Nonviolence Radio

In this episode of Nonviolence Radio, we explore how nonviolence is showing up around the world—in the news, in movement strategy, and in community-based peacebuilding. We take a closer look at the recent Gaza flotilla and its use of dilemma action as a powerful tool of protest, and we speak with Nina Koevoets, a peacebuilding trainer about the practical and transformative work of building peace from the ground up. From global headlines to grassroots organizing, we reflect on how nonviolence continues to challenge power and open the door to justice.

This episode of Nonviolence Radio welcomes Priyanka Sharma – all the way from India! Priyanka is a lecturer, facilitator and coach and she joins Michael and Stephanie in a wide-reaching conversation about the nature and strengths of matriarchal societies, systems theory, her own path to nonviolence, Internal Family Systems and more. Priyanka speaks candidly about the profound challenge of practicing and living nonviolently; though nonviolence is natural to human beings, it is not always a way of being with others and in the world that is supported by our institutions. Given this, she emphasizes the power of trust in oneself. With deep and enduring trust, Priyanka suggests that we can fortify our strength as we work to embody and manifest nonviolent principles as effective means of responding to and overcoming violence in our world today:"I think if we have trust in life and in our own creativity and intelligence, we can do beautiful things. But the problem is that we live in violent systems. So, these violent systems teach us first, don't trust yourself. Trust the authority figure. The first thing is to program us to stop trusting our only inner wisdom. So, a lot of the work that I'm doing in systems thinking is to encourage people to trust your own inner wisdom. Like even Mahatma Gandhi said, the change has to happen with yourself first."

This week on Nonviolence Radio, Stephanie and Michael speak with Joe Worthy, a nonviolence strategist who is currently developing the Strategic Nonviolence Academy, a place where those interested in being active and effective leaders can learn about the principles and methods of nonviolence. The Strategic Nonviolence Academy will empower those wanting to lead communities in the nonviolent resistance of oppression and exploitation. This comes by ensuring that incoming students acquire not only practical skills but a deeply felt commitment to the values that ground and continue to nurture nonviolent action."…it is a very powerful approach, process, way of life to, you know, change yourself in the world. And I think most important, in this time, is that it is a pathway towards the world that you want to build. And on your way to that world, you're going to transform yourself, your community, and the world while you're doing that."This Academy aims to be a place where nonviolence is explored and enacted holistically, that is, involving  the “head, hearts and feet” of those who join.

This week Stephanie and Michael welcome the renowned sociologist, Arlie Hochschild. They have a rich conversation exploring the stories we tell about ourselves and others that work to sever communities, communities which in fact hold much in common. Having written two books on America's move towards the right, Arlie has real clarity about the ways in which our stories stop us from engaging respectfully with those whom we disagree with, breeding shame, eroding understanding and shutting down opportunities for connection. There is a need therefore for story revision, and this comes first from recognizing the humanity of everyone, no matter what their political views. Identifying those core values that connect us all as human beings reveals moments of overlap even among groups who see themselves as wholly at odds. This ‘cross-over' becomes the basis for building what Arlie calls “empathy bridges.” We must not, she insists, “confuse empathy with weakness” – indeed, it is that quality which has characterized some of the world's greatest leaders and which may be the path out of polarization today.

This week, Nonviolence Radio hears from John Paul Lederach, an international peace-builder, mediator and scholar. Stephanie, Michael and John Paul have a rich and wide-ranging conversation, one prominent theme is the power of pockets. This plays on the title of John Paul's latest book: The Pocket Guide for Facing Down a Civil War. In it, he encourages us to remember that we all exist within various communities – pockets of the world – and that each pocket represents a unique perspective which is valuable to every other one: "…there is simultaneously this deep acknowledgment of the specificity of a context and this deep curiosity about what people have done or need to do.…people at a given location, at a given time, have a need to do something in response to what's happening. And in that innovation, their particular pocket, their particular place where they live, brings forward this kind of combination of resilience and resistance to the patterns that lead us toward violence"Only by engaging honestly and kindly with these different views can we create – like a work of art – a better, more peaceful world. One wonderful aspect of this pocket metaphor is that it empowers each and every one of us to make a difference. Even the smallest act of love (in the broadest sense of the word) – wherever one is – is an act of creation. Such simple, accessible actions when woven together re-humanize those we might be inclined to dismiss or degrade. Right from within our pockets, we can build alternatives to the toxic polarization we see so much of today."It's about assuring the protection of the dignity of the people that I am most proximate with and live with, even if we are different. Then my responsibility is to help make sure that this neighborhood, this town, this area, is brought to a level of dignifying the humanity of the people who live here. And I think that's really a key driver to a lot of this. There's an element to this that I refer to as the principle of accessibility. I think one of the reasons that paralysis works, is a very powerful tool, is that people think they don't have access to the lever that will make a difference. But what if the principle of accessibility is that you have access to it?"Initiating change from within our pockets directly and immediately reveals the power inherent in treating each other as worthy. When we listen closely thereby recognizing the dignity of everyone, we can construct together a world that has space for all.

