Every spring we celebrate another Earth Day by remembering to reduce, reuse and recycle. Nonviolence as a way of life reminds us that every day is Earth Day. You can practice Nonviolence every day and with every act by remembering that you are interconnected with everyone and everything.
Everything you say, do and buy today and every day will either build toward preserving this amazing planet for countless generations or cause her to suffer and die. That’s a lot of power. Use it wisely.
Article/Lecture: Interbeing By Thich Nhat Hanh
The well-known leaders and thinkers of Nonviolence have something in common -- they are powerful storytellers.
One of the master storytellers is Thich Nhat Hanh. Nominated by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for the Nobel Peace Prize, Thich Nhat Hanh is a respected monk who lives and teaches Nonviolence. He bridges the perceived gaps between Eastern philosophy and Western understanding by telling simple, everyday stories.
By the time you’re caught up in one of his stories, you've already learned the lesson -- you’ve understood before you’ve even asked the question.
In a favorite lesson he describes the interconnectedness of every cell in our bodies, their individual importance and their complicated interdependence. Every individual cell must be actively doing what they do best. Our survival relies on each cell in the heart working hard and consistently as much as it relies on the distant cells in the brain and in the hand and in the stomach.
Suddenly you realize that he's not just talking about cells; he's talking about us. We each must stay active in our individual causes. We each must do our work to the best of our ability and trust that others are doing the same.
Together we can build and succeed where alone we might only dream.
We highly recommend reading and/or listening to Thich Nhat Hanh when you get an opportunity. You might enjoy starting here -- this transcript is of a speech given by Thich Nhat Hanh and incorporates many of his favorite teaching stories.
Leaders Are Readers: "Voices Of A People's History Of The United States" By Howard Zinn
Sometimes reading a book is like waking up for the first time. A lot of us woke up reading Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States." Howard Zinn has opened millions of minds to the lifelong pursuit of truth and a heartfelt demand for justice.
Pick up this wonderful companion to Zinn's "A People's History of the United States." Read speeches, poems, letters and songs by the makers of history including Frederick Douglass, Chief Joseph, Martin Luther King Jr., Patti Smith, and Mark Twain to name just a few. Hear from hundreds of others who are usually marginalized in our "free" society: women, Native Americans, workers, Blacks and Latinos, and others. Zinn has included his own short introductions to the texts.
If you want to order this book, consider buying it from your local bookstore or online with BookSense.com -- your online source for local bookstores.
Practicing Nonviolence: Nonviolence Everywhere
If you've ever waited for someone who was driving a red car, it may suddenly seem like there are red cars everywhere. Or if you look for a friend in a blue shirt, suddenly it may seem as if everyone is wearing a blue shirt. Sometimes we only see what we look for… or are told to look for.
To practice Nonviolence in action, be looking for the good... everywhere. Maybe it will be a kind gesture; maybe an organization in your community is making social justice strides with Nonviolent action; maybe you’ll notice a sustainable, local, organic, Nonviolent product and give it a try instead of following an old habit.
We think you’ll be surprised at what you find. Nonviolence and the opportunities for Nonviolence are all around you.
People are working hard to make the world a better place. Shut off the bad news blathering on TV and tune into the good happening right in your neighborhood.
Words To Live By: "We be many and they be few... "
“We can re-invent civil disobedience in a million different ways. In other words, we can come up with a million ways of becoming a collective pain in the ass… The corporate revolution will collapse if we refuse to buy what they are selling — their ideas, their version of history, their wars, their weapons, their notion of inevitability. Remember this: We be many and they be few. They need us more than we need them. Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.” - Arundhati Roy
You might enjoy this interesting documentary about the powerful words of Arunhati Roy.
In this issue …
2. Article/Lecture: Is That A Cloud In Your Coffee? Interbeing By Thich Nhat Hanh
3. Leaders Are Readers: "Voices Of A People's History Of The United States"
4. Practicing Nonviolence: Nonviolence Everywhere
5. Words To Live By: "We Be Many And They Be Few..."
About Nonviolence United
Our mission is to see the world become a just home for all -- no more wars, no more hunger, no more suffering of one for the greed of another.
It can be done. And there is a remarkable way to make it happen. A way that builds rather than tears down. A way that allows you to live your ethics rather than selling your soul. A way where everyone is loved and no one is hated. A way that fills you with hope. A way that cannot be stopped and can never be destroyed.
Our Strategy
- Recognize “economic non-cooperation” (along with the cooperation with good industries and services) as a powerful Nonviolent means of advancing social justice
- Organize and unite the social justice movements within this strategy
- Quickly spread this strategy to the people via the social justice movements
Thank you!
Nonviolence United exists through the kindness and generosity of caring people like you. Please support our ongoing efforts to promote Nonviolence as a way of life and as a way of social change.
Keep Your Ideas Coming!
Nonviolence
P.O. Box 1161
Boulder, CO 80306
T: 720.252.8449
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