Nonviolence Charter: progress report 15 (Oct 2019)

RJBurrowes & AMcKone

TO: Dr Leo Semashko - Russia

Published: https://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=679

Russia (https://thepeoplesnonviolencecharter.wordpress.com/organisations/)

Global Harmony Association (Dr Leo Semashko)

Note by Dr. Leo Semashko.

On the 150th anniversary of the Mahatma Gandhi birth o­n October 2, 2019, o­nly two references below, underlined in bold red are.
One, the press release is in Congo, but it was not found.
Another - about the "deliberately misrepresent Gandhi in India" - turned out to be inaccessible.

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Dear fellow signatories of the Nonviolence Charter

How are you all? And welcome to our most recent signatories and organizations!

This is the latest six-monthly report o­n progress in relation to 'The

People's Charter to Create a Nonviolent World'

https://thepeoplesnonviolencecharter.wordpress.com/ - with the Spanish

translation, kindly done by Antonio Gutiérrez Rodero in Venezuela, here

https://thepeoplesnonviolencecharter.wordpress.com/espanol/ - together

with a sample of news about Charter signatories and organizations.

Happily, our collective effort to build a worldwide consensus against

the use of violence in all contexts continues to make progress.

Our last report o­n 30 April 2019 was kindly published by Antonio C.S.

Rosa in the TRANSCEND Media Service Weekly Digest -

https://www.transcend.org/tms/2019/05/nonviolence-charter-progress-report-14-apr-2019/

and by Karina Santillan at the Pressenza International Press Agency.

https://www.pressenza.com/2019/05/nonviolence-charter-progress-report-14-april-2019/

Many thanks to you both!

At the time of today's report, we have signatories in 105 countries. We

also have 118 organizations/networks from 39 countries, with The Asia

Institute the most recent endorsing organization. If you wish, you can

see the list of organizational endorsements o­n the Charter website.

http://thepeoplesnonviolencecharter.wordpress.com/organisations/

If you wish to see individual signatories, click o­n the 'View

signatures' item in the sidebar. You can use the search facility if you

want to look for a specific name.

The latest progress report article 'Human Violence: Pervasive,

Multi-dimensional and Extinction-threatening', showcasing the efforts of

several Charter signatories, was recently distributed to many

progressive news editors: it has been published by a number of outlets

in 11 countries so far, thanks to very supportive editors, several of

whom are Charter signatories: special thanks to Antonio C.S. Rosa at

'TRANSCEND',

https://www.transcend.org/tms/2019/10/human-violence-pervasive-multi-dimensional-and-extinction-threatening/

Gifty Ayim-Korankye at 'Ghana web o­nline'

https://ghanawebonline.com/human-violence-pervasive-multi-dimensional-and-extinction-threatening/

and Karina Santillan at the 'Pressenza International Press Agency'.

https://www.pressenza.com/

If you feel inclined to do so, you are welcome to help raise awareness

of the Nonviolence Charter using whatever means are easiest for you.

And our usual invitation and reminder: You are most welcome to send us a

report o­n your activities for inclusion in the next report. We would

love to hear from you!

Anyway, here is another (inadequate) sample of reports of the activities

of individuals and organizations who are your fellow Charter

signatories.

To begin, our friends Hakim (Dr Teck Young Wee) and the Afghan Peace

Volunteers, based in Kabul, continue their challenging work to build a

peaceful future in Afghanistan and the world. In their latest

distribution, '#We Want to Know You Too! Relational Learning Project',

http://ourjourneytosmile.com/blog/2019/10/we-want-to-know-you-too-relational-learning-project/

they noted that 'We human beings are disconnected from o­ne another's

lives, and deaths. Despite our smart phones, the internet and Facebook,

we don't really know o­ne another.... To us, this is a social emergency

like the climate emergency. They share the same roots, that we're

disconnected from Nature and o­ne another. So we wanted to do something

together!... the Afghan Peace Volunteers have organized the Relational

Learning Project https://www.relationallearningproject.com/ and we need

your help. We hope that as millions arise to care for our planet, we can

also arise to care for o­ne another. So join us!' And, in the immediate

instance, that means to check out the website immediately above and

complete their survey! You are inspirational, as always, APVs. And if

you want to listen to a song about the APVs, written by Anita McKone,

you can do so here: 'Nonviolence They Choose For Afghanistan'.

https://anitamckone.wordpress.com/songs-of-nonviolence/nonviolence-they-choose-for-afghanistan/

Kathy Kelly, a frequent international guest of the APVs, talks about her

experience in Afghanistan and other war zones with World Beyond War

Director, David Swanson. You can hear David's recent interview of Kathy,

and access all of his other weekly interviews, o­n 'Talk Nation Radio'

here: 'Kathy Kelly o­n Peace, Afghanistan, Yemen, Ireland, and the United

States'.

http://davidswanson.org/talk-nation-radio-kathy-kelly-on-peace-afghanistan-yemen-ireland-and-the-united-states/

Subsequently and pondering a fall that led to Kathy breaking a hip, she

also reflected comparatively o­n her plight and those in Afghanistan. See

'The Wounds of War in Afghanistan'.

http://vcnv.org/2019/09/27/the-wounds-of-war-in-afghanistan/

And if you would like to read a terrific book by Australian Mark Isaacs

about 'The Kabul Peace House: How a Group of Young Afghans are Daring to

Dream in a Land of War',

https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Kabul-Peace-House/9781743793152 which

is (highly favourably) reviewed here - 'The Struggle for Peace in

Afghanistan: Is Community Engagement the Key?'

https://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/281750/the-struggle-for-peace-in-afghanistan-is-community-engageme.html

- you will be well rewarded with an inspiring story by a remarkable

group of young people and their mentor.

Iona Conner can make a claim that few can match: 'She has been active in

the environmental movement for more than 50 years.' Iona lives in the

USA and, in o­ne of her more recent initiatives, started The Go-Back Club

in 2013 to educate readers about the climate crisis and encourage

Americans to minimize their use of fossil fuels and preserve natural

resources. The Go-Back Club is a simple-living/action brigade and, among

other things, Iona is editor of its 'Groundswell News'.

http://www.gobackclub.org/ But if you would like to read more about her

long-standing commitment and efforts, you will get a taste from Iona's

CV.

http://www.gobackclub.org/uploads/2/6/9/4/26941244/iona_conner_cv_2019.pdf

Sadly, too, Iona reports, 'the world [has] lost a champion for justice'.

John Bruce Conner 'My amazing husband, who worked tirelessly for social,

economic, and environmental justice, died in my arms August 18'. John

spent his life working in various ways to benefit humanity and the

environment. We share the sadness of your loss Iona. There are too few

people like John in this world.

Emeritus Professor David Hardiman was born in Rawalpindi in Pakistan but

grew up in the UK. As a historian, he specializes in the history of

Modern India. He has taught at the University of Leicester, the School

of Oriental and African Studies in London, the University of Newcastle

upon Tyne, the University of Oxford, and from 1996 to 2013, the

University of Warwick. He worked as a Research fellow at the Centre for

Social Studies, Surat, India during the 1980s, and has held visiting

fellowships at the Australian National University, the Institute of

Commonwealth Studies in London, Princeton University and the University

of Manchester. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. If you

would like to know more about David, you can read about his research and

publications here.

https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/history/people/staff_index/dhardiman/ His

latest book is 'The Nonviolent Struggle for Indian Freedom, 1905-19'

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/184904970X/ which is reviewed here:

'Non-violent movements that preceded Gandhi'.

https://www.telegraphindia.com/culture/books/non-violent-movements-that-preceded-gandhi/cid/1684538

As you might guess, Ela Gandhi is the granddaughter of a famous

peacemaker but is also a great leader herself. Ela was under house

arrest for a decade while resisting apartheid in South Africa, worked o­n

the transitional task force with Nelson Mandela following the liberation

of South Africa from apartheid, and she served for a decade in the South

African parliament. Long committed to resisting injustice, she is also

committed to doing it through nonviolence. Like others, she is horrified

by the atrocities of war and is concerned about the plight of the poor

and the deprived of our world. 'In my own life, I have found that peace

does not o­nly mean protesting and resisting injustice, but also living

our everyday lives doing big and small things to bring greater harmony

to the world. Helping sick and injured children, protecting the

voiceless animals, preserving the plants and trees that are being

eliminated by development, and contributing in little ways to save the

world by conserving, reusing, recycling, and reducing both what we need

and what we discard, in the hope that the already distended Mother Earth

will absorb it. We need to appreciate the richness of our diverse

heritage and begin to see the value of global citizenship, so that peace

and social and political justice may prevail in the world.... We all

have power and when we get together, we have more power.'

Activist journalist Abby Martin recently completed her debut feature

film 'Gaza Fights for Freedom'. Directed, written and narrated by Abby,

the film had its origins while Abby was reporting in Palestine, where

she was denied entry into Gaza by the Israeli government o­n the

accusation she was a 'propagandist'. Connecting with a team of

journalists in Gaza to produce the film through the blockaded border,

this collaboration shows you Gaza's protest movement like you've never

seen it before. Filmed during the height of the Great March Of Return

protests, it features riveting footage of demonstrations and is a

thorough indictment of the Israeli military for war crimes, and a

stunning cinematic portrayal of the heroic resistance by Palestinians.

The film is currently being shown in a series of venues in the United

States and Canada with Abby presenting the film in each location. If you

would like to see the locations and dates for these film showings, you

can do so here: 'Nationwide Tour: New Film "Gaza Fights for Freedom"

with Abby Martin!'

https://www.answercoalition.org/gaza_fights_national_tour

Better still, particularly for those not in Canada or the United States,

you can watch a preview here: 'Gaza Fights for Freedom preview'

https://mediaroots.org/watch-now-gaza-fights-for-freedom-full-documentary/

And if you would like to buy or rent the film (and support Abby's work

in that way) you can do so here: 'Gaza Fights for Freedom'.

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/gazafights Fine work Abby in support of our

Palestinian friends.

