non-violence

Love Takes Action: The Power of Peaceful Protest

18 February 2017 Leave a Comment

As part of its #LoveTakesAction series, the Huffington Post recently interviewed a nun and a monk at Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village monastery in France, to ask what advice they would give to activists. "Sister Peace, who previously worked in the office of the mayor of Washington, says action must be inspired by a deep-rooted sense of love. “If we can be strong in ourselves, then we could offer a resistance that is nonviolent,” she said. “But that means that we ourselves are at a place where we … Watch video

Historic moment for Standing Rock – the result of active prayer and peace

5 December 2016 1 Comment

"The fight continues and we are winning. Prayer and peace is what got us here.... we were told by our youth, and we were told by our elders, and we were told by the spirits to remain non-violent.... and if you remain non-violent you will be successful." "Yesterday it was announced that the Army Corps of Engineers will not be granting the final permit needed for the pipeline construction. "Despite the decision, the pipeline company, Energy Transfer Partners, issued an announcement that it is … Watch video

Dalai Lama on religious violence

29 November 2016 1 Comment

"All major world religious traditions carry the same message: the message of love, compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment, self-discipline - all religious traditions. So these are the common ground, and common practice. On that level we can build genuine harmony on the basis of mutual respect, mutual learning, mutual admiration." Watch video

Walking Peace Into the World

14 September 2016 6 Comments

"Last night, I dreamed of walking. In a thousand bodies, through hundreds of city streets, suburban neighborhoods, rural roads, industrial zones, wild and forgotten spaces. "We walked to be the peace we yearned to see. We could not wait for politicians to end the endless, borderless wars. We ended it with our footsteps. We announced with our bodies that we would not wait for authorities to fix our communities; we would heal them here and now. We walked to be present with one another, to break … Continue reading

Is there any cure for the growing threat of terrorism today?

3 September 2016 3 Comments

The Metta Center for Nonviolence explores what happens when we drop the old story of separation, competition and violence, and start over from a new story perspective that sees the human being beneath the label of terrorist. Watch video

10 Things to Know About Nonviolent Struggle

7 March 2016 Leave a Comment

“There is a place between passivity and violence. I’ll meet you there.” – Rivera Sun "Nonviolent struggle is on the rise globally. Neither passive, nor inaction, this powerful way of working for change is proving Gandhi’s audacious claim that “nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind” to be correct." Read the full story by Rivera Sun.... Continue reading

The Role of Media in Building a Peaceful World | Michael Nagler’s UN Podcast

29 February 2016 Leave a Comment

"If you had ten minutes to stand before the United Nations to talk about the role of the media in building a peaceful world, how would you begin? What would you say? What concrete recommendations would you make? "Well, our very own Michael Nagler [Founder of Metta Centre for Nonviolence] was there on September 9, 2015 to speak at the High Level Forum for the Culture of Peace, and well, he took 15… "He began with this powerful fact: radiation and the mass media were born on the same day. Two … Continue reading

Afghanistan’s Peace College | Can you teach your way out of a war?

15 July 2015 Leave a Comment

"Last year, amid Afghanistan’s continuing war, the Gawharshad Institute of Higher Education, a private, nonprofit university, conducted a survey of its students’ attitudes toward conflict and violence. The poll was telling: When asked what the students would do when confronted with violent actions or words, 58 percent said they would “take revenge.” And though the results may not be surprising — decades of war have arguably ingrained a belief in revenge — the reason administrators at Gawharshad … Continue reading

Non-violence and the New Story

16 April 2015 Leave a Comment

"People from every walk of life — scientists, artists, people of faith and so on — are already looking for a “new story” of human possibilities, beyond the narrative that has led to so much materialism, greed and violence. In our search, we can hear the voices of countless ancestors who have already seen this truth, who have lived in accordance with its wisdom and left us the legacy of their perennial vision. So when we speak of the “new” story — the story of belonging — we are really speaking … Continue reading