they’re using dozens of tactics. In Bolivia, 140 road blockades are shutting down the nation to stop the delays in their elections. Arizona schoolteachers, worried about unsafe school re-openings amidst the…
Rest In Power. Resist In Peace?
Editor’s Note Rest In Power, John Lewis. The news is full of tributes to congressman and civil rights legend John Lewis, praising his commitment to nonviolence and his lifelong efforts for racial justice. This is a week to remember and to mourn, not just for John Lewis, but for all of the people who have…
When We Organize, We Win
Editor’s Note: This week, three major fossil fuel pipelines were stalled, stopped, and shut down: the KXL, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, and the Dakota Access Pipeline. This is a testimony to the millions of people who stood up at Standing Rock, in Nebraska, and along the many thousands of miles impacted by these pipelines. It…
“This Is Why We March” + Treaty Defenders
Editor’s Note From Rivera Sun Recent polls show that US citizens now support police reform in overwhelming numbers. “This is why we march,” said Black organizers in response. Organized action propels change. It’s certainly encouraging for many interconnected social justice movements that have been pushing for change for a long time. In the photo above, a Treaty…
Another World Is Possible … She Is Already On Her Way
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…