Continuing his lifetime commitment to expose hidden truths to the light

of day, Professor Noam Chomsky was recently interviewed about the

ongoing US threats against Iran. For his insightful commentary o­n the

forces driving US actions in relation to Iran, this interview is quite

compelling: 'We Must Stop War with Iran Before It's Too Late'.

https://criticalstudies.org/noam-chomsky-we-must-stop-war-with-iran-before-its-too-late/

And in another interview, effectively asking him a series of questions

to update his thoughts o­n the 'manufacture of consent' first

systematically documented in his book with Edward Herman 30 years ago,

Noam was clear in his reaffirmation that the corporate media, now

including Google, Facebook and Twitter, is 'Still Manufacturing Consent:

An Interview With Noam Chomsky'.

https://www.transcend.org/tms/2019/06/still-manufacturing-consent-an-interview-with-noam-chomsky/

'I don't think the internet and social media changes the propaganda

model at all. The propaganda model was about the major media

institutions and they remain, with all the social media and everything

else, the primary source of news, information and commentary. The news

that appears in social media is drawn from them. So, if you look at the

news o­n Facebook, it comes straight from the major media. They don't do

their own investigations.' o­nce again, in deep appreciation of your

truth-telling, Noam.

Of course, in relation to Iran, Noam was not the o­nly person concerned

about US provocations of that country. Professor Chandra Muzaffar,

President of JUST International http://www.just-international.org/ based

in Malaysia, also wrote an insightful commentary. See 'Iran: Neither

Military Action nor Economic Sanctions'.

https://www.transcend.org/tms/2019/09/iran-neither-military-action-nor-economic-sanctions/

Based o­n her extensive experience of the impact of sanctions o­n the

people of Iraq between 1991 and 2003, Kathy Kelly, co-convenor of Voices

for Creative Nonviolence http://vcnv.org/ offers an evocative case for

'An Honorable Course in Iran: End Sanctions, Resume Dialogue'.

https://www.transcend.org/tms/2019/07/an-honorable-course-in-iran-end-sanctions-resume-dialogue/

And René Wadlow, President of the Association of World Citizens

https://awcungeneva.com/ headquartered in France, reflects thoughtfully

on the 'Iran Crisis: Dangers and Opportunities'.

https://www.transcend.org/tms/2019/09/iran-crisis-dangers-and-opportunities/

by drawing attention to opportunities for citizen engagement through

NGOs to influence how the conflict plays out. 'The dangers are real. We

must make the most of the opportunities.'

René also continues to examine issues and throw light o­n subjects well

outside the spotlight of the corporate media, such as conflicts in

Africa. See, for example, his article 'Sahel Instability Spreads'.

https://www.transcend.org/tms/2019/07/sahel-instability-spreads/ And for

an insightful look at an opportunity to deal creatively with the

conflict in Yemen, this article is well worth reading: 'Signs of Hope

for Persian Gulf Conflicts: Serious Negotiations Needed'.

https://countercurrents.org/2019/09/signs-of-hope-for-persian-gulf-conflicts-serious-negotiations-needed

Of course, Iran has not been the o­nly flashpoint threatening to explode.

Venezuela continues to be a point of contention with o­ngoing US threats

to the country's democratically elected government. Canadian scholar

Yves Engler is o­ne of those who has been active in efforts to prevent a

US-led military intervention in Venezuela. In this thoughtful article,

'Canada Hires Hitman to Overthrow Venezuelan Government',

https://mronline.org/2019/06/20/canada-hires-hitman-to-overthrow-venezuelan-government/

Yves explains that 'Canadian taxpayers are paying a hardline

pro-corporate, pro-Washington, former diplomat hundreds of thousands of

dollars to coordinate the Liberal government's bid to oust Venezuela's

government.'

Ella Polyakova and her colleagues at the Soldiers' Mothers of

Saint-Petersburg http://hragents.org/en-org/sm-en/ in Russia continue

their fine work to defend the rights of servicemen and conscripts by

making sure that individuals are equipped with knowledge of their

rights, the law and all relevant circumstances to be able to take

responsibility for defending themselves from abuse. 'We clearly

understood what a soldier in the Russian army was – a mere cog in the

state machine, yet with an assault rifle. We felt how important hope,

self-confidence and trust were for every person. At the beginning of our

journey, we saw that people around us, as a rule, did not even know what

it meant to feel free. It was obvious for us that the path towards

freedom and the attainment of dignity was going through enlightenment.

Therefore, our organization's mission is to enlighten people around us.

Social work is all about showing, explaining, proving things to people,

it is about convincing them.'

Christophe Nyambatsi Mutaka is Director of the Martin Luther King Group

http://preventgbvafrica.org/member/groupe-martin-luther-king-asbl/ in

the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Christophe recently distributed a

news release in celebration of the International Day of Nonviolence and

150th anniversary of the birth of Mohandas K. Gandhi.The Martin Luther

King Group, which is based in Goma, North Kivu province in the east of

the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is an association of Congolese

people committed to active nonviolence, human rights, peace and

reconciliation and remains convinced that active nonviolence is the o­nly

way that can lead humanity to lasting peace.

Noting that humanity is 'immersed in a culture of violence' and that

many people have 'positioned themselves in our communities through

violence' he points out that 'young people miss models!' Everywhere the

talk is about assassinations, rapes, torture, recruitment of child

soldiers, trafficking in human beings, embezzlement of public funds,

non-payment of wages, poverty, kidnapping.... Indeed, it is violence

that is in the news! Faced with the failure of violence around the world

to achieve worthwhile goals, especially in Syria, Palestine, Israel, the

United States, Ukraine, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Mali, CAR,

Nigeria... 'we strongly believe in active nonviolence' and ask for the

following:

* That active nonviolence - that is, respect for human dignity and

creation - be taught from kindergarten to university;

* That all those who massacre in the province of North Kivu in the east

of the Democratic Republic of Congo and all over the world stop doing

this dirty work;

* That nations work to make law and justice work in order to contribute

to building lasting peace through active nonviolence;

* That people do what they say and get out of their hypocritical

rhetoric that poisons new generations; and

* That each and every o­ne of us strives to achieve consistency between

thoughts and feelings and our behaviour, thus modeling a coherent life

and escaping the contradiction that generates the violence.

Jill Gough and our other friends at CND Cymru (Wales)

http://www.cndcymru.org/ continue their campaign with like-minded souls

both in Wales and around the world 'to rid Britain and the world of all

weapons of mass destruction'. They also campaign for peace and justice

for humanity and the environment, and against the arms trade. In the

latest edition of their magazine 'Heddwch' (Welsh for 'Peace'), the

usual range of issues is discussed but you can access past issues from

this link: 'Heddwch Magazine'. https://www.cndcymru.org/heddwch-magazine

Professor Ammar Banni in Algeria is a retired professor of education, an

author and researcher in pedagogical innovation and international

development. He is also a member of the International Diplomatic

Commission of the International Association of Educators for World Peace

(IAEWP) - Africa. Ammar reports that since February 2019 and even

following their successful removal from office of 20-year President

Abdelaziz Bouteflika in April, Algerians continue to gather weekly in

Algiers and other major cities to call for the removal of the country's

ruling elite and the establishment of a 'free and democratic Algeria'.

Angry at the corruption of the elderly elite unresponsive to the needs

of ordinary people, activists have been protesting weekly in an attempt

to force removal of all remnants of a secretive political and military

establishment that has dominated the country for decades.

The problem, Ammar reports, is not so much the Algerian constitution.

The problem lies in the institutions responsible for the application of

it. The constitutional texts are manipulated and interpreted in

accordance with the interests of the elite that governs.

Professor Richard Jackson reports that 'The National Centre for Peace

and Conflict Studies https://www.otago.ac.nz/ncpacs/index.html at the

University of Otago in New Zealand continues to work for peace in the

academic arena. It teaches around 50 Masters and PhD students drawn from

more than 20 countries, and its staff continue to do research and

publish in the areas of conflict analysis, conflict resolution,

pacifism, nonviolence and peacebuilding. Following the terrorist attack

in March in Christchurch, the Centre responded with a public statement

https://www.otago.ac.nz/ncpacs/index.html, extensive media engagement, a

submission to the Commission o­n the attacks, a research project into and

a variety of other local initiatives aimed at the promotion of

anti-racism and strengthening multiculturalism. Recently, a group of

students and staff traveled to the island of Rekohu to spend time with

members of the Hokotehi Moriori Trust https://www.moriori.co.nz/ and

develop a stronger relationship with them. The Hokotehi Trust represents

the interests of the Moriori people, a group who maintain o­ne of the

oldest peace traditions in the world. In November 25-27, 2019, the

Centre will be holding a special conference entitled 'Peace in Aotearoa

New Zealand: Past, present, future'

https://www.otago.ac.nz/ncpacs/otago715052.html to commemorate the 10th

anniversary of the Centre's founding.

As a result of a conference o­n revolutionary nonviolence held in 2017, a

forthcoming book 'Revolutionary Nonviolence: Concepts, Cases and

Controversies', of which Richard is o­ne of the authors and editors, is

nearing publication. The next report will include a link to the book,

which o­ne reviewer endorsed with these words: 'In this era of "endless"

violence and interrelated political

marginalization, economic inequality, social dislocation and ecological

(including climate) breakdown, this book explains why revolutionary

nonviolence is the most fruitful path for generating the grassroots,

community-led structural change needed to transcend this complex and

multi-faceted crisis. An insightful and compelling read.'

Ramesh Agrawal is a prominent social and environmental activist in India

who has devoted many years to educating and organizing local village

people, including adivasi communities, to defend their homes and lands

from those corporations and governments that would deprive them of their

rights, livelihoods, health and a clean environment for the sake of

mining the abundant coal in the state of Chhattisgarh. However, because

his o­ngoing efforts to access and share key information and his

organization of Gandhian-inspired grassroots satyagrahas (nonviolent

campaigns) have been so effective, he has also paid a high price for his

activism, having been attacked o­n many occasions. In 2011, for example,

he was arrested despite ill-health at the time and chained to a hospital

bed. A year later he was shot in the leg, which required multiple

operations. He still has difficulty walking with six metal rods inserted

through his thigh.

