Search for a Nonviolent Future with Metta

Dear Friend of Nonviolence,

I woke up this morning with a feeling of satisfaction. I woke up knowing that the work of the Metta Center— to which I have dedicated myself head, heart and hand—is making a positive impact in the lives of people worldwide. These people that come through our doors or send us mail every week attest to a great change that is taking place: more and more people are searching for a deeper meaning in their lives, and instead of turning toward short-lived, immediately gratifying experiences, they are dedicating their lives to ensure that nonviolence become an integral part of every culture, every institution and every decision as we move into a future that is otherwise uncertain. For all those who face injustice, who want to put an end once and for all to violent responses to conflict, and the embarrassingly low image of the human being projected at us from the mass-media, as a friend in Nicaragua told us today, “Your words encourage us all to keep going in this struggle.” Yes, we must continue forward in our greatest freedom struggle yet, the freedom from hatred and ultimately the freedom from violence.

Even with this keen desire to make change through nonviolence, surprisingly people still know little about its power. When we told a woman from whom we sought to rent an office in Petaluma (we’ve moved north!) that we work on nonviolence, she shot back, “what kind of violence?” Many people still associate nonviolent action with the same, outworn techniques and images the press serves up: either you are in the street with a sign, getting arrested, or you are a saint. At the Metta Center, we can share the knowledge, strategies, techniques that have emerged over a long course of research, practice and action, making Metta well-poised to articulate nonviolence within an entire field of study and action, ranging from the assessment of a certain technique as it would strategically fit the purposes toward a working solution to violence to a broad vision of how to embrace nonviolence in one’s daily life, ultimately becoming not just a person who sometimes uses nonviolence, but a nonviolent person (and this is hard work).

Nonviolence is more than the absence of violence; it is the transformation of a negative drive into a positive force for change, that when harnessed under discipline, can generate the power to change the world. To this end, Metta has witnessed the birth of many new and exciting projects over the past year. We have revamped our 10-week summer youth internship, making this year one of the most exciting, as one of our young people is fresh in from Cairo, Egypt! We have invested in webinar technology, with the capacity to host online conferences for up to 1,000 people at a time, which will help us spread the message about nonviolence principles at an ever-increasing speed. We are growing a series of workshops with the National Peace Academy’s certificate program, an online program in nonviolence with Teachers Without Borders, and Metta’s own offering of retreats for educators, corporate employees, and issue-based activists. This year, we will also begin the exploration to offer a “Pilgrimage to the Land of Gandhi” to visit one of Gandhi’s ashrams in India and other sites of nonviolence interest where we can learn from them. All of this not to mention our ever growing (and ever diversifying) resources of talks, videos, study-guides, and books.

Most importantly, we have launched a nationwide campaign. “Love Your Enemy: A Campaign to Reclaim Human Dignity Through Nonviolence,” was established to offer an alternative to the fear and hatred roused by 9/11 (and this year we are at the 10th anniversary). We resist by learning about nonviolence, practicing reconciliation, and unplugging from the mass-media’s harmful messages. We offer a solution by working with people to make 9/11 not only a day of remembrance, but a day for a new chance at a peaceful tomorrow—to remind people that we are in this struggle for the long-run, and that nonviolence requires nothing less of us than a deep commitment to building a better future. (Please visit www.mettacenter.org/mc/projects/love-your-enemy for more information about getting involved in this campaign.)

This work is supported by generous individuals who believe in the power of nonviolence. We thank everyone who has supported us in the past. Today, we are asking you to make a commitment to ensure that our organization can continue to grow and expand, to ensure that we can make more of our resources available on a wider basis, helping us to change the culture of violence we are facing everyday.

· Make an offering of a monthly contribution of any amount, from $5 dollars to $500 dollars. These contributions help to offset the everyday costs (they can add up for a small organization working on budget).  It is a great help.

· Join our ‘Beloved Community Subscription Service’ and receive everything we write and create in your inbox as we make them for $100 a year.

· Support a project, such as a workshop or retreat, making it possible for us to offer scholarships to those not in the local area.

· Become a Sponsor of Metta by making a three-year commitment toward a project.

All contributions can be made at our website (and have a look at our 2010 Annual Report while you are there). You can also mail your check (made out to the Metta Center at 1730 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94709).

According to an ancient Upanishad, “You are what is your deep driving desire; as is your desire, so is your will; as is your will, so is your deed; as is your deed, so is your destiny.”

I hope that you draw inspiration from our dedication and our passion for nonviolence, and that you continue to stay in touch. We are looking forward to hearing your story, too.

Best wishes,

Stephanie Van Hook, co-Director

PS: We are pleased to offer anyone who donates more than $100, while supplies last, their choice of a beautiful pashmina shawl or men’s scarf with our logo and an inspiring quote from Gandhi.

Petaluma, CA.