By Bryan Farrell. Originally published by Waging Nonviolence on December 2nd, 2010. Yesterday [December 1st, 2010] marked the 55th anniversary of Rosa Parks’ refusal to move to the “colored” section of a public bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Her act of civil disobedience led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which lasted for more than a year,… read more
Welcome to the History Blog!
xxxNonviolent movements have been expanding at an accelerating rate since the days of Gandhi and King.
The living history of nonviolence is emerging constantly, and we shall endeavor to keep you in touch with these developments on this Blog!
350.org’s Bold New Plan to Save the Climate
By Philip Wight From Waging Nonviolence (December 3, 2012) It’s a cold fall evening in Columbus, Ohio, but nearly a thousand people are ready to contemplate the consequences of man-made global warming. A tall, slender man strolls on stage and the crowd instantly rises, applauding for nearly two minutes, much to the discomfort of the humble speaker.… read more
The next phase of Sheik Jawdat Said’s nonviolent journey
By Ken Butigan, originally posted at Waging Nonviolence on June 7, 2012 In the midst of the growing firestorm engulfing Syria, Sheik Jawdat Said is on his way back to the land of his birth. The eminent 81-year-old Islamic thinker has championed nonviolence for decades. In 1966, as Bashar Humeid reports, Said published The Doctrine… read more
Alice Paul’s Enduring Legacy of Nonviolent Action
Suffragists picketing in front of the White House in 1917. (Harris & Ewing/Library of Congress) By Ken Butigan Article originally posted on Waging Nonviolence Turning points are easier to recognize long after they’ve occurred than while they’re taking place. One of those shifts happened 100 years ago next month, setting in motion a dramatic strategy… read more
George McGovern’s Imperfect Peace
By Metta Blogger Philip Wight This past Sunday, October 21st, former U.S. senator and presidential candidate George McGovern died at the age of ninety. Since his death, newspapers and the internet have buzzed with tributes to the “idealism” and “optimism” of the late McGovern, especially praising his role as a “peacenik” during the Vietnam War.… read more
“Making Peace with the Planet”: A Tribute to Barry Commoner
by Metta Blogger and Historian Philip Wight “The collective power of people working together…that is what will bring about what the world ought to have, which is…peace.” On Sunday the world lost one of the greatest advocates of Ecology: Dr. Barry Commoner. He deserves to be remembered for his pioneering work in the… read more
Making History: Remembering and Continuing the Keystone XL Campaign
Article and photos by Philip Wight, Metta blogger. In studying the history of nonviolence, too often we look to the distant past and neglect the uncertain present. As September draws to a close, advocates of nonviolence should reflect upon last years’ campaign of nonviolent direct action against the Keystone XL pipeline—and not forget that… read more
Badshah Khan and the Spirit of Islam
By Metta blogger PHILIP WIGHT “You cannot help loving those that love you and you cannot hurt those that trust you.” –Badshah Khan Muslim nonviolence. For most, this phrase conjures images of the Arab Spring and stories of civil resistance in Tunisia and Egypt. But there is one man in history that most embodies this… read more