The Jan Chetna ('people' awareness') movement started by Ramesh has

spread to several parts of Chhattisgarh as well as other states of

India. For the latest account of his efforts including the recent 'coal

satyagrapha' focused o­n coal blocks owned by state power companies but

being developed and operated by Adani Enterprises, see 'Thousands Hold

"Coal Satyagraha", Allege Manufacturing of Consent at Public Hearing'.

https://thewire.in/rights/coal-satyagraha-chahattisgarh-mahagenco-coal-adani-enterprises

For his nonviolent activism, Ramesh was awarded the Goldman

Environmental Prize in 2014. See 'Ramesh Agrawal: 2014 Goldman Prize

Recipient Asia' https://www.goldmanprize.org/recipient/ramesh-agrawal/

and 'Chhattisgarh activist, Ramesh Agrawal, bags Goldman prize'.

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/chhattisgarh-activist-ramesh-agrawal-bags-goldman-prize-44192

Pakistani Canadian scholar Dr Mahboob A. Khawaja continues to cast his

penetrating eye o­n world affairs. In this article, he exposes the

superficiality of 'world leaders': 'Global Peace and Security: World

Leaders Betray the Canons of Truth, Wisdom and Humanity'.

https://www.uncommonthought.com/mtblog/archives/2019/07/07/global-peace-and-security-world-leaders-betray-the-canons-of-truth-wisdom-and-humanity.php

Meanwhile, Mahboob's son, Mohammad Momin Khawaja, unjustly imprisoned by

a corrupt Canadian legal system, has outlined the circumstances of his

predicament caught up in the hysteria of the war o­n terror. See

'Canada's War o­n Terrorism and Momin Khawaja's Fight for Freedom'.

https://www.uncommonthought.com/mtblog/archives/2019/06/27/canadas-war-on-terrorism-and-momin-khawajas-fight-for-freedom.php

Since 2017 Dr Marthie Momberg in South Africa has been working with

international colleagues to address Zionism amongst Christians. Dr. Mark

Braverman (Executive Director, Kairos USA) and Marthie offered, for

example, a seminar entitled 'Christianity and the Shifting of

Perceptions o­n Zionism' at Stellenbosch University's Beyers Naudé

Centre. 'With some other colleagues we are also in the midst of a

research project at this Centre to understand how to sensitise

Christians o­n the nature of Zionism and how it serves as an important

lens o­n so many other struggles in our world. I am also in the process

of writing a number of scholarly articles o­n ethics and religion in the

context of Israel and the Palestinian struggle. Some of these are still

in the process of being peer reviewed.' o­ne recently published article

(in Marthie's home language, Afrikaans), however, is titled 'Israeliese

en Suid-Afrikaanse burgers se redes vir toetrede tot die Palestynse

stryd'.

https://www.litnet.co.za/israeliese-en-suid-afrikaanse-burgers-se-redes-vir-toetrede-tot-die-palestynse-stryd/

Dr Marty Branagan at the University of New England in Australia reports

as follows: 'Peace Studies at UNE is hanging in despite constant threats

by a more corporatized and under-resourced university sector. We have a

large number of international PhD students from places like Rwanda,

Kenya, Nigeria, Nepal, India and Bangladesh. We are holding a conference

at our Parramatta Campus in Sydney: 'Rethinking Peace, Conflict and

Governance: A conference to reflect o­n peacebuilding issues in the 21st

century', 12–14 February 2020.' You can read more information about this

conference here:

https://www.une.edu.au/about-une/faculty-of-humanities-arts-social-sciences-and-education/hass/news-and-events/rethinking-peace-conflict-and-governance-conference

And in an evocative reflection o­n the state of the world, Marty gave the

keynote presentation at the 34th NSW Environmental Education Conference

on 4 October, o­n the topic 'Protest and Survive'.

Lily Thapa continues her key role as the inspirational founder and

leader of Women for Human Rights, Single Women Group (WHR)

http://whr.org.np/ in Nepal. With a mission to achieve 'Empowered single

women living dignified lives with a sustainable livelihood, social

acceptance, recognized nationally and globally' WHR has an enviable

record of achievement, recognized by the long list of awards the network

has won since its foundation, in its remarkable work to empower widowed

women throughout Nepal, South Asia and around the world. If you would

like to read a simple 8-line poem, that poignantly evokes what it means

to be a widow in this social context, try 'Broken Bangles, shattered

dreams'.

http://whr.org.np/website/lastest_news/broken-bangles-shattered-dreams/

As always Lily, in sincere appreciation of your vision and commitment.

Vijay Mehta, Cofounder of Uniting for Peace

http://www.unitingforpeace.com/ in the UK was invited to speak at a

seminar jointly hosted by the Nuclear Free Local Authority (NFLA) and

Mayors for Peace at the Manchester Central Library. The title of the

conference was 'The Humanitarian Impacts, Costs and Dangers of Nuclear

Weapons in the Wider Campaign for a more Peaceful World' and Vijay spoke

about this recently published book 'How not to go to War: Establishing

Departments for Peace and Peace Centres Worldwide'. You can see more

about the conference o­n the UfP website.

http://unitingforpeace.com/vijay-mehta-invited-to-an-event-at-manchester-to-discuss-his-book/

Environmental journalist and freelance writer Robert Hunziker continues

his tireless efforts to raise awareness of the full dimensions of our

environmental crisis and, in this radio interview o­n 1 October, responds

to questions about the o­ngoing climate and Fukushima disasters and the

negative role of the corporate media from Professor Guy McPherson and

Kevin Hester o­n the program 'Nature Bats Last'

http://prn.fm/nature-bats-last-10-01-19/ or at this audio link here.

https://s167.podbean.com/pb/da36adc0d74713a31a707f87b63eed8c/5d9e816c/data2/fs122/696025/uploads/NBL_100119.mp3?pbss=d5636e81-9717-5130-8bdf-b4d26cc86486

Little of critical importance climatically or environmentally escapes

Robert's scrutiny. For his most recent article, which discusses the

recently discovered methane leaks from the East Siberian Arctic Shelf,

see 'Methane SOS'. https://countercurrents.org/2019/10/methane-sos Is

this a big deal? According to Robert the East Siberian Arctic Shelf is

'jammed full of methane buried at sea beneath underwater permafrost.

But, it's starting to leak big time, and this could be o­ne of the

biggest problems of all time for civilization, with staggering

consequences.' Unfortunately, if you think that is bad, read the rest of

the article. And weep for humanity.

Ina Curic in Romania is 'both a Dragon Tamer and a Fire Spitting Dragon

myself, knowing there is magic for hurt people that hurt others and the

planet.' Following extensive education-related work in the past twenty

years, mainstreaming cross-cutting issues in development, facilitating

training and group processes with teenagers and adults in different

peacebuilding and post war contexts, Ina now focuses o­n writing her

illustrated children's books which teach vital lessons for life that you

will not find in any mainstream education setting. Why? Ina answers:

'I want to live in a world where:

* every child is told stories about war in past tense;

* every teenager realizes that slaying enemies is an inside job;

* and every adult leaves behind fighting – both in flesh and metaphor -

to step into emotional maturity and recognition of everyone's full

humanity.'

You can read more about Ina o­n her website Imagine Creatively

https://imaginecreatively.com/inacuric/ or o­n her formal CV.

http://blog.transnational.org/2017/11/ina-curics-cv/

In a reflection o­n the 150th birth anniversary of Mohandas K. Gandhi o­n

2 October, Professor Ram Puniyani discusses those, such as Hindu

nationalists like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in India, who

deliberately misrepresent Gandhi in support of their own communally

divisive ends. For a thoughtful commentary o­n communalism in India

today, see 'Gandhi Anniversary: An Occasion to Gain legitimacy for

Some'.

https://countercurrents.org/2019/10/gandhi-anniversary-an-occasion-to-gain-legitimacy-for-some

Palestinian, Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh, and his wife Jessie, will be

visiting Australasia o­n a speaking tour for about three weeks in

May-June 2020. Mazin teaches and undertakes research at Bethlehem and

Birzeit Universities, Palestine. He has previously served o­n the

faculties of Duke and Yale Universities, and the University of

Tennessee, USA. He and his wife returned to Palestine in 2008, where

they established a number of institutions and projects, including a

clinical genetics laboratory that benefits cancer patients and others.

They founded, and run as full-time volunteers, the Palestine Institute

for Biodiversity and Sustainability (PIBS) at Bethlehem University.

http://palestinenature.org

Mazin has published over 140 scientific papers and several books o­n

topics ranging from cultural heritage to biodiversity to cancer and the

Palestinian struggle for liberation. Information about these and other

documents can be accessed at his website. http://qumsiyeh.org Mazin is

an accomplished speaker and has given hundreds of talks in 45 countries

around the world, o­n an expenses-only basis. As an activist, he has been

harassed and arrested for his nonviolent actions, but has also received

a number of prestigious awards for these same actions.

If any signatory in Australia or New Zealand would like to help organize

Mazin and Jessie's tour or host an event as part of it, your support

will be sincerely appreciated. Please contact Chris Faisandier

or Mazin himself: "Prof. Mazin Qumsiyeh"

In Guatemala, Daniel Dalai continues his visionary role providing

opportunities for girls to develop their leadership capacities at

Earthgardens. http://riverprincess.tripod.com/ If you haven't previously

been aware of their work, including in Bolivia and Nicaragua, you will

find it fascinating to read how girls - including Carmen, Angelica,

Reyna, Katiela, Yapanepet, Zenobia, Deysi, Rosalba, Charro, Katarina,

Marleni - in this community changed their society.

The Asia Institute http://asia-institute.org/ is the most recent

organization to endorse the Nonviolence Charter. 'The Asia Institute is

the first truly pan-Asian think tank. A research institution that

addresses global issues with a focus o­n Asia, the Asia Institute is

committed to presenting a balanced perspective that takes into account

the concerns of the entire region. The Asia Institute provides an

objective space wherein a significant discussion o­n current trends in

technology, international relations, the economy and the environment can

be carried out.' Focused o­n research, analysis and dialogue, and headed

by president Emanuel Yi Pastreich, the Institute was originally founded

in 2007 while Emanuel was working in Daejeon, South Korea. Emanuel

writes extensively o­n culture, technology, the environment and

international relations with a focus o­n Northeast Asia. He also serves

as president of the Earth Management Institute, a global think tank

dedicated to developing original approaches to global governance in this

dangerous age. But for more o­n this remarkable organization, see the

website above.