In this episode of Nonviolence Radio, we talk with Sulaiman Khatib and Chen Alon from Combatants for Peace, along with filmmaker Stephen Apkon, director of There Is Another Way, a powerful new documentary about their movement currently touring the world to spark new conversations about a lasting peace in Israel-Palestine. Former fighters from opposite sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Sulaiman and Chen share their personal transformations and the deep commitment to nonviolence that drives their work. They discuss the challenges of breaking cycles of violence, the power of storytelling, and how nonviolence is not just a strategy but a daily choice. This conversation will leave you thinking about what it truly means to choose peace, even when it seems impossible."We don't choose to be violent. We are taught to be violent, and the choice is ours to break that cycle." — Sulaiman Khatib

On this episode of Nonviolence Radio, Stephanie and Michael welcome Leandro Uochas, founder and director of Shanti Brazil, an organization dedicated to education in nonviolence and nonviolent action. Leandro spent time studying nonviolence in India at the university set up by Gandhi and was so inspired that he returned to Brazil to further Gandhian principles on the ground there. This episode explores the exciting work of Shanti Brazil, and more, it brings to light the way in which there is an existing and increasingly expanding global network of nonviolent organizations and institutions. Leandro, Stephanie and Michael discuss the ways in which a dedication to nonviolence can bring together local communities from far corners of the globe. Whether in Brazil or the US, India or Finland, nonviolence is a practice and its methods and strategies can – and should! – be shared."…we must, at this moment, reimagine how we build our democratic institutions, how they are built. And maybe this must come not from the top. This must come from us, from civil society. And we should be organized and discussing this, about these new institutions and how to reorganize society."From Leandro we can see how nonviolent activity is thriving even amidst some of the distressing political turns the world is now taking. Sometimes we need to look harder to see nonviolence in action for it grows under a light distinct from the glaring spotlight of mainstream/social media. This is the light of truth and love.

"We should be thinking about our individual preparation. And if you are familiar with the Roadmap model, that we have on Metta Center's website, it will kind of display this in a clear way. There's plenty of room and time for us to strengthen ourselves individually by learning, by spiritual practice, by bracing ourselves for self-sacrifice and suffering. That's one thing we should be doing, and I think it's the most important one."

Pat Humphries and Sandy O. from the band, Emma's Revolution, come to Nonviolence Radio to talk to Michael and Stephanie about music and its central role in nonviolent activism – and to perform the radio debut of their song, “You Are Not God”. Recognizing that current politics are leading many into a paralyzing sense of powerlessness and despair, Pat and Sandy remind us that singing can infuse us with joy, can bring us into community with others and can remind us that hope is always available. The music of Emma's Revolution reveals that hope does not necessarily come through words and persuasive argument. Pat and Sandy encourage us to come together to challenge injustice by engaging in creative action, through making art, through singing and dancing together. "[Pete Seeger] would always call for harmony and if the audience didn't respond, he would toss out some lines of harmony to teach people how to do that. In doing so, he got us listening to one another and then making our unique contribution that was still harmonious with the larger whole and creating that beautiful metaphor.It's a big lesson, because that sense of togetherness and that sense of unity, it's part of what drives the hope. And the hope is what drives our ability to move forward."When we expand our sense of the ways we might try to bring about change, we see that the effort required, however urgent and demanding, can still be infused with beauty and fun.

Given the inexplicable and distressing rise of authoritarianism happening around the world today, including conspicuously here in these United States, I thought it would be a good idea to look at some of the movements of resistance that took place against the rise of the iconic authoritarian movement of our era, which was, of course, the rise of the Nazis.

During this episode of Nonviolence Radio, we hear from Mike Tinoco, public school teacher, author and committed nonviolence educator. Stephanie, Michael and Mike discuss some of the key themes of Mike's new book, Heart at the Center: An Educator's Guide to Sustaining Love, Hope, and Community Through Nonviolence Pedagogy. Mike explores a radically holistic approach to education, one that not only teaches nonviolence content but embodies it in method as well. Mike tries to level some of the hierarchy often found in traditional classrooms which establish teachers firmly as the authorities over students. To develop an alternative way to organize a classroom, he shifts the aim of education: instead of an instrumental means of getting a good job and ensuring financial success, he sees the goal of education, in part at least, as oriented towards ‘becoming more fully human':I think the role of teachers and administrators is to just reflect on how we can create cultures that are really humanizing our students and ourselves and allowing us to use our power in service of the kids so that we're not having power over them…my interest is not to have any sort of control over [students], but is really to be in community with them and to use my privilege and power in service of creating conditions that maximize learning and maximize like our community strength. They respond really well to that.This model of teaching – where learning is as much a part of the teacher's job as the students', where service and community are as important as individual success – allows for education to become an effective form of nonviolent resistance within a culture sometimes lost in selfishness and struggling to find meaning and purpose.

