By: Mercedes Mack In 1989, students in Kiev, Ukraine, had had enough of Soviet occupation and politics. Two student groups, the Student Brotherhood (March 1989) and later the Ukrainian Students Union (December 1989) formed a coalition against Soviet influence. Initially, student groups staged protests and strikes in response to concerns regarding higher education-abolish compulsory courses… read more
Posts by Metta Center
Living Downwind, Rallying Upwind – Podcast
By Mercedes Mack Learn how the Clean Air Coalition of New York, a small grassroots organization fighting to bring the J.D. Tonawanda Coke plant to justice for pollution, did just that. In a small town of Tonawanda in New York State, a protest held days before made the Oct 11, 2009 front page of their… read more
You were made for this
Need some inspiration to awaken your heart? Check out this amazing piece by poet Clarissa Pinkola Estes, author of Women Who Run with the Wolves. “My friends, do not lose heart. We were made for these times. I have heard from so many recently who are deeply and properly bewildered. They are concerned about the state of affairs… read more
Peace Profile: Malala, a Heroine Resurrected
by: Pallavi Vishwanath Video: Malala Day video tells the #StrongerThan story through children’s voices Many people in history have been met by violence due to their courage. Not many, though, are 15. And only one received the Nobel Prize for Peace two years later! Malala Yousafazai is not your typical teenage girl. She hails from… read more
Not Just Umbrellas
The Umbrella Revolution By Mercedes Mack Some historical and strategic nonviolent context of what is now called the Umbrella Revolution-Hong Kong’s demand for democracy. Outside government headquarters, a protestor raised a sign reading “Occupy Central” Brief History of Democratization Demands in Hong Kong Protests in Hong Kong have been occurring on and off since… read more
Coming Together in Mass Nonviolent Protest
Post NYC Climate March, the effects of symbolic movement and what happens next. by Mercedes Mack About 400,000 people marched in the largest Climate March in history on Sunday September 21, 2014 in New York and other locations around the world, in a collective call to action as world leaders converged for the UN Climate… read more
Peace Paradigm Radio: The Music Episode
A great mix of conscious, peace themed music to increase your positivity and person power! We are joined in the studio by DJ Lukasbadukas to talk about these songs and some nonviolence in the news. A fun, smart show with your friends at Metta! http://archives.mettacenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Peace-Paradigm-Radio-S192014.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS… read more
Pots and Pans Clang in Chile’s Night
By Mercedes Mack “At eight o’clock that evening, however, the city came to sudden life. In one neighborhood after another, a faint metallic clanking began, rising to a crescendo as people began to beat on pots and pans… May 11 was an explosion of joy and excitement, because people were so amazed that they were… read more
A Cuppa Tea and Fundraiser in San Rafael, September 21 (International Day of Peace)
A Generosi-Tea party and fun(d)raiser to celebrate nonviolence in our world and what we can all do to be the change. ~Some additional information~ Metta’s Mission: Our mission is to promote the transition to a nonviolent future by making the logic, history, and yet-unexplored potential of nonviolence more accessible to activists and agents of cultural change… read more
Rabbi Michael Lerner on Israel-Palestine
The escalating violence in Israel-Palestine, particularly in Gaza is weighing heavily on the heart of the world at this time. Nonviolence is still an option in these times, it is still happening in our midst, and in this episode of Peace Paradigm Radio, we look at that nonviolence as a sign of hope and a… read more