Annette Brownlie and The Independent and Peace Australia Network

recognize that 'a truly peaceful and independent Australia cannot be

achieved without resolving the past cruel and unjust takeover of

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lands, and works to address these

injustices, which began under British Law, and have continued under

Australian Governments, since Federation' in 1900). You can read more o­n

this page of their website: 'First People'.

https://ipan.org.au/first-people/

Sami Awad and the The Holy Land Trust https://holylandtrust.org/ in

Palestine build communities of resilience through grassroots movements

of nonviolent resistance. Why is the Holy Land Trust unique? 'We seek to

practice and live a life motivated by unconditional love and not fear.

We believe in the possibility of truth and goodness between all people

and their ability to relate to each other with empathy and compassion.

'We do not promote any political agenda. The land should not be divided

and separated, and the peoples of the land must not be segregated from

each other out of fear and racism.

'While we realize that there has to be a political framework for justice

to be materialized, we engage in understanding the core and deeper

issues that prevent a real and just peace from being realized. While

many want to build the house, we want to help in building the

foundation.'

Dr Gary G. Kohls continues his investigations and writing o­n various

topics of importance. A recent article drew particular attention to

Donald Trump's authoritarian friends: 'Authoritarian Donald J. Trump,

Bibi Netanyahu and a few of his other "Favorite

Dictators/Authoritarians"'.

https://freepress.org/article/authoritarian-donald-j-trump-bibi-netanyahu-and-few-his-other-%E2%80%9Cfavorite

Marianne Perez de Fransius maintains that peace is sexy, possible,

profitable and fun. Based o­n her extensive experience and research, she

teaches just this in a variety of fora. She aims to make 'Peace is Sexy'

a 'successful mainstream media production company, producing innovative,

engaging and entertaining content for web, TV, film, whatever new medium

emerges, and portrays values of peace, collaboration, community,

communication, compassion.' You can check out Marianne's work at Peace

is Sexy. http://www.peaceissexy.net/

Steve Varatharajan, Vice President of the International Association of

Educators for World Peace (IAEWP) http://iaewp2u.blogspot.com/ was the

driving force behind organization of the 'Walk For World Peace 2019' in

Malaysia o­n 21 September. Engaging a number of community organizations

including youth clubs and scouting groups, and producing simple video

lessons o­n dealing creatively with conflict - see, for example, 'Promo

Video 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwCfbPMWbL4 - you can read more

about this event o­n the 'Walk for World Peace' website.

https://www.walkforworldpeace.com/

Bob Cable wrote an evocative reflection to commemorate the nuclear

attack o­n Hiroshima. You can read his poetry here: 'August 6, 1945 – For

our children'.

https://countercurrents.org/2019/08/august-6-1945-for-our-children

Dr Sohan Lal Gandhi, the international president of Anuvrat Global

Organization (ANUVIBHA) http://www.anuvibha.in/ based in Jaipur, India,

extends a warm invitation for signatories to attend the International

Conference o­n Nonviolence Education and Training to be held in New Delhi

from 17-20 Dec 2019. Why this conference?

'The world today is mired in violence, hatred, fanaticism and religious

intolerance. Moral and spiritual values have reached their nadir in all

sections of society globally. What is most alarming and worrying is that

many children and youth are being systematically indoctrinated to commit

heinous crimes in the name of religion. You will agree that the children

and youth of today are being deliberately exposed to a culture of

violence and hatred and no attempt is being made to reverse this trend

by educating and training them in a culture of ahimsa (nonviolence).'

If you would like further information or to book attendance, please

contact "Dr S.L. Gandhi"

Tess Burrows http://tessburrows.org/ in the UK has a mission 'to focus

on the potential for peace and environmental harmony o­n our planet, by

carrying out climbs or treks, each o­ne a pilgrimage to watch for the

Earth; bringing together heart messages from thousands of individuals,

making a difference both at an individual and a collective level.'

Despite having completed 15 'peace climbs' since 1998 - see 'Peace

Climbs' http://tessburrows.org/climb-for-tibet - including two this

year, and raising vast amounts of money for many charities in the

process, Tess notes that 'my claim to fame is as the first and o­nly

grandmother to race to the South Pole!' Tess is now in her 70s but, as

you will no doubt agree, she is an awfully fit 'peace adventurer'!

Jim Prues works in video production and earlier this year put together a

video for World Beyond War: 'Say No To NATO'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eE3hg-jsaL0 But Jim also reports a 'new

effort to help with our awakening' called 'First Monday',

https://firstmonday.live/ the idea being that like-minded citizens get

together o­n the first Monday of the month to 'Fix Stuff in Cincinnati' -

or more accurately to enable our new operating system: 'World 5.0:

Healing Our Life Together'. https://world5.org/

If you would like to watch Margaret Flowers and Kevin Zeese report their

experience as part of the (Venezuelan) Embassy Protection Collective in

the USA, including while it was under threat from people supportive of

the coup attempt in Venezuela, you can see an excellent interview here:

'Despite Arrest, Embassy Protectors Say They Aren't Backing Down'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUC2DJ18IKI&feature=youtu.be

While still awaiting trial for their illegal eviction from the embassy

by US authorities, Kevin and Margaret organized the People's

Mobilization to Stop The US War Machine - the People's MOBE

https://peoplesmobe.org/ - which took place from 20-23 September while

the United Nations General Assembly was meeting in New York.

Daniel Jakopovich - 'a sociologist, philosopher, poet, and a campaigner

for peace, human and animal liberation' - who was formerly with the Stop

the War Coalition and is now the Peace and Disarmament Programme Manager

for the Quakers in Britain, has recently completed and had published a

book titled 'Revolutionary Peacemaking: Writings for a Culture of Peace

and Nonviolence'.

https://democraticthought.org/revolutionary-peacemaking-writings-for-a-culture-of-peace-and-nonviolence/

The book is a collection of interdisciplinary political and

philosophical writings 'which explore some of the key issues of peace

research, including the character and roots of various major forms of

structural and cultural violence in contemporary capitalist society...

and political strategies for deep, transformative progressive change.'

The book also contains several pieces of Daniel's peace poetry and

contributes to formulating 'the philosophical and strategic foundations

of revolutionary peacemaking... to advance the ennoblement of human

beings and the creation of a truly democratic, humane and peaceful

society which would foster compassion and nonviolence towards all

sentient beings.' With some fine endorsements, the book represents years

of consideration and commitment by Daniel.

Charles Johnson is a peace activist and adult educator in Chicago,

U.S.A. A few years ago, he learned of a practice called Unarmed Civilian

Protection (UCP), which brings protection and reconciliation to deadly

conflicts. In 2017, Charles took a U.N. course o­n UCP. This led him to

interact with a UCP provider named Nonviolent Peaceforce. He then joined

others to form a Chicago chapter of Nonviolent Peaceforce in 2018.

Like dozens of UCP groups worldwide, Nonviolent Peaceforce's work is

nonviolent, nonpartisan, nonprofit, and led by local civilians. The

peace it brings is empowering rather than belittling, sustainable rather

than fleeting, and constructive rather than destructive. Nonviolent

Peaceforce's goal is to increase the use of unarmed methods and to raise

awareness of their efficacy, so that armed forms of protection are

questioned, and eventually discarded.

Kathie Malley-Morrison is professor of psychology at Boston University

in the USA. Kathie specializes in 'peace studies and in life-span human

development' and maintains her own website 'Engaging Peace'.

https://engagingpeace.com/ Like others in this report, Kathie is

concerned about the renewed threat of nuclear war so is playing her part

in exposing the risks and what we can do about it. See the brief article

'Dr. Strangelove redux — still loving the bomb and scarier than ever!'

https://engagingpeace.com/?p=15453 and the short video it features, that

'packs a wallop'.

We are happy to report that Joám Evans Pim, director of the Center for

Global Nonkilling, https://nonkilling.org/ was successful in his defense

of his PhD at Åbo Akademi University in Finland. The CGNK continues its

work 'to promote change toward the measurable goal of a killing-free

world by means open to infinite human creativity'. You can read about

their remarkable range of programs at their website. Congratulations

Joám!

Professor Marc Pilisuk http://marcpilisuk.com/ has had a lifetime

preoccupation: 'the role of ordinary people facing an unjust, often

uncaring, global technological society.' Professor Emeritus at Saybrook

University, Marc https://saybrook.academia.edu/MarcPilisuk has long

worked to expose the truths hidden within and by violence. With a long

academic career behind him, which involved teaching a great many

subjects and having six books and 120 academic articles published (on

topics such as community mental health, conflict resolution,

military-industrial power,social action, globalization, torture,

poverty and perceptions of a contaminated world), he is a clinical and

social psychologist. Notably, in his jointly-authored book 'The Hidden

Structure of Violence: Who Benefits from Global Violence and War' he

'marshals vast amounts of evidence to examine the costs of direct

violence, including military preparedness and the social reverberations

of war, alongside the costs of structural violence, expressed as poverty

and chronic illness. It also documents the relatively small number of

people and corporations responsible for facilitating the violent status

quo, whether by setting the range of permissible discussion or

benefiting directly as financiers and manufacturers. The result is a

stunning indictment of our violent world and a powerful critique of the

ways through which violence is reproduced o­n a daily basis, whether at

the highest levels of the state or in the deepest recesses of the mind.'

You can read more about the book here: 'The Hidden Structure of

Violence'.

https://www.transcend.org/tms/2019/06/the-hidden-structure-of-violence-who-benefits-from-global-violence-and-war/

In sincere appreciation of a lifetime of effort Marc.

David Polden in the UK continues to publish his highly informative

'Non-Violent Resistance Newsletter' reporting news o­n campaigns of

nonviolent resistance in the UK and elsewhere, notably Europe and

Palestine. The latest newsletter included updates o­n Ende Gelände's

anti-coal campaign in Germany, including their effort to mobilize 6,000

activists in June to block parts of Germany's giant opencast coalmine at

Garzweiler in the Rhineland. It also included an update o­n the actions,

arrests and court processes by members of the climate organization

Extinction Rebellion in the UK and several reports o­n anti-military and

antinuclear nonviolent actions as well. If you would like to receive

this valuable Newsletter, you can do so by contacting David at

and he will add you to his email list.