When we want to restore peace and nonviolence and sanity, we're talking about re-humanization.

This week, Stephanie and Michael talk with Dr. John Kirk, professor at Dalhousie University and expert on Cuba's innovative and inspirational approach to public health and its dedication to ‘medical internationalism'. Medical internationalism – the practice of offering healthcare to those in need, wherever they might be – embodies Cuba's commitment to healthcare as a human right, an idea that is enshrined in its constitution: “the preamble to [the Cuban constitution] says we have an obligation to share what we have. Not to give our leftovers, but to share what we have.” This policy of what might seem like radical generosity to those entrenched in healthcare systems fueled by the capitalist prioritization of profit, in fact works: "Cuba's also got a surplus of doctors. The ratio of patients to doctors in Cuba is three times that of what is found in the US. So, Cuba has a tremendous human potential. And Castro saw that and that's why he was the person who sort of directed medical personnel to work in the developing world."Since 1960, Cuba has played a significant and effective role in emergencies worldwide, from Chernobyl to Haiti. In addition to collaborating with countries who have acute needs due to natural disaster, war or other misfortune, Cuba educates aspiring doctors from all over the world – and medical school in Cuba is free. Additionally, doctors in Cuba are trained to understand patients as “bio-psycho-social beings,” that is, holistically, with lives and contexts that dramatically impact their health.This interview does more than highlight an isolated and particular case study, a close look at public health in Cuba, which has a 65 year history of success, offers a possible alternative to the broken healthcare systems in the US and elsewhere.

"One of my favorite authors from the ancient world – that I used to be a classic scholar – is Saint Augustine, who had a sentence, a very portentous, what we used to call in the field a gnomic sentence in his great work, “The City of God.” Two different loves, as he calls them, result in two different world orders. He calls the city of man, which is a city of selfishness and greed and, of course, violence, and the city of God, which hasn't yet been realized on Earth except, in sprinklings here and there. Which would mean peace and nonviolence and mutual support for all. So, those are the two struggles which today I think bear the most convenient and most effective labels are violence and nonviolence."

During this episode of Nonviolence Radio, Michael and Stephanie welcome Reverend John Dear: activist, author, Nobel Peace Prize nominee and passionate advocate for nonviolence for over 45 years. This rich conversation covers a lot of ground, with a focus on one of the most significant roots of active nonviolence: The Sermon on the Mount. Noting the way this profound text influenced both Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., this interview dives below the surface of its inspiring words and reveals it to be profoundly practical, a “how to be a human being manual.”Jesus, for the first time in history, I think you could argue, presents Gandhian-Kingian methodology of nonviolent resistance, saying, “You stand your ground, but you don't use the means of your opponent, but you deal with your opponent head on with love and truth and say, ‘I'm a human being. Why are you hurting me?' Even to the point that you accept violence without retaliating until you wear them down, and you reconcile, and he repents.”Thus we see how Jesus – and through him later leaders in nonviolence – empowers all of us who “are merciful and pure in heart and peacemakers and persecuted for justice” to “get up and get moving” With its base in universal love, nonviolence can be harnessed into effective action in the world.

During this episode of Nonviolence Radio, Michael and Stephanie welcome Reverend John Dear: activist, author, Nobel Peace Prize nominee and passionate advocate for nonviolence for over 45 years. This rich conversation covers a lot of ground, with a focus on one of the most significant roots of active nonviolence: The Sermon on the Mount. Noting the way this profound text influenced both Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., this interview dives below the surface of its inspiring words and reveals it to be profoundly practical, a “how to be a human being manual.""Jesus, for the first time in history, I think you could argue, presents Gandhian-Kingian methodology of nonviolent resistance, saying, “You stand your ground, but you don't use the means of your opponent, but you deal with your opponent head on with love and truth and say, ‘I'm a human being. Why are you hurting me?' Even to the point that you accept violence without retaliating until you wear them down, and you reconcile, and he repents.”Thus we see how Jesus – and through him later leaders in nonviolence – empowers all of us who “are merciful and pure in heart and peacemakers and persecuted for justice” to “get up and get moving” With its base in universal love, nonviolence can be harnessed into effective action in the world.

