August 10: “If it is [our] privilege to be independent, it is equally [our] duty to be interdependent.” –Gandhi (Young India, April 25 1929) A friend recently offered an approach to peacebuilding and nonviolent resistance that I thought fascinating: working together in teams of two. The idea is ancient, he said, thinking about the Jewish… read more
Tag Archives: constructive program
“The ideal and the practice”–Daily Metta
June 18: “The propositions from which I have drawn my arguments are as true as Euclid’s definitions, which are none the less true because in practice we are unable to even draw Euclid’s line on a blackboard.” –Gandhi (Young India, October 8, 1925) Remember the story from June 17th’s Daily Metta about the scorpion and the… read more
“The Power Behind the Khadi”–Daily Metta
May 28: “The only real and reliable guarantee for khadi would be honesty, truthfulness and sincerity of khadi workers.” –Gandhi (Mahatma, vol. 7, p. 20) The khadi–or home-spun cloth–campaign was a key constructive program for the Free India movement. It meant that if you were part of the struggle, you would not only wear the… read more
Occupy Radio: Constructive Program
Yesterday, Michael Nagler and Stephanie Van Hook joined Rivera Sun and David Geitgey Sierralupe on Occupy Radio for an exciting conversation about building alternatives and healthy communities. What if we recreate society from the bottom up, from within the culture we know? How can we loosen our dependencies on corporate structures and strive for self-sufficiency… read more
“Gandhi’s First Congress”–Daily Metta
May 22: “Practice as a lawyer was and remained for me a subordinate occupation. It was necessary that I concentrate on public work.” –Gandhi (Autobiography, Chapter 19) Before Gandhi launched his work in India proper, he had a bit of training under his belt in the Indian community in South Africa (Ok, so he was… read more
Ferguson Statement- Shanti Sena Network
Response to Ferguson from the Shanti Sena Network: Whether or not you believe that Darren Wilson is guilty, no one can deny that trust in the American police force is really low. This trust is especially low in communities of color and low income communities. A list of demands from Ferguson protestors included: a plan… read more
On Fear: An Excercise in Personal Power
A funny thing happens when I receive love, appreciation, support: I freak out. An intense fear permeates the whole body. From the outside, I probably appear calm (unless you’re standing right next to me, in which case you’ll notice my face growing red and sweaty). But on the inside, I experience a frenetic energy that… read more
How Can Compassion Be Illegal?
When is a law worth breaking? When it denies us our human nature. When it snatches our human dignity. Last week, the head of a nonprofit called Love Thy Neighbor was charged by Ft. Lauderdale police for breaking an ordinance. The supposed crime? Serving food to people without homes. Arnold Abbott, a 90 year-old humanitarian… read more
Meditation: A Brief Reflection
“Meditation is not evasion; it is a serene encounter with reality.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh I’ve been practicing meditation for more than two years, and I come to this realization each and every time I sit: Meditation meets us where we’re at in life, opening and strengthening our hearts and minds where they most need… read more
Turning Fear into Power
This article was originally posted on Wagingnonviolence.org on October 14, 2014. Linda Sartor standing on a Soviet tank outside of Kabul, Afghanistan. (WNV / Peggy Gish) Linda Sartor is not afraid to die. Dedicated to nonviolence, she spent 10 years after September 11, 2001 traveling to conflict zones throughout the world as an unarmed… read more