Under the leadership of Leon Simweragi of the AJVDC Youth Peace group &

Green Brigade in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the AJVDC aims

for 'the meaningful participation and sustainable involvement of young

people in shared [decision-making] in matters which affect their lives

and those of their community, including planning, decision-making and

program delivery.' To achieve this, the AJVDC engages in advocacy to

promote youth engagement and protection of the environment, training to

enhance innovative capacity and management by youth, networking to

connect young entrepreneurs, mentoring to enhance capacity and

volunteering for humanitarian and environmental actions. In essence,

their work focuses o­n empowering disadvantaged groups – former child

soldiers and women farmers – through environmental education and

reforestation projects, hoping to plant o­ne million trees in the Lake

Kivu Basin in an effort to restore degraded lands adversely impacted by

war, other conflicts and climate change. By doing this, the project will

reduce poverty and fight climate change. You can see more of their

wonderful work o­n their website: Association de Jeunes Visionnaires pour

le Développement du Congo. http://www.ajvdc.org/

'Environmentalists Against War' is a network of environmental

organizations and individuals that opposed the US attack o­n Iraq. 'We

continue to oppose the social and environmental impacts of war and

militarism, in the US and internationally.' You can check out the fine

efforts of Gar Smith and his fellow activists o­n their website at

Environmentalists Against War. http://www.envirosagainstwar.org/

At the recently held World Beyond War conference in Ireland, Nobel Peace

Laureate Mairead Maguire made a presentation titled 'Pathways to Peace:

Mairead Maguire's remarks at #NoWar2019'

https://worldbeyondwar.org/pathways-to-peace/ You can read a report o­n

this international gathering here: 'Report o­n NoWar2019 Pathways to

Peace Conference, Limerick, Ireland'.

https://worldbeyondwar.org/report-on-nowar2019-pathways-to-peace-conference-limerick-ireland/

Bruce Gagnon, Dave Webb and other members of the Global Network Against

Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space http://www.space4peace.org/ continue

their efforts to prevent the militarization of Space. In this excellent

one hour audio interview of Bruce, you can hear him critiquing current

US moves o­n this issue: 'STAR WARS Revisited: Trump's Plans to Make

Space the Ultimate Battleground: conversations with Tamara Lorincz and

Bruce Gagnon'.

https://www.globalresearch.ca/star-wars-revisited-trumps-plans-to-make-space-the-ultimate-battleground/5691652

If you like, you can also see a list of Bruce's own broadcast interviews

at Bruce Gagnon TV. http://www.space4peace.org/bgtv.htm

Joan McTeigue is another person focused o­n local, sustainable ways of

living. 'My goal is to help people who are o­n very low incomes (many

here in Midland including myself and also many very rich who like to

come up here to enjoy the beautiful Georgian Bay area). As a result,

housing costs here have tripled in the past 10 years, starving out many.

Many seniors have barely enough for food and have become prisoners in

their homes because of poverty. It's sad.

'Therefore, I am trying to compile a strategy for food that is doable

for these people (and anyone else interested). Most organic food is

beyond reach of the many. However, there is always a way if we are

determined enough and have that fire! Therefore, I am thinking in terms

of a step by step, community strategy.' So Joan seeks out simple recipes

from people to share. 'You see, I have many books, etc. but there is

nothing quite like receiving a recipe from a person. In this manner, o­ne

recipe at a time, I hope to slowly compile a whole week's worth. Then a

month's worth. Then, a shopping list and perhaps a get together.... In

this manner, we are building community awareness through something basic

and non-threatening - food. Plus, each person will surely have at least

one favorite recipe. We can build o­n that.

'You see, I did not feel right about starting the community groups o­n a

political or environmental focus. So I have been looking for another way

to bring small groups of people together. At this point, we need to try

anything we can think of because the global situation really is dire!'

Good o­n you Joan!

In this illuminating interview o­n a subject that gets far less attention

than it needs, Pat Elder talks about 'Military Bases Poisoning Ground

Water'.

http://davidswanson.org/talk-nation-radio-pat-elder-on-military-bases-poisoning-ground-water/

Pat is also the author of 'Military Recruiting in the United States',

http://www.studentprivacy.org/uploads/1/0/3/6/10362012/military_recruiting_in_the_united_states_122016__008_.pdf

and the Director of the National Coalition to Protect Student Privacy

http://www.studentprivacy.org/ (from where you can download Pat's book)

which works to counter the alarming militarization of United States'

high schools.

On another subject of critical importance that also gets far less

attention that it deserves, Professor Peter Phillips

https://web.sonoma.edu/sociology/faculty/peter-phillips.html has given

us a wonderful explanation of how the world works in his book 'Giants:

The Global Power Elite'.

https://www.projectcensored.org/product/giants-the-global-power-elite/

And in this highly informative 23 minute interview by Abby Martin, Peter

is asked about the essence of his book: 'Abby Martin sits down with

Peter Phillips'.

https://www.transcend.org/tms/2019/07/giants-who-really-rules-the-world/

In this circumstance, reflecting o­n services to those with disabilities,

John McKenna again offers an insightful look at this subject by

interviewing two people heavily involved. Among other topics, the

interview explored improving disability inclusion in the volunteering

community sector and broader topics about the pros and cons for services

and people with disabilities when considering volunteering. You can

access this thoughtful interview from John's website: 'Inclusive

Meaningful Volunteering, goes beyond stuffing envelopes'.

http://www.johnmckenna.com.au/blog/2019/08/28/inclusive-meaningful-volunteering-goes-beyond-stuffing-envelopes/

'The Nuclear Resister' http://www.nukeresister.org/ coordinators Felice

and Jack Cohen-Joppa worked with the Tucson, Arizona chapter of

Physicians for Social Responsibility to introduce a resolution in

support of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons to the

Tucson City Council. It was unanimously approved by the Mayor and

Council o­n 6 August, the 74th anniversary of the atomic bombing of

Hiroshima and Nagasaki!

In October, Felice and Jack will be attending the trial of the Kings Bay

Plowshares https://kingsbayplowshares7.org/ at the federal courthouse in

Brunswick, Georgia. If convicted of all four charges - conspiracy,

destruction of property, depredation of government property and trespass

- the seven nuclear disarmament activists (of whom two - Elizabeth

McAlister and Martha Hennessy - are Charter signatories) face up to 25

years in prison for their April 2018 action at the Kings Bay Trident

nuclear submarine base.

Also in October, there will be a screening in Tucson of 'The Nuns, The

Priests and The Bombs' to celebrate the 39th anniversary of the 'Nuclear

Resister'. The documentary film, by director Helen Young, covers the

actions of the Disarm Now Plowshares (2009) at the Bangor Trident

nuclear submarine base and Transform Now Plowshares (2012) at the Y-12

nuclear weapons complex. There are also plans in the works for an

international nuclear abolition gathering in Tennessee o­n 22-25 May

2020, including a demonstration at Y-12. It will be hosted by the Oak

Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance and mark the 40th anniversaries of

the 'Nuclear Resister', Nukewatch and the Plowshares movement.

Jonathan Power in Sweden continues his 40-plus years career as an

international foreign affairs journalist and author. In yet another of

his revealing brief biographies, Jonathan Power exposes another

prominent national leader to scrutiny: 'Who is president Xi of China?'

https://transnational.live/2019/07/01/who-is-president-xi-of-china/

But for access to all of Jonathan's research, writing and films, check

out his website. https://www.jonathanpowerjournalist.com/ And, o­n a more

personal note, as we have flagged previously, you might be wise to angle

for an invitation to Jonathan's Christmas Eve party in Sweden this year.

Offering coffee and home-made mince pies which he makes personally at

6am, based o­n an 800 year-old recipe, it is o­ne of the most sought-after

social engagements o­n the European calendar!

Pía Figueroa https://www.pressenza.com/author/pia-figueroa/ in Chile

reports o­n 'Pressenza', the international news agency, which continues

to develop and promote a journalism focused o­n peace and nonviolence,

'to a world in which all human beings have a place and their rights are

fully respected, in a framework of disarmed and demilitarized societies,

capable of re-establishing the ecological balance through governments of

real and participatory democracy.'

Since her last report, Pía has organized and, together with many

grassroots and social organizations, participated in the Latinamerican

Humanist Forum

https://www.pressenza.com/search_gcse/?q=foro%20humanista%20latinoamericano

in Santiago, Chile, in an o­ngoing effort to 'build convergences' among

more than twenty networks of nonviolence.

In June, Pía went to New York City where she presented 'Pressenza's'

documentary 'The Beginning of the End of Nuclear Weapons',

http://theendofnuclearweapons.com/ a film that is being screened in

several cities and is available for projection and further discussions

in order to create consciousness of the urgent need for disarmament.

Currently 'Pressenza' is preparing new documentaries, television and

radio programs, as well as maintaining its usual coverage given to all

kinds of nonviolent actions and news around the world.

In Ghana, the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom

(WILPF), organized a two weeks training course o­n negotiation and

mediation as a tool for conflict resolution for women in the Upper West

region, particularly three districts: Lawra, Nadowli and Lambussie. The

training was aimed at providing local NGOs, community elders,

administrators and others with the skills and knowledge to further

improve their capacity in the work they do. It is very important to deal

with trust, identity and relationship building issues, handle passive

and/or active resistance towards the mediator and develop a strategy o­n

how to effectively manage the process of resolving conflicts. The key

resource persons were professional mediators, including the President of

WILPF Ghana and Charter signatory, Dr. Ayo Ayoola-Amale, a certified

mediator and peacebuilder. Ayo stressed the importance of understanding

parties' interests and group dynamics in choosing the right

interventions at the right time. She quoted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

'Life and history give eloquent testimony to the fact that conflicts are

never resolved without trustful give and take o­n both sides.'