“We, as to our own particulars, do utterly deny with all outward wars and strife, and fightings, with outward weapons for any end, or under any pretense whatsoever. And this is our testimony to the whole world.”-George Fox

How Co-Op Cincy is shining a light on the humanizing power of worker-owned cooperatives and building the Beloved Community.Challenging capitalism requires constructive, workable alternatives. Are worker-owned co-ops a viable solution? In this episode of Nonviolence Radio, Stephanie and Michael speak with Kristen Barker, co-founder of Co-Op Cincy, an organization that nurtures and supports a network of worker-owned co-ops in the Greater Cincinnati area. Applying principles from the Mondragon cooperative in Spain, Co-Op Cincy's network reinforces that cooperatives are not just good for people and the planet, they are good for business. And nonviolence is at its heart: being together in constructive solution-building requires both the vision and skills of nonviolence. 

"A lot of positive constructive things can be done, a lot of collaboration can happen."

During this episode of Nonviolence Radio, Stephanie and Michael discuss a new resource offered by the Metta Center called, Seven Challenges: nonviolence, new story, third harmony, compassion, constructive program, unity in diversity and from chaos to creativity. Their conversation offers some advice as to how to incorporate them into our daily lives so that over time, they become rooted in us, an active part of who we are. Nonviolence, for instance, can be strengthened in each of us by the simple (yet not always easy) practice of cultivating the habit to pause before we react to a perceived aggression, remembering that a “person's anger is not the core inflexible being of that person. That is what makes nonviolence possible.” All of the challenges encourage us to recognize that we can choose – again and again – to exercise nonviolence in our lives. We can choose to see the world not as a fixed external entity that often seems out to harm us, but rather as an ongoing dynamic process which we actively co-create. Though these seven terms are aptly called challenges, ultimately they can be a tremendous source of inspiration and empowerment. And they are available to each and every one of us right now.

"In a nonviolent struggle, it's not a, ‘me against you'. It's how do we join forces together to make things better, to back away from unnecessary suffering? And if there's going to be any suffering in this situation, we're going to embrace it ourselves."

"If your movement has a long-term goal of complete replacement of regime, then you can strategically graduate from issues which are the easiest to succeed at, to issues which are the hardest, gathering strength as you go along."

On this episode of Nonviolence Radio, Dr. Afra Jalabi draws a parallel between the ongoing conflict in Syria, where more than half a million people have been killed, and the ongoing crisis in Israel-Palestine. She warns against media propaganda around the conflicts, encouraging listeners to do better research about the powers at play in the Middle East and warning us to be wary of the willingness of any side to spill blood for their goals. Drawing from the spiritual and political legacy of her late uncle, Syrian nonviolence scholar Jawdat Saïd, she doubles down on the necessity of nonviolence as the way forward. 

There's no question that art plays a role. It can affect our imagination and our way of seeing the world. 

Jodie Evans, activist and co-founder of CODEPINK, talks with Stephanie and Michael about possibility of creating and sustaining the ‘peace economy'. More specifically, they explore concrete ways to reorient our distorted ‘war economy' perspectives, to wean ourselves from destructive ‘addictions' and provide concrete ways in which we can all – even recognizing the current political and environmental horrors – bring about real change and lasting peace."I want to go back to saying we are alive because of the peace economy. We are not alive because of the war economy. It is killing us, our community, and the planet. But in our minds, somehow, we think it's giving us life because it has convinced us of that. But really, the thing that is rich about life is the things we give each other, is the way we care for each other, is the way we create space of trust and care. That's where life thrives."We forget that this peace economy is available to us by simply being present, by consciously being where we are right now, and responding with genuine attention to those around us. This moment we are in can be exactly where we can all start to build the peace economy – it is here where our true ‘potency arises from' and it is where we can make a difference, together.

"Because Gandhi, after all, called nonviolence not only a force, but the greatest power mankind has been endowed with. And I think that this is true. And I think it's true because nonviolence is in some way the core of our nature. It's a core of what makes us human. It's what the philosopher Aristotle would have called our built-in telos. That a telos means an end goal, but it's an end goal which is embedded within us and needs to be unpacked and understood and developed. So, you can, in this sense, look at evolution and, of course, our human evolution, as a drive towards manifesting that telos, that nonviolent capacity within us. And that, I believe, is why nonviolence is so powerful."

A Conversation with Cassie King from the Coalition to End Factory FarmsDuring this episode of Nonviolence Radio, Stephanie and Michael welcome Cassie King, from Direct Action Everywhere, to talk about our relationship with animals, and more specifically about proposed legislation in California that aims to end factory farming. Together they explore the way our treatment of animals reflects and in fact is an expression of how we treat each other and ourselves. The depths of the cruelty with which animals are treated is revealed when we look inside ‘factory farms' or CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations). In this kind of a profit driven environment, everyone suffers: workers, owners and animals:"When you have over 700 cows [in a CAFO], I mean, can you imagine having 700 dogs and trying to care for them with a handful of people who, you know, are running a business and don't have all day to provide that care? And there's also a profit incentive not to provide whatever medical care they need if it's going to exceed the costs of what you can get in return from that animal. That's just how business works."Through this new Sonoma County legislation, Measure J, activists like Cassie are hoping to make people aware of the brutality of factory farming and offer some clear steps and support on the way to ending it. In doing so, Cassie suggests we can transform our relationship to those with whom we share this planet from one of violence and domination to one of harmony and deep respect.

