Nonviolence leader Cesar Chavez was born near Yuma, Arizona, USA on March 31, 1927. This month would have marked his 80th birthday. He died in his sleep in 1993.
We honor Cesar Chavez because he bridged social justice mountaintops dedicating his life to fight for the rights of people, for the preservation of the environment and for protection of animals. He recognized that the social justice movements are not separate but intimately tied to one another. He often remarked how violence is cut from the same cloth -- whether it is violence against people, violence against the environment or violence against animals.
Cesar advocated Nonviolence as a strategy and as a way of life. He encouraged people to stop talking and start walking -- don't wait -- when you see injustice, put Nonviolence into action. He reminded us to live our lives consistently with our values. This includes consuming consciously -- buying only fair-labor products, environmentally friendly products and animal-friendly products (he was Vegan). The future won’t be just and bright simply because we want it badly enough. We must take personal action and responsibility to do the right thing.
“Talk is cheap… it’s how we organize and live our lives everyday that tells what we believe in.”
- Cesar Chavez
Celebrate Cesar Chavez's birthday with us by taking action -- connect with the impact of your everyday choices. Every dollar you spend is a vote. Every time you choose not to buy something it’s a vote. You voted yesterday. You'll vote today -- maybe hundreds of times. Did you vote for human rights, the environment, compassion for animals and Nonviolence? Or did you vote for greed, environmental destruction, cruelty and violence? Are your choices in line with your values?
Take the opportunity to expand your circle of compassion and learn more about a social justice issue you may not visit regularly. Ask your new friends on that social justice mountaintop what you can do to support them -- today and everyday. We can keep on talking, but let's start walking our talk, too.
Happy Birthday, Cesar!
Lecture: Back To (Nonviolence) School
We hope others are as hungry as we are to know more about Nonviolence. When one of our members pointed out this online lecture series we just had to listen in. How often do you get to take a Berkeley course for free? These are full lectures from entire courses on the history of Nonviolence being taught at Berkeley by Professor Michael Nagler. You can download or stream the audio...
Introduction to Nonviolence (2006)
Nonviolence Today (2007)
Author and Professor Michael Nagler is a dedicated student and teacher of Nonviolence. He founded the Peace and Conflict Studies Program at the University of California, Berkeley where he's been teaching since 1966.
We also highly recommend his other projects including www.MettaCenter.org and his book The Search for a Nonviolent Future (among many others).
You can learn more about Michael Nagler on his personal website www.MichaelNagler.net.
Leaders Are Readers: "Nonviolence: 25 Lessons From The History Of A Dangerous Idea"
There’s no real word for Active Nonviolence. Nonviolence is one of those “non” words -- a "not" word. But it is much more than not-violence. It is active, creative, courageous, sometimes complicated, often difficult, organized and driven.
It’s difficult to describe, build or recognize something that doesn’t have a name. Did the word smiths purposefully write Nonviolence out of our language and therefore out of our understanding?
Even Gandhi struggled with what to call the Nonviolent fight for India’s independence. He announced a contest to find the best word to describe the new powerful movement. Satyagraha, roughly translated from Sanskrit to mean “Truth-Force,” won the contest. But the word Satyagraha hasn’t entirely caught on.
In his book, Nonviolence: 25 Lessons From The History of a Dangerous Idea (meaning "dangerous” to the status quo) Mark Kurlansky asks what if "war" was a non-word? What if the only word for war was "nonpeace?" When we would talk about waging nonpeace, our natural question would be, “Why? Why don’t we want peace?” Nonpeace seems abnormal and impotent. It's a non-word afterall.
Kurlansky’s book goes on to explore historical examples of Nonviolence, question some of the reasons people support violence, and delve into the “25 Lessons” -- all of which are summarized at the end of the book. Here are some "lessons" we found particularly interesting:
- Practitioners of Nonviolence are seen as enemies of the state.
- Once a state takes over a religion, the religion loses its Nonviolent teachings.
- A rebel can be defanged (made less threatening to the status quo) and can be co-opted by making them into a saint after death.
- Wars do not have to be sold to the general public if they can be carried out by an all-volunteer professional military.
- A conflict between a violent and a Nonviolent force is a moral argument. If the violent side can provoke the Nonviolent side into violence, the violent side has won.
- Violence does not resolve. It always leads to more violence.
Remember, if you want to order books, consider buying them from your local bookstore or online with BookSense.com -- your online source for local bookstores. And consider a copy for your local library.
Practicing Nonviolence: Let Me Count The Ways...
We are close to the end of the 2007 Season of Nonviolence, a 64-day period observed between the assassination anniversaries of Mohandas Gandhi (January 15) and Martin Luther King, Jr. (April 4).
You can celebrate the Season of Nonviolence in your own way, but many organizations offer daily meditations or thoughts to offer guidance for those who would like it. Online searches for "64 Days of Nonviolence" or "Season of Nonviolence" will bring up dozens of examples like these.
We hope that someday soon we all can celebrate the "365 Days of Nonviolence." You can start by living your life connected -- live Nonviolence as a way of life.
Words To Live By: "Nonviolence Is More Powerful Than violence."
"We are convinced that Nonviolence is more powerful than violence. We are convinced that Nonviolence supports you if you have a just and moral cause...If you use violence, you have to sell part of yourself for that violence. Then you are no longer a master of your own struggle." - Cesar Chavez
In this issue …
2. Lecture: Back to (Nonviolence) School
3. Leaders Are Readers: "Nonviolence: 25 Lessons From The History Of A Dangerous Idea"
4. Practicing Nonviolence: Let Me Count The Ways
5. Words To Live By: "Nonviolence Is More Powerful Than violence."
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.
Nonviolence. With Nonviolence you can build a better life for you and a better world for everyone.
Live Your Life Connected.
We and everything are connected. Nonviolence is living your life with deep respect for those connections.
Our Strategy.
Nonviolence can be a way of life. And Nonviolence can be a strategy. But for powerful, long-lasting change, Nonviolence as a way of life is the strategy.
- Teach people that we can build a world reflective of our values only when we buy consciously and live our lives consistently with our values -- connection is the essence of Nonviolence
- Organize and unite the social justice movements within the strategy of living a life connected
- 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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