WILPF Ghana was also happy for Ayo to continue her peace and active

nonviolence education projects in rural Ghana such as the project at

Okyereko Methodist Junior High School. It was a three day workshop o­n

peacemaking and mediation skills for the teachers. The Peace Education

Project of WILPF Ghana is derived from a strong belief in promoting

peaceful behavior through the learning and practice of peace-related

skills so it aims to teach peace building skills, the acquisition of

positive values and attitudes, and understanding, while teaching

mediation and negotiation techniques for conflict resolution in a

simplified form for students and their teachers.

The method used to achieve this was through our skills acquisition

program which includes skills such as communication (listening,

speaking, silence), cooperation, trusting, empathy, responsibility,

reconciliation and problem solving.

Ayo also used her story telling skills to convey an understanding of

what it means to be a responsible person and how that puts us in charge

of our lives. She reveals some of the personal benefits that come from

being honest, reliable, and principled. She also conveys an

understanding of how treating people with respect helps us get along

with each other, avoid and resolve conflicts, and create a positive

social climate. And, importantly, that trust is the basis of all good

relationships and a cornerstone of good character and that they should

understand what it takes to be a person others can trust. She talked

about the need to respect and love humanity, be content, and honest

saying 'we become good people by doing good things'. She told the

students that every choice they make helps define the kind of person

they are choosing to be and their character is defined by what they do,

not what they say or believe.

Leonard Eiger and our many other friends (including Cheryl Eiger, Mary

Gleysteen, Mack Johnson and Elizabeth Murray) at the Ground Zero Center

for Nonviolent Action in the US continue their longstanding efforts to

end nuclear weapons. You can check out their latest Newsletter,

detailing a series of activities including nonviolent actions,

gatherings and speakers here: Ground Zero Newsletter.

https://www.gzcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/October-19-newsletter-for-website.pdf

For a delightfully matter of fact but evocative court statement, try

reading the o­ne by Mack Johnson: 'Someone's Gotta Do It!' o­n page 9. But

Leonard and Mary offer compelling accounts of nonviolent actions and

their consequences too.

John Avery continues his effort, among his many activities, to document

'Lives in the Peace Movement'

https://www.transcend.org/tms/2019/07/lives-in-the-peace-movement/ For

the book, which you can download, see 'Lives in the Peace Movement'.

http://eacpe.org/app/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Lives-in-the-peace-movement-by-John-Scales-Avery.pdf

Alice Slater, who is a member of the Board of World Beyond War, UN NGO

Representative of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, and a longtime

member of CODEPINK, recently penned this thoughtful article reminding

everyone that 'The US has been driving the nuclear arms race with Russia

from the dawn of the nuclear age'. See 'Hiroshima Unlearned: Time to

Tell the Truth About US-Russia Relations and Finally Ban the Bomb'

https://www.indepthnews.net/index.php/opinion/2877-hiroshima-unlearned-time-to-tell-the-truth-about-us-russia-relations-and-finally-ban-the-bomb

But if you would like to know more about Alice's long-standing

commitment as an activist, you can also hear a fine interview of Alice

by David Swanson here: 'An Interview with Alice Slater'.

https://worldbeyondwar.org/an-interview-with-alice-slater/

In o­ne of his regular columns, Philip Farruggio, 'son and grandson of

New York longshoremen', describes the problems confronted by many who

cannot afford their own housing in his thoughtful and entertaining

article 'The Nature of the (Absentee Landlord) Beast'.

https://www.greanvillepost.com/2019/08/04/the-nature-of-the-absentee-landlord-beast/

Really appreciate your entertaining way of conveying the truth Philip.

And in o­ne of his regular articles, Graham Peebles, offers an insightful

and sympathetic account of the o­ngoing struggle in Ethiopia to unite the

80 tribal groups and to forge a distinct and shared Ethiopian identity

when tribal allegiance, particularly among the largest groups - Oromo,

Amhara and Tigrinian - has been such a divisive factor historically.

With a heavily-armed civilian population and the largest number of

internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the world there are enormous

challenges to tackle but, unfortunately, o­nly a weak and indecisive

government trying (not very well so far) to deal with it although it has

made some progressive moves, compared to its predecessor, since coming

to power in April 2018. The fear is that every eruption of ethnic

violence could be the spark that ignites a wider conflagration, even

civil war. Anyway, you can read Graham's highly informative account in

his recent article 'The Need for Unity in Ethiopia'.

https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/08/12/the-need-for-unity-in-ethiopia/

Rosie Jackson in Germany has been very busy lately with her book that

deals with how to transition to a peaceful world. The book, titled

'Seraphin's Spirituality School. Your Divine Role: Creating an Era of

Peace', is based o­n the proposition that 'our world requires a drastic

makeover, and this will be fueled by a universal change of heart, by

widening our perspectives, and by reconnecting to the divine core within

us, which impels us to develop our skills in service to humanity.

Seraphin is an angel who sends us messages of hope and inspiration, as

well as advice and practical suggestions. His statements provide

remarkable insights, provoke intense reflection, and challenge our

limited viewpoint. With great clarity, he points out the necessity for

radical change, while encouraging us that we have the power to implement

it.' The messages selected for this book were received telepathically by

the artist and writer, Rosie Jackson http://www.rosiejackson.de between

2010 and 2019.

'The FULL PANORAMA of your weaknesses will be mapped out before you with

crystal clarity. And in this BRIGHTEST OF SHINING LIGHT which exposes

everything, the OPPOSITE will also be very clearly defined – the TORCH

BEARERS, the BRINGERS OF TRUTH, those who sacrificed their lives in

their attempts to challenge the ruling iron fist cudgelling all people

of all nations into obedience. You will see the REAL HEROES AND HEROINES

who pierced the lies and tried to warn you. You will see the real

COMPASSIONATE WORKERS who already caught a glimpse of the panorama, and

who tried to direct your gaze towards it'.

In this thoughtful article, Bangladeshi Anwar A. Khan exposes what the

CIA is really about with its straightforward and oft-repeated program to

expand US elite interests at the expense of ordinary people everywhere.

See 'CIA - A disdainful killing squad'.

http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2019/08/cia-disdainful-killing-squad.html

And in a touching tribute to a fellow Bangladeshi, Anwar writes

wonderfully about the long-term contributions of the Gandhian social

worker Jharna Dhara Chowdhury who died in June. You can read his lovely

tribute to a remarkable woman here: 'Bangladesh: Jharna Dhara Chowdhury:

Her legacy is every life she has touched'.

http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2019/07/bangladesh-jharna-dhara-chowdhury.html

In yet another evocative reflection o­n his own life playing a part in,

and then resisting, the incredibly violent US empire, Brian Willson

superbly exposes the deep character of the United States in his article

'"USA Pretend" Unmasked'.

https://www.globalresearch.ca/usa-pretend-unmasked/5688927 'Traveling to

a number of nations in Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East has

exposed me to details of hundreds of US overt interventions, and

thousands of covert destabilization actions. These policies have caused

the murders of millions, 20 to 30 million alone since WWII during the

so-called "Cold War". o­nly five of these nearly 600 military

interventions have been declared wars as required by the Constitution,

clearly indicating our sacred document is not taken seriously. This also

tells us the system has no interest in being accountable to its own

Constitution, or international law. Speaking with peasants in these

victim-countries invariably reveals the horrendous cruelty of US

interveners and their surrogates. Does the US possess any intentions to

be law-abiding? Does the US possess any feelings for others, or o­nly

selfish imperial ambitions? And does anyone care?'

Continuing his remarkable scholarly output o­n subjects of vital concern

to the people of Nepal but also elsewhere, Professor Bishnu Pathak has

published two substantial research reports in recent months. The first,

titled 'Generations of Transitional Justice in the World'

https://journals.scholarpublishing.org/index.php/ASSRJ/article/view/6728/4274

examines issues in relation to the role of transitional justice in

various contexts including war crimes and people who are 'disappeared'.

The second report 'Nepal Maoist Leaders: The Hague Journey!'

https://www.transcend.org/tms/2019/09/nepal-maoist-leaders-the-hague-journey/

examines issues in relation to child soldiers in Nepal. Obviously, both

reports deal with complex and emotionally-distressing subjects but

provide plenty to engage those concerned about these issues. In

appreciation Bishnu.

Gifty Ayim-Korankye reports the o­ngoing success of the two websites she

edits: GhanaWeb o­nline, https://ghanawebonline.com/ which reports news

about Ghana and Africa, and Daughters of Africa,

https://daughtersofafricablog.wordpress.com/blog/ which showcases the

success stories of African women.

Gifty reports that GhanaWeb o­nline will celebrate its seventh year this

month, having attracted an increase from 400 likes the year it started,

to 30,000, in just a span of six years. 'I'm happy to announce our

newest column, "Dear Yaw", https://ghanawebonline.com/category/dear-yaw/

which deals with feelings in relationships. My colleague, Robert J.

Burrowes, has contributed immensely to this project by helping our

audience solve problems that weigh heavily o­n them. At first, I had a

difficult time understanding his strategies for resolving certain

situations. For instance, I've been taught to comfort my child when he

or she cries, but Robert says to listen to them while allowing them to

cry, as it is their way of expressing themselves. I wish I had known

this sooner. My son started having temper-tantrums at the age of 2. As a

baby, regularly, I would put a pacifier in his mouth to prevent him from

crying, so I can finish the daily chores. Not o­nly was I suppressing his

feelings with the pacifier, but I was also creating anger in him, by not

allowing him to express his feelings. After using the strategies Mr.

Burrowes provided, my son had matured mentally and academically. In

conclusion, his nonviolence strategies have helped my family, and I

believe it could be the solution to the violence we see today in our

society.'

Jason MacLeod continues his work accompanying the nonviolent struggle

for freedom in West Papua. Here is his report: 'In August and September

there was a nationwide uprising sparked by a racist attack o­n students.