“I failed to realize that the vast majority of people, even in a progressive environment, such as what Berkeley claimed itself to be – I sometimes wonder – there was a tremendous fear of disruption without constructive program. And that took me years, really, after the movement to learn. That you have to not only incorporate but lead with constructive program. Meaning, what are you going to build and not just what you are going to tear down?”

Victoria Wolcott joins Stephanie and Michael on this episode of Nonviolence Radio to talk about her recent book, Living the Future: Utopianism and the Long Civil Rights Movement. Victoria, a history professor at the University of Buffalo, explores the long history of utopianism in the US and its relation to nonviolence, specifically nonviolence as manifested in constructive program, that is, the active building of a nurturing and supportive community as an alternative to a discriminatory and oppressive one. Much of traditional history doesn't shed light on this ‘constructive' aspect of the Civil Rights Movement. In this, most histories of the movement have failed to reveal its much longer past and extensive roots, connecting it to early labor unions, to Gandhi, to experimental utopian communities, in both the north and south of the US."One of the things that's really interesting is that once you start looking, you start finding these [radical interracial] communities all over the place – including in places like the rural South, where you wouldn't necessarily expect them to be. So that kind of communal experimentation, the interest in prefigurative politics, the constructive program…Usually, historians of the long civil rights movement really talk about it as dating to the 1930s. The relationship between the labor movement and the Civil Rights Movement is really important to understand coming out of the radicalism of the 1930s. … some of the experimentations in radical nonviolence, radical pacifism, really emerged in the late 1930s. And then it goes through the 1970s."Our capacity to see nonviolence as a viable choice to challenge injustice in the world grows in part from seeing its many facets (active resistance and constructive program) as well as the many times dedicated men and women have proven it to be a powerful and effective force. Victoria's book, and this conversation, illuminate just that.

In these examples, you see how the conversion of a person from a state of anger and fear to a state of what Marshall Frady called a forgiving love, actually does seem to have an impact on the entire emotional-spiritual consciousness environment and affects the outcome of a situation and changes the minds of others.

A bonus segment for Nonviolence Radio, the Nonviolent Moment is a 30-minute exploration of nonviolence out of KPCA Petaluma's Free Range Studio.Hosted by Michael NaglerIf you can somehow compass a success without a conquest, you will not have alienated your previous opponent. And that means that you will have built closer relationships, and we should remember that this is always a goal of nonviolent action.

Michael Nagler with your Nonviolence Report for the middle of August 2024.

Amira Musallam is a peace activist from Beit Jala, Palestine. She joins Nonviolence Radio to share her experiences living in the West Bank. Her family is currently facing eviction from their land by nearby Israeli settlers who are backed by the Israeli military. She is part of an exploratory team for Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP)  in the West Bank and Gaza. She was introduced to the power of UCP when she was 12 years old after her house was bombed by Israel (with American manufactured bombs) and a group of UCP women came to live with her family to prevent further violence and destruction. Since then, she has been actively engaged in nonviolence and UCP.To hear Amira's story is to hear the story of so many Palestinians who are struggling for equality and peace through nonviolence in the most heartbreaking and horrific of circumstances. Her story is an urgent call-to-action for all of us to be courageous and work in solidarity with activists on the front lines of the world's more critical struggles for justice.

A bonus segment for Nonviolence Radio, the Nonviolent Moment is a 30- minute exploration of nonviolence out of KPCA Petaluma's Free Range Studio.Hosted by Michael Nagler Nonviolence, to be practiced with effect, requires training and preparation and strategy. It requires astuteness in understanding your situation. And underneath, giving life to all of that, an understanding that every one of us, as he says, has an instinct towards the feeling that what happens to our fellow human beings in some way also happens to us.

This episode of Nonviolence Radio welcomes David Hartsough, long time nonviolent activist, former executive director of PeaceWorkers and co-founder of Nonviolent Peaceforce. Stephanie and Michael talk with David about his early exposure to the power of nonviolence through his parents and early upbringing, his later activism in the Civil Rights Movement in the US and abroad in Sarajevo and Gaza – to name just a few places he's worked bravely and lovingly for peace. Throughout their conversation, one sees David's fundamental commitment to the principles and practice of nonviolence, from resistance to oppression through boycotts and sit-ins to the creative work of constructive program in which people actively build an alternative to the existing power structure. By the end of the interview, David makes it clear how natural and accessible nonviolence is to everyone:"Well, I think every person has the potential to respond to nonviolence. The problem is most of us never try. And that's certainly not what people get taught in the schools. It's not what our newspapers tell us. It's not what our president and vice president or congress people tell us. But I think the people that were in the civil rights and the freedom movement in the 60s realized that."Nonviolence doesn't ask us to be anything but our most human and humane selves – and while not difficult, it does call on us to find models and examples of behavior outside of what much of our current media reports.

