“The discovery of nonviolence can be our salvation.”
Michael Nagler reflects on hearing about 9/11 and asks us to think about when we first learned about nonviolence. Share your reflections below!
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By: Stephanie Van Hook
Stephanie Van Hook is Executive Director of the Metta Center for Nonviolence.
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Gandhi’s Influence on Dr. James Farmer
A Door Into Ocean
Bystander Intervention is only the beginning
Film Screening Thurs. Dec.10
We cannot love our “enemies.”
Nonviolence is a process. When did I first hear/think about non-violence? I have no idea because it has been such a long gradual process of unfolding. Although non-judgment is not quite the same thing, it does go hand in hand in the process of integrating these two practices into the journey.
Thank you for this video! I’m using Michael’s book in my intro-level nonviolence class this spring, and the video will be a great way to launch class discussion.
It was when I started to practice yoga a few years ago and read the yoga sutras. The word ahimsa resonated with me. I went from there to Gandhi’s writings. I’ve been learning about, struggling with and journeying ever since. Still with many questions.
My first lasting encounter with non-violence was seeing Attenborough’s epic film on Gandhi as a young teenager. The film moved me deeply, not merely because it gave me another point of contact with my Indian heritage, but also for its portrayal of Gandhi’s values and life story. There are many quotes from this movie that buzz through my head even to this day. One that is relevant occurs during a mass meeting in the Empire theatre in Johannesburg to organize a non-violent protest against a new law requiring all Asian males to carry a pass and be fingerprinted. When challenged by another participant regarding the effectiveness of a non-violent response Gandhi replied: “I am asking you to fight…to fight against their anger, not to provoke it.”
Thank you for sharing, Vasan. We tried to have Michael do a live commentary on this film, but he was so moved in every scene, it became an impossible, but memorable, task. 🙂 stephanie