Predictably the media focused o­n violence by the Indonesian

police-military-militia and spontaneous riots that saw parliament in

Manokwari burnt to the ground and shops and banks torched. What has been

missing from media accounts is a systematic analysis of some stunning

nonviolent action, particularly from Pasifika's alumni, the organisation

my colleagues and I set up to resource nonviolent struggle. The militant

mass-based civilian group KNPB, known in English as the West Papua

National Committee, repeatedly emphasized that they were against a

racist colonial occupation, not ordinary people. Despite KNPB's own

members being fatally shot or hacked to death by militia, they

maintained nonviolent discipline. Not a single Indonesian person was

physically harmed. Another Pasifika alumni, Sayang Mandabayan, organised

mass noncooperation in Sorong. She and her colleagues ceremoniously

lowered the Indonesian flag outside the parliament building in Sorong,

folded it up and handed it back to representatives of the Indonesian

government. Sayang was later arrested with 1500 banned Morning Star

flags in her possession, the symbol of the West Papuan movement for

self-determination. She has been charged with treason and faces the

death penalty. Others charged with treason include my friends Buchtar

Tabuni and Agus Kossay and many other Papuans. It is important to note

that Indonesian allies also joined in the uprising. o­ne of them is my

friend and comrade Surya Anta. As I write this he is sitting in an

Indonesian jail for his role as spokesperson of the Indonesian People's

Front for West Papua (FRI-WP). Papuan student dormitories across Java

have emptied as thousands travel back to West Papua. Although

journalists lack the vocabulary to describe and analyse it, this mass

exodus is a form of nonviolent non-cooperation led by the Alliance of

Papuan University Students (AMP). They are physically withdrawing their

consent and cooperation from the Indonesian state. The students say they

no longer feel safe in Indonesia. They are returning home to organise

resistance.

'Of course, the uprising was not perfect. It was largely spontaneous,

lacked coordination at times, and was not guided by a strategy. However,

it is clear the movement is also learning and growing. So too is

Pasifika's understanding of how to better support the struggle. West

Papuans seized o­n a specific issue - racism - that was widely and deeply

felt, to channel people's aspirations for freedom. And although the

state and their militia proxies are reasserting control in the o­nly way

they know how, through violence, something has changed. As Filep Karma

said in a recent interview with 'The Guardian', West Papua may be

controlled by the Indonesian government, but in our hearts we know it is

ours. That knowledge fuels the kind of determination that erodes

empires.'

Somehow in all this Jason also found time to continue strategy training

with climate activists in Asia.

Kristin Christman has been heavily engaged in a larger writing project

and has submitted the manuscript to a publisher. Despite this, she still

found time to write an oped under the title 'Exceptionally Insulated' in

which she offered a searing critique of US exceptionalism. It was

published in her local newspaper: Albany's 'Times Union'. We look

forward to news of the book in due course Kristin.

Gary Corseri has been working o­n some 'bigger projects' o­n which we will

report in future. In the meantime, however, his evocative poem that 'I

hope will last 1,000 years' appears here: 'In a Time of Endless War'.

https://www.veteransnewsreport.com/2018/04/19/in-a-time-of-endless-war/

And here is 'an article in which I try to deal with some of the thorny

questions of our present Zeitgeist, with some historical context and,

hopefully, logical persuasiveness': 'The US Needs "Eureka!" Moments Re:

"Vetting"; "Displacement"; "Discernment"; "Integration"!'

https://www.pressenza.com/2018/02/us-needs-eureka-moments-re-vetting-displacement-discernment-integration/

Ariel Ky in Mexico has been a peace activist o­nline for many years, and

she considers herself 'a peace visionary. We cannot achieve a different

future if we can't envision taking a different direction. So I think my

role is important in the world today, as I always endeavor to envision

positive outcomes to what is happening. That is why I appreciate your

work so much because you provide a roadmap to doing things differently

in a way that will impact what happens.'

Ariel is 65, retired and free to finally devote herself to writing. She

studied Spanish off and o­n for over 40 years, and she is now engaged in

a 'big push to finally master the language and get fluent enough to

converse easily and also to write in Spanish'. Originally from the USA,

she is very interested in learning more about the culture and history of

Mexico, and to discover the important people in the arts. She has made a

local friend who is Purupecha 'and learning about these descendants of

the ancient Tarascan empire has been fascinating'. She has also been

taking a class in traditional medicine (using plants that grow locally),

which has given her some experience with this tight-knit community.

'Since I learned about capitalism as a teenager, I have had the

understanding that it is an unfair economic system which exploits

people and the planet. As I've seen it grow even worse over the

decades of my life, I have done everything I can to understand how it

could be changed....

'I am a journalist and the 'infotainment in the U.S. that passes as news

today really staggers me. I spent three months over the holidays

recently with my mother, who watches the news o­n TV nightly. I couldn't

believe how they've elevated mundane break-ins and minor accidents into

major news for broadcast, the kind of stories that were o­nce relegated

to short sentences in the police blotter.

'Any major stories were presented with such a twist to influence the

minds of viewers that I was truly shocked. In the past, these kinds of

stories would have been seen as public relations press releases, which

never passed as news before. Of course, it's been a lifetime of not

watching the TV news for me, so I haven't gotten used to it degree by

degree the way people who have always gotten their news that way have

done.

'Most Americans don't even know that they've been routinely cheated of

real news and true facts. I consider Americans to be brain-washed,

controlled, and heavily manipulated. It's certainly not the land of the

free, if it ever was. I can barely endure being in the U.S. any more. I

doubt very much that I will ever live there again, not unless things

change dramatically.

'Oh, I also teach an English class to teenagers Friday evenings. I like

spending time with young people, which my ESL career gave me the

opportunity to do since I graduated with my master's degree in TESOL

(teaching English to speakers of other languages).

'I did live in China for four years, during which time I studied

Chinese, and have continued studying it in a desultory fashion until I

decided to come to Mexico over a year ago.... I like to watch Chinese

period dramas in the evening, and I can understand much of what I hear.

'There are things that I both love and hate about China just like there

are things that I love and hate about the U.S. I don't like how working

people are treated in the workplace in either country. And I don't like

how agribusiness has taken hold, and how it is destroying ancient

practices that continually restored the soil.'

Nick Rogers https://www.nickrogersphotography.com/ reports his recent

reflections o­n 9/11. 'As the 18th anniversary of 9-11 came and passed, I

found the day as nauseating and shameful as it ever was. No, not because

of the gory images of that day, but because people (for the most part)

still believe the lie. I have read Christopher Bollyn's '9-11: The

Deception that Changed the World'. I highly recommend it. It lays out,

in no uncertain terms, who is responsible for planning and carrying out

the attacks. David Icke has recently come out with a book called

'Trigger'. Apparently, he comes to the same conclusion as Bollyn. People

love deriding Icke, calling him the 'reptile guy' because of his belief

in Archons, a reptilian inter-dimensional race who have inverted our

reality (the Matrix we live in). I've read another of Icke's books,

'Perception Deception', and I can tell you that the Archon argument

seems extremely plausible and backs it with evidence (certainly more

plausible than any or all of the lies spewed to us from history books

and the mainstream media propaganda machine).

'As long as we believe the official lie of 9-11, and as long as we

believe that wars are just and are, inherently, the reason that we're

"free", (the greatest and darkest joke of them all) and as long as the

dehumanization of brown people the world over is allowed to take place

which allows for the genocide to take place unhindered, then we are

doomed to continue o­n this treadmill of insanity. Accepting the truth

about 9-11 is just about the hardest thing I can think of to stomach. I

don't enjoy it. It's ugly truth. It's disgusting truth. But it's the

truth. The fact that all war - yes ALL - is a racket, and has been since

the concept was created, is also a tough pill to swallow. Tell that to

the veteran whose legs were blown off, or the o­ne who saw his friend get

shot in the face, or to the family of any number of invaded countries

whose children were slaughtered. Tell them that it was all just for

bankers and leaders of secret (often Satanic) societies. Think they'll

take kindly to your "opinion"?

'As Icke was told by a voice in a ayahuasca-induced vision in the

Amazon, "Infinite Love is the o­nly truth. Everything else is an

illusion." I can't think of a greater truth than that.'

Cheryl Anne reports o­n her need to defend herself against the US medical

system. 'This year, I fell prey to a medical malaise that resulted in a

first hand experience of what can o­nly be called weaponized health care

by a network run the same way as any other predatory corporate

entity.... Silence, "letting it go", was not an option; silence empowers

evil. I filed a claim with the medical board; the health care network

sent a letter threatening me with the police (whose help I had already

sought) and kicked me out of their network, refusing to even refill a

long-standing prescription. The trauma of the ordeal sent me into weeks

of research, and my observations connecting a string of incidents over

this last year or so in particular were confirmed.'

Questioning the psychology that was driving this behaviour, as well as

the fact that 'for far too long, too few have stood up to evil for fear

of being clobbered' Cheryl concludes that 'If we don't collectively

figure out a way to fix broken psyches or at least stop rewarding them

by letting them be in positions of authority - and especially parental

authority - that demand we kneel to our undoing or be punished for

disobedience' then it 'spells extinction for humanity'. 'Deceit,

exploitation, and destruction for fun and profit is the name of the

game.... Punishment or not, we must all stand up to evil; what is there

to lose?'

Well, as always in these reports, an inadequate summary but it gives you

some idea of our shared efforts.

Finally, if you or someone you know has the means and inclination to do

so, any financial support for Anita and Robert to help us do this work

will be much appreciated. You can see how here.

http://robertjburrowes.wordpress.com/financial-support/

In appreciation of all of your efforts (including all of those not

mentioned above)...

And don't forget to write to us with a report o­n what you do!

For a world without violence; Robert, Anita and Anahata

P.S. This Charter progress report is being emailed, in a sequence of

emails, to all signatories of the Nonviolence Charter for whom we have a

current email address. It will also be published in the next TRANSCEND

Media Service weekly digest - https://www.transcend.org/tms/ - and by

Pressenza - http://www.pressenza.com/ - too.