Full interview with Dr. Amit Goswami, founder of the Center for Quantum Activism and former professor at the University of Oregon. Amit talks to Stephanie and Michael about the relationship between quantum physics and nonviolence. One of the basic ideas he puts forth as essential to quantum physics is the notion that the universe, at its core and most fundamental, is immaterial consciousness. This challenges the basic tenets of materialism (the theory underlying much contemporary science), which posits that ultimately, the universe is made up of physical stuff and is governed by universal natural laws. If we accept (or at least consider) the principles of quantum physics, genuine choice and agency become possibilities, We are not reduced to being human machines, compelled by external forces (the laws of nature) to react – often violently – to those around us. Instead we can act creatively, spontaneously and nonviolently.

This episode of Nonviolence Radio features Dr. Amit Goswami, founder of the Center for Quantum Activism and former professor at the University of Oregon. Amit talks to Stephanie and Michael about the relationship between quantum physics and nonviolence. One of the basic ideas he puts forth as essential to quantum physics is the notion that the universe, at its core and most fundamental, is immaterial consciousness. This challenges the basic tenets of materialism (the theory underlying much contemporary science), which posits that ultimately, the universe is made up of physical stuff and is governed by universal natural laws. If we accept (or at least consider) the principles of quantum physics, genuine choice and agency become possibilities, We are not reduced to being human machines, compelled by external forces (the laws of nature) to react – often violently – to those around us. Instead we can act creatively, spontaneously and nonviolently.…in quantum physics, forces, which is the way that we change people, subjugate people to our way of thinking, by applying a force, that's Newtonian. But in quantum physics, forces can only give you possibilities to choose from, and you don't have to choose that one [the violent one]. You can choose also persuasion.So, in quantum physics, force is a place by choice. The other is choosing the violent way. So, you can change your choice by being humble, by being persuasive, by being straightforward, by being authentic, by exemplifying what you are saying, not using violence.

Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb is one of the first women to become a rabbi in Jewish history. She's a storyteller, artist, and community educator. Listen in as she takes us on an inner pilgrimage of revolutionary nonviolence. Rabbi Lynn's experiences paint a picture of a world where diverse identities intersect, find, and strengthen one another. Her vision and experiences call toward a world of unity-in-diversity, a shared World House, as Dr King called it, where we all need one another to be who we are; a house of creativity, of love, compassion, and peace that we actively build across our divides, and is one where our hearts rejoice in healing. Her chapbook, Shomeret Shalom: Replanting the Seeds of Jewish Revolutionary Nonviolence – after October 7th is for anyone who wants to help live into this more realistic and necessary vision of the world as it can be. 

This episode of Nonviolence Radio welcomes Mel Duncan, the founding director of Nonviolent Peaceforce and longtime peace activist. Mel talks to Michael and Stephanie about a proposal to bring unarmed civilian protectors to Gaza. Unarmed civilian protection (UCP) – the practice of protecting vulnerable groups by having well trained unarmed people accompany them in areas of danger – has been shown to be extremely effective, even in places entrenched in violent conflict. Too often we are told by conventional history and mainstream media that the appropriate, and indeed, only ‘realistic' response to violence is yet more violence. Mel encourages us to question this assumption: When we're presented with these kinds of situations [of violent conflict], we have been fed, so often, that the only way to deal with that is by bringing in the drones and the jets and the 2,000-pound bombs, that we see what is counterintuitive. When we see entire neighborhoods blown up, and blown up, and blown up and the response by policymakers is, let's do it more, that's counterintuitive. And so, what we're doing is rational and intuitive and speaks to the core of the human spirit.UCP, already practiced (though rarely reported) by organizations and individuals all over the world, has been successful in Sudan, in the Philippines, in Colombia – even in parts of Palestine – to name only a few places. UCP meets violence with the courage to create a different path, and in this reminds us of our core decency, kindness and the incredible strength we show when we choose to act from love.

Tim Chapman, restorative justice practitioner, trainer and former chairperson and board member of the European Forum for Restorative Justice, comes to talk with Stephanie on this episode of Nonviolence Radio. Together, they explore the practice of and principles behind restorative justice, the ways in which it is able to offer a kind of lasting resolution to all parties involved in a conflict – including the larger community in which it happened. Restorative justice is a way to ‘to move out of that sense of antagonism', often cultivated in traditional legal systems, and instead into a place where everyone listens, everyone is acknowledged and everyone tries hard to understand the stories of others. "I think in listening to somebody who you believe was your enemy and listening to his story, not necessarily saying it's all true, I don't agree with everything, but really trying to understand how they've come to that position that made them – is the beginning of a transformation away from that sort of simple label of ‘you are my enemy', towards you are a human being."It is only with a renewed sense that we are all human – albeit, with very different backgrounds and experiences – that we can act decently, hold ourselves and others accountable and truly forgive. 

