Ask Metta

Question:

Every month I meet as a member of a gathering of two Catholic communities, one progressive and one conservative, who come together on a Sunday to discuss important social issues. We call this “Justice Sunday.” The issues discussed in the past include the Death Penalty, the Palestine-Israel conflict, Immigration, and aspects of US foreign policy. In a future meeting we would like to explore the topic of nonviolent communication. We sense the benefit this could provide us. What suggestions can you provide?

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Question:

I teach high school history and want to present the downfall of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) regime in 1989 as the result of nonviolent action (Professor Nagler talked about this in one of the Berkeley podcasts). My question: Do you know if the people who started the peaceful demonstrations in Leipzig were consciously using nonviolence because they were familiar with and dedicated to principled nonviolence, or was their choice the result of just not being very well armed (and therefore, a feeling that nonviolence was their only choice)? I’d appreciate any insight or information on the matter.

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Question:

Hello! I have been speaking with my friend about naxalites/maoists in India that want to separate from India. My friend (who is Indian) asked this question: “I wonder if nonviolence would work in Northeast India [where the maoists are active]? Not because I doubt the power of Ahimsa (nonviolence), but only because Indians have lost the true meaning of Ahimsa. It has become this trendy word from the Gandhi era that has been carried forward. The problems here are so complex that one doesn’t know where to begin from!” (more…)

Question:

I’m a senior at St. Paul Open School, in St. Paul Minnesota, whom you granted an interview a couple months ago. You were very kind and helpful. My History Day partner and I have started working on Satyagraha for our History Day project, and we have a clarifying question. In our project we talk about how Satyagraha is used with two groups of people with unequal power, where one of them is more powerful than the other, but that Satyagraha has not been proved successful with two equally powerful groups. Can you disprove our theory? Is there any time in history where this has been proved wrong? (more…)

Question:

Hello Metta!

I was watching this video about 5 years of “non-violent demonstrations” in Bil’in, Palestine. It is known for its resistance: every week Palestinians and internationals go there to demonstrate against the fence that is built by Israel. The ICJ has declared the fence illegal as it takes land from the Palestinians, but it’s still not moved. I think they have made a small success now recently and it will be replaced a little bit. Any way, that’s not the point. (more…)

Question:

I am a senior at Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland and I have watched some of your webcasts (PACS 164A mainly) and they were really helpful to me in writing my Extended Essay (for the IB program), which is a case study of the Zapatista people in Mexico, and the importance of positive energy and objectivity in politics and society.  I wonder if you could tell me your opinion on the Zapatista movement in Chiapas? Anything would be helpful. Thank you very much. (more…)

Question:

I am a History student at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. I am writing my senior thesis on non violence and how it is more effective than violence in achieving independence and change. I have a run into a bump that I am having trouble dealing with. My professor, who is constantly mocking me, continues to ask me how nonviolence would work in such situations as Hitler’s Germany or Stalin’s Russia. I have had trouble answering him. (more…)