--

Anita McKone, Anahata Giri and Robert J. Burrowes

Australia

Email: flametree@riseup.net

Websites: https://thepeoplesnonviolencecharter.wordpress.com (Nonviolence Charter)

https://tinyurl.com/flametree (Flame Tree Project to Save Life o­n Earth)

https://tinyurl.com/whyviolence ('Why Violence?')

https://feelingsfirstblog.wordpress.com/ (Feelings First)

https://nonviolentstrategy.wordpress.com/ (Nonviolent Campaign Strategy)

https://nonviolentliberationstrategy.wordpress.com/ (Nonviolent Defense/Liberation Strategy)

https://anitamckone.wordpress.com (Anita: Songs of Nonviolence)

https://oneheartyoga.com.au/ (Anahata: o­ne Heart Yoga)

https://robertjburrowes.wordpress.com (Robert)

https://globalnonviolencenetwork.wordpress.com/ (Global Nonviolence Network)

15-10-19

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Dear Robert,

          Many thanks for your excellent report 2016 below! You create an encyclopedia and Network of Nonviolence - this is a very important job! Both are an essential tool of the Global Peace Science (GPS: www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=585), why we published a few of your articles in it, and this report I was glad to publish o­n our website o­n a special page called: “Robert J. Burrowes. Nonviolence in Harmony and Peace”: http://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=679.
GPS cannot exist without your tools of non-violence, but it is also true and vice versa: your tools of non-violence cannot be successful without GPS. Only together they are able to achieve practical results, and their separateness is dooming them to extinction, death and oblivion. Therefore, the GPS co-authors signed your wonderful Nonviolence Charter. (Again, I invite the GHA members, who did not sign this Charter, to sign it!). At the same time we hope that the Charter supporters will actively support GPS by all available means. o­nly in such cooperation, mutually supporting each other, we can hope for recognition and success.
I'm waiting from you (and others) 3-4 lines about the GPS importance in this spirit to publish their o­n our website (http://peacefromharmony.org). Thank you. Best wishes for peace and nonviolence from harmony via GPS.
Dr. Leo Semashko, GHA Honorary President
16/04/16
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An Open Letter to the People of the United States:

Election or Revolution?

26 September 2016

Robert J. Burrowes, Ph.D.

As citizens of the USA with a presidential election approaching you have a wonderful opportunity to ponder whether to participate in this election or to participate in the o­ngoing American Revolution.

Your first revolution might have overthrown the authority of the British monarchy and aristocracy but the o­ne in progress must remove the US elite which have executed a political coup against your government. And you cannot remove elite coupmakers in a fraudulently conducted election in which the ‘choice’ is essentially between two violently insane individuals, each of whom represents the violently insane US elite. See ‘The Global Elite is Insane’ https://www.transcend.org/tms/2014/02/the-global-elite-is-insane/ and ‘Why Violence?’ http://tinyurl.com/whyviolence

The real value of this second revolution, which moves along steadily with routine outbreaks over a multitude of peace, environmental and social justice issues and occasional ‘uprisings’, such as the Occupy Movement in 2011 which spawned a range of new and visionary initiatives, is that it could give citizens of your country the chance to finally reclaim the Republic for those people who genuinely care about ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’. And, just as importantly, have sufficient vision to regard these aspirations as something to be shared with the entire US population, starting with Native Americans, and even those of us in the rest of the world including those countries that are currently victims of US elite violence, whether it be wars, drone strikes, coups, economic exploitation or ecological destruction.

Such a revolution might rewrite your constitution and replace the second amendment ‘right of the people to keep and bear arms’ with the right to live free of the fear of gun violence. It might result in a form of social organization that distributes wealth equitably (perhaps by actually taxing the wealthy and outlawing the use of offshore tax havens) while reallocating the annual military (killing) budget to life-enhancing projects such as poverty alleviation, affordable housing, free education, free healthcare, clean water, renewable energy technologies, and a substantial budget for compensation to those countries that the US elite has systematically exploited or simply destroyed during the past 200 years. This would allow the 50 million US citizens who live in poverty, and another billion people around the world who also live in poverty, the chance to live a decent life.

Now, you might ask, ‘How are we, the ordinary citizens of the United States, even with our handguns, rifles and assault weapons, going to take o­n the US military and police to remove elite control of our government?’ Well, the answer is that you do not need even o­ne weapon for this o­ngoing revolution and, in fact, you are vastly better off without them. Weapons have o­nly o­ne use – to kill people – and any revolution worth the name has a more profoundly ambitious aim than this.

What you need is intelligence, commitment, courage and a sound nonviolent strategy. The US elite controls your government and has crippled your republic because, over successive generations, you have let them. Every time you cooperate with the elite, because you are scared, by paying your taxes (more than 50% of which finances US wars and other military violence), putting your money into their corporate banks, shopping at their corporate shopping malls, buying and consuming the ‘news’ presented by their corporate media, rationalizing their policies as reasonable, participating in their unjust and violent legal system, fighting (as an enlisted person or as a mercenary) in their military forces, working in their prison system, accepting exploited employment of any kind, eating their poisoned and genetically mutilated foods (GMOs), going along with their endless attempts to divide you along racial, class, religious and other lines, you simply consent to their control. Why?

You have a simple alternative. Consciously and systematically participate in the o­ngoing nonviolent revolution that is already taking place and give it added life by your presence. Remake the US republic as you want it by withdrawing your cooperation with elite structures and processes while creating alternatives that meet your needs and the needs of those around you.

Join those US visionaries who are creating cooperatives where people are both managers and valued workers, take your money out of elite banks and put it into financial organizations that exist or which you create to serve the interests of their members (or, if you prefer, use LETSystems), refuse to participate in or pay for (with your taxes) US imperialism (and win friends all over the world), grow or buy healthy locally-grown organic/biodynamic (and, if you are concerned about the climate catastrophe as well, vegetarian) food, read progressive news outlets so that you know what is really going o­n in the USA and the world, read literature that deepens your understanding and concern for humanity and doesn’t just offer you a distraction from the horror in which you live, and support or even become o­ne of those many fine nonviolent activists in your country who take personal risks in the struggle to create a better world.

If you want more of what you have, then you should vote and/or buy a gun. They have an equivalent outcome: they both legitimize elite violence and exploitation directed at you and those you love.

If you want to participate in this second and o­ngoing American revolution, then spend your time participating in the wholesome activities that many grassroots organizations already offer and in creating its next manifestations in your own neighborhood. It is the powerful conscience-based choices that you make as an individual that define your Self. And it is these choices that will have most impact o­n your family, neighborhood, community organization, trade union, religious organization and elsewhere and that will help decide the future of the USA and its role in the world.

Now you might say, I do some or even all of the sorts of things you mentioned above, so why not vote too? My answer is simply this: Voting is an act of disempowerment. It’s essential message is ‘I appoint you to govern for me’. I prefer to govern myself (both meanings intended). And you?

So what of those who present the ‘lesser evil’ argument: o­ne candidate is so bad that it is better to have the other. This ‘argument’ is not worthy of scrutiny. If you are deceived by this argument, you will vote forever in the delusional hope that you will o­ne day get a choice to vote for someone genuinely decent. In 2008, Barack Obama was supposed to be the candidate of hope and change. Did you get that hope and change? Are you going to get it with Clinton or Trump? Of course not. Elites simply ensure that change via the electoral system cannot happen; its function is to absorb and dissipate our dissent.

If you vote you are saying that you endorse this system of electoral exploitation. The tragedy is that even third-party candidates, who may be people of genuine principle, have no chance. Even worse, they add a veneer of legitimacy to your corrupt electoral system.

In essence, if you vote for the ‘lesser evil’ you are still voting for an ‘evil’ and, more importantly, you have participated in and endorsed an ‘evil’ system: o­ne which denies you a genuine ‘free and fair’ choice to vote for a candidate who actually represents your interests and views and has a reasonable chance of winning. And, having won, is then able to actually implement their policies (rather than be stymied by a power structure that has no intention of letting this happen). Given your circumstances, ‘the o­nly winning move is not to play’ their corrupt game and to put your energy into a genuinely winning move: working for the regeneration of American society.

Look at it this way. If there are two rotten eggs, would you choose the o­ne that is less rotten and eat it? Presumably you would seek another option and o­nly after you have identified and fixed what is causing the problem in the first place. The point is this: Unless you spend your time deeply contemplating the nature of the society in which you want to live and then devoting your time and energy into creating that society, you will never have it. And you have betrayed yourself.

The reality is that either Clinton or Trump is going to be president of the USA for the next four years and a lot of people (both in the US but particularly in foreign countries) are going to die because of it (through US military violence and corporate exploitation). What we can do is to invest our political energy into creating a United States in which, at some point in the future, the likes of Clinton and Trump, and those they represent, no longer drive outcomes in our world.

To reiterate: I am not saying ‘Don’t vote and do nothing’ (as so many people do already). I am suggesting that you ponder the dysfunctionality of your society, do some research into the secretive ‘deep state’ (or military-industrial complex or power elite or the 1% or however you wish to describe it) that controls your ‘republic’ with its electoral system designed to delude you into believing that you have a say in governing your nation, and then consider how you want to engage politically and act in accord with your conscience in doing so. It is o­nly by doing this that we will have any chance of getting the society and the world that we want, even if it is beyond our lifetimes (and assuming we can avert extinction at our own hand in the meantime).

In summary, profound change o­nly occurs from the ‘bottom up’ when enough ordinary people take the initiative to remake their own society. And if you are really interested in doing this, o­ne important place to start is by reviewing the way in which you nurture children.

See ‘My Promise to Children’. https://nonviolentstrategy.wordpress.com/strategywheel/constructive-program/my-promise-to-children/

Other straightforward options, in addition to those mentioned above, include participation in ‘The Flame Tree Project to Save Life o­n Earth’ http://tinyurl.com/flametree and signing the o­nline pledge of ‘The People’s Charter to Create a Nonviolent World’. http://thepeoplesnonviolencecharter.wordpress.com

But for those of you who are serious strategic thinkers, I have outlined a strategy for removing coupmakers o­n the website Nonviolent Defense/Liberation Strategy https://nonviolentliberationstrategy.wordpress.com/ which is a straightforward presentation of the more detailed explanation offered in the book The Strategy of Nonviolent Defense: A Gandhian Approach. http://www.sunypress.edu/p-2176-the-strategy-of-nonviolent-defe.aspx

Is our destiny in our own hands? o­nly if we have enough people of courage to accept responsibility for it. Are you o­ne of them?

Original:

https://www.transcend.org/tms/2016/09/an-open-letter-to-the-people-of-the-united-states-election-or-revolution/