Topic Scans and Links:Mel Duncan has written an excellent article on the possibilities of inserting peace teams into the West Bank in Israel-Palestine.Educational institutions have agreed to divest from investments that go to Israel.In Central India, 90 villages have formed Maha Gramsabha.Gandhi Research Foundation is offering a postgraduate diploma in Sustainable Rural Reconstruction from a Gandhian perspective.Operazione Colomba, active in Colombia, Albania, and Gaza to guarantee unarmed civilian protection to war victims.World BEYOND War, is offering a six-week online course on unarmed civilian defense.International Peace Training Institute is doing projects in 33 countries, training hundreds of women in civilian-based defense. Unarmed Civilian Defense course by Eli McCarthy.International Institute for Strategic Studies has documented the highest number of armed conflict that they've been able to document in three decades. “This all makes this one of the most perilous moments for global geopolitics.”The IDF has made allowance for 100 civilian deaths in Gaza for every Hamas official that they are targeting by an error-prone AI system.The  International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice have issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister and military chief of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.Residents in a Tibetan threatened mountain community are showing the world through videos their resistance to the building of a Chinese dam.Time to Let Youth LeadNonviolence News

In this episode, we delve into the heart of campus activism sweeping across the United States, spotlighting the recent student protests in support of Gaza and calls to end violence. We connect with a faculty member from Yale to discuss the nuances of the current movement, and journey back to the spirited 1960s with a professor from Berkeley who once walked in similar protests. Join us as we explore how today's demonstrations resonate with the past, uncovering the threads that link generations of students in their pursuit of justice and peace. 

Part of the fun of nonviolence is showing where alternative practices and systems already exist and to lift them up to inspire more of us to explore and adapt them to our own time, cultures and needs. Take mediation: We know that when practiced with the intent of healing divides, de-escalting violence, and restoring relationships, it works (and “works” if you know Michael Nagler's “work” vs. work concept), and we don't hear enough about it in the news. Everyday mediators across the world are building peace in families, communities, and working to heal even our political divides. That's something hopeful to remember! And the skills of mediation are also something each one of us can learn and adapt for our own needs as they are life skills and benefit those who use them as well as those who are on the receiving end. Sounds a lot like nonviolence to us.In this episode of Nonviolence Radio we speak with Mike Fraidenburg who is a mediator and co-author of The Art of Mediation  about how this work has changed him, and how it can change the world if we do more of it.

This episode of Nonviolence Radio welcomes Dr. Craig Atwood, professor of theology at Moravian Theological Seminary and director of the Center for Moravian Studies. Together with Stephanie and Michael, Craig discusses his research and teaching on the history of Moravian thought and faith with special attention to medieval thinker, Peter Chelčický. Identifying the central role of nonviolence in Moravian theology at that time illuminates its long historical roots, extending the community of those committed to nonviolence far into the past and in this, strengthening and legitimizing a tradition which – as seen in the Nonviolence Report at the end of the show – continues to grow today. 

As a Palestinian, Sami and his family have suffered directly under the long Israeli occupation and more acutely now, from the current war. Sami speaks candidly about the ways in which politicians and media harness fear and exploit unhealed traumas so that violence seems to be the only response to conflict. This, he insists, is a distortion – and one that must be actively resisted. Instead of accepting the simplistic binary categories of victim and victimizer, Palestinians can envision and then work collectively through nonviolent means to realize a just future, one which they themselves have chosen. Such a path calls for broad education in nonviolence, it calls for deliberate organization, it calls for genuine leadership and crucially, it calls for love to be our primary motivation. The situation in Palestine is horrific, there is no quick fix, but when we reject fear as our driver and turn to love instead, possibilities for real change emerge"I think part of loving is to deeply understand who the other is and where they're coming from and what motivates them to behave the way they behave and do the things they do. And in that love and care and compassion, creates space for transformation and healing. And I think that is definitely much more powerful than fear, and is key. But it's a journey." - Sami Awad

