Reverse strike is an action that is both constructive and resistant at the same time. Danilo Dolci, sometimes called the Sicilian Gandhi, used the term “strike in reverse” to describe an action undertaken by the citizens of Partinico Sicily. The citizens of the town needed a road as an exit from their poverty. The local… read more
Posts by Metta Center
Vinoba Bhave
Vinoba Bhave (1895-1982) was widely regarded as Gandhi’s spiritual heir. The Mahatma appointed Vinoba to be a “Satyagraha of one” in 1940. At the time Gandhi wanted to show the British raj that he was still in open resistance to its rule but did not feel it was proper to launch full-scale Satyagraha because the… read more
Heart Unity
Heart unity is a critical pillar of Gandhi’s system that holds out the vision of unity-in-diversity. Gandhi recognized and cherished unity at the heart or spiritual level of being. He equally valued diversity on the surface level, in differences of race, gender, worldview, and even of status, wealth, and power. This valuation of surface diversity differentiates… read more
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
A Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) is a form of restorative justice aimed at the healing of a community broken apart by violence and oppression. The Commission hearings create a safe space where perpetrators and sufferers of that violence can meet safely and discuss the violent actions. By meeting face to face with the sufferers the… read more
Seville Statement on Violence
In 1986 a commission of social scientists from the international community authored the Seville Statement on Violence. The Statement addresses five key scientific misconceptions that form the basis for the “theory of innate aggression,” the once popular and still influential argument that sought to confirm, through inaccurate use of biological research, that human beings are… read more
Common or Alternative Security
The traditional concept of national security dates back to the 1648 Treat of Westphalia’s formalization of the nation-state (or some would say, ‘national security state’) in Europe. It defines ‘security’ narrowly, as the deterrence of external military threat, and, most damaging of all, buys such security as it possesses at the expense of others:… read more
Boulding’s First Law
A term coined by Kenneth E. Boulding in his 1972 classic, Stable Peace. Boulding was an economist, poet, peace research pioneer and husband of Elise Boulding the peace sociologist and revered author. The slightly ironic law states: “If something exists, then it must be possible.” The intention is to point up the casual dismissal of… read more
200-year present
The “200 year present” is a term coined by peace research pioneer & sociologist Elise Boulding. It describes a way thinking of the fleeting present moment with full awareness of the effects of past actions and of our present actions on the future. If one considers the life spans of the oldest and the youngest… read more
Swaraj
Swaraj is an ancient Sanskrit term, composed of the particle swa (or sva), which means self, or one’s own, and raj, which means rule. Swaraj then is self-rule or self-restraint. It is the basis for human liberation from the influence of outward control over the mind, as well as the starting point for nonviolent coexistence… read more
Satyagrahi
A satyagrahi is a person who is dedicated to truth (sat, or satya), or more specifically one who offers satyagraha or participates in a satyagraha campaign. The requirements Gandhi laid down for his satyagrahis include: Having a firm commitment to nonviolence, simplicity, honesty, chastity, and self-discipline in thought, word, and deed. Holding firmly to the truth… read more
