Posts by Metta Center

Women of the Civil Rights Movement

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Take a moment and think of some notable American female leaders… Probably Alice Paul, Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Blackwell, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Golda Meir are a few women that immediately come to mind. Now take a moment and think of female leaders of the Civil Rights Movement… Probably Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, Diane Nash, Daisy… read more

A Call to Militant Empathy

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You are Not My Enemy. Violence is My Enemy. A Call to Militant Empathy by Peijman Kouretchian   (Photo by Mica Stumpf)   The streets look like war. Two NYPD police officers were just “assassinated” apparently as revenge for the Eric Garner chokehold death. This is the first major physical attack on actual police officers… read more

Sitting with Luna

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Today is the 15 year anniversary of the end of Julia Butterfly Hill’s nonviolent campaign to protect the Redwood trees of Humboldt County California from extensive logging. The town of Stafford in Humboldt California was a primary lumber producing town in northern California from 1885 to 1985. In 1996, Pacific Lumber Company (PLC) initiated a… read more

Sophie Scholl-The Final Days

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Sophie Scholl-The Final Days constructs the events of the White Rose movement through the arrest, interrogation and eventual execution of Sophie Scholl (Julie Jentsh), Hans Scholl (Fabian Hinrichs) and Christoph Probst (Florian Stetter). The audio is in German with subtitle options and is a heart wrencher — tissues recommended!   2005, Directed by Marc Rothemund… read more

Traveling into the Heart of Gandhi’s Work

Photo of Mani Bhavan

While connecting with friends and supporters on Facebook earlier today, we noticed the following post by Benjamin Brown, who participated in portions of our Certificate in Nonviolence Studies and is currently in Mumbai, India. We found his post so touching that we asked his permission to share his words. We quote him directly. All photos… read more

Ferguson Statement- Shanti Sena Network

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Response to Ferguson from the Shanti Sena Network: Whether or not you believe that Darren Wilson is guilty, no one can deny that trust in the American police force is really low. This trust is especially low in communities of color and low income communities.  A list of demands from Ferguson protestors included: a plan… read more

The Great Debaters

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By: Mercedes Mack “Who is the judge?” “The judge is God.” “Why is He God?” “Because He decides who wins or loses. Not my opponent.” “Who is your opponent?” “He does not exist.” “Why does he not exist?” “Because he is a mere dissenting voice of the truth I speak!”   c. 2007, Directed by… read more

A Family Effort in the Empire Zinc Corporation Miner’s Strike.

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By: Mercedes Mack A scene from Salt of the Earth. On October 17, 1950, in Hanover, New Mexico, workers at the Empire Zinc mine finished their shifts, formed a picket line, and began a fifteen-month strike after attempts at union negotiation with the company reached an impasse. Miner demands included: equal pay to their White… read more

Turning fear into power

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 “Be gentle, be truthful, be fearless.” -M.K. Gandhi Finding one’s personal path, or sva-dharma, is essential to facilitating the transition to a nonviolent future. Fears and uncertainties can impede us. Community plays an important role in supporting the individual’s unfolding– we can create communities that bow down to fear or we can create communities that foster… read more