On this episode of Nonviolence Radio philosophy professor, Jen Kling (University of Colorado at Colorado Springs), talks with Michael and Stephanie about refugees and the complex issue of resettling and caring for those who have had to leave their homes. Ensuring that people fleeing hardship at home can find a safe place to live, genuine opportunities to engage in school and meaningful work, to integrate and flourish in a new place is fraught with tensions, tensions which are often overlooked, avoided or simply ignored. Jen encourages us all to look closely at the problem and to deal with it, however imperfectly, head on:… it's insufficient to just say, “Okay, we're just going to resettle folks,” right? And there are a number of different ways to resettle folks. Once folks are resettled or in the process, you also then have to be making sure that they have access to justice. That's such a philosopher thing to say, but I think it's true. And having access to justice is having somebody check up. Ii is understanding your rights, responsibilities, obligations, and opportunities; that there's someone you can go to, that this is the kind of thing that shouldn't be happening to you. And I think that's why it's so important to work through the details, to say, What does justice demand of us in this case? Because I think it actually demands a lot more than we would like to believe. I think it does. We owe it to folks, not as a matter of compassion or as a matter of mercy, but as a matter of justice because they're people too, you know, and we owe it to them.All of us in the global community have a responsibility to step up to the big work of taking care of each other, especially those who, like refugees, are vulnerable and without recourse to the rights and support they deserve. This is not a small endeavor, but it is an important one and a necessary one. In Jen's words, “Sometimes we are responsible for fixing things we did not break.”  

Topic Scans and Links:Tariq Habash, from the US Department of Education resigns over the war in Gaza.Good Shepherd Collective campaign called No Ceasefire, No Votes.800 government employees from the US and other 12 nations published a letter protesting Israeli policies and stating that the leaders of their countries could be complicit in war crimes in Gaza.USAID, a thousand of their employees have released an open letter with the same concern.Hundreds of thousands of Germans rallied in a hundred cities against the plan that the AfD developed to deport people.Marlene Engelhorn has recently drawn attention to herself by giving away or preparing to give away 90% of her wealth. She said, “I'm creating the tax I would want to pay.”But there's a bill before the Senate and the House which would make nonviolent protests a federal crime called the “Safe and Open Streets Act.”Mexico has brought seven US gun manufacturers to court.Truthforce.worksSolutionary climate fictionUnarmed Civilian Peacekeeping and Accompaniment — worldwide meeting, 61 organizations representing 24 countries in Geneva who called themselves the Community of Practice.Nonviolent Peaceforce are offering a trip to the Philippines.Pace e Bene — $1000 grant for innovative projects that address community violence. Apply soon!This month is the 40th anniversary of the MST - Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra, Movement of Landless Workers.

This episode of NV Radio offers insight into the ways AI might be used to support peace and nonviolence. Stephanie and Michael welcome Dr. Heather Ashby of the US Institute of Peace, an expert on technology and its intersection with government and politics. Their discussion explores the ways AI might be used for both ill and for good in the public sphere. This dual possibility gives rise to the urgent need to understand how to orient it towards peace. Though aware of the dangers inherent in AI, Dr. Ashby reminds listeners that:The original idea when social media started was to increase the commons so that you're meeting people in different parts of the world, or even in your country, your state, who you normally wouldn't have encountered. [At this point, the aim of AI must be] to hold on to that and to try to leverage these tools to be able to do that. And to make connections and to build grassroots support.We need not fear the potential damage AI could cause so long as we work deliberately to build its capacity to bring people together, to gather and spread reliable information as a way to promote peace, increase understanding and sustain communities throughout the world.

THE SEARCH FOR a better way to live will go on as long as unsatisfactory ways like ours are the norm, aka mainstream.  Therefore all experiments in alternative communities, economies, even cultures are interesting, especially those that succeed.  Like the Mondragón communes in the Basque region of northern Spain.  In a well-defined geography with a language all their own

While many people encounter nonviolence as forms of protest and resistance, the constructive side of it, the part that aims to re-establish a sense of self-knowing and trust in one's community that has been harmed through violence can be overlooked. But it is this kind of work that uplifts a community's sense of self through a reclaiming of inner power (what we call at the Metta Center, Person Power) that offers a strong foundation for other forms of action. Constructive work on the human image is not a distraction from action, it's a necessity.As part of a constructive effort to challenge and offer redress for the ongoing harms of identity suppression through language erasure within indigenous communities around the world, Bay Area educator and somatic coach Margarita Acosta's Tierra Indigena Montessori is a shining light. Their work “facilitates reparations to Indigenous Peoples by supporting them in establishing educational spaces that maintain, strengthen, and revitalize their ancestral languages and cultures through the Montessori Method.”She makes the case that language revitalization ought to be a front-and-center topic for our collective concern, no matter which language we speak and know ourselves through. All languages enrich our understanding of our world, and concepts embedded within our various linguistic homes can help us resolve personal and global crises and challenges. Losing language is a loss of our collective potential, and its revitalization becomes an expression of our creative and collective power as well as of reparations and healing.

Over 5,000 actions listed for nonviolence during Campaign Nonviolence's Action DaysNonviolence is happening all over, even if we don't often or always read about it in the mass media. Rivera Sun joins Nonviolence Radio to share a recap of hope and energy from Campaign Nonviolence's Action Days which ran from the International Day of Peace to the International Day of Nonviolence.