February 26: “If one single Satyagrahi holds out to the end, victory is certain.” –Gandhi (Satyagraha in South Africa, p. xiv) A person dedicated to “soul-force” or Satyagraha is a Satyagrahi. Gandhi reminds us that in Satyagraha, the struggle is less about numbers of resistors and more about the quality of our resistance. To… read more
Tag Archives: satyagraha
“Beginning with the Family”–Daily Metta
February 25: “Satyagraha is a law of universal application. Beginning with the family, its use can be extended to every other circle.” –Gandhi (Harijan, 3-31-1946) Satyagraha in the family? You better believe it! The more we learn the skills of resisting those closest to us when we are called to do so, the stronger… read more
Sitting with Luna
Today is the 15 year anniversary of the end of Julia Butterfly Hill’s nonviolent campaign to protect the Redwood trees of Humboldt County California from extensive logging. The town of Stafford in Humboldt California was a primary lumber producing town in northern California from 1885 to 1985. In 1996, Pacific Lumber Company (PLC) initiated a… read more
Traveling into the Heart of Gandhi’s Work
While connecting with friends and supporters on Facebook earlier today, we noticed the following post by Benjamin Brown, who participated in portions of our Certificate in Nonviolence Studies and is currently in Mumbai, India. We found his post so touching that we asked his permission to share his words. We quote him directly. All photos… read more
The Great Debaters
By: Mercedes Mack “Who is the judge?” “The judge is God.” “Why is He God?” “Because He decides who wins or loses. Not my opponent.” “Who is your opponent?” “He does not exist.” “Why does he not exist?” “Because he is a mere dissenting voice of the truth I speak!” c. 2007, Directed by… read more
Revolution on Granite
By: Mercedes Mack In 1989, students in Kiev, Ukraine, had had enough of Soviet occupation and politics. Two student groups, the Student Brotherhood (March 1989) and later the Ukrainian Students Union (December 1989) formed a coalition against Soviet influence. Initially, student groups staged protests and strikes in response to concerns regarding higher education-abolish compulsory courses… read more
For My Nephew: A New Kind of History
In this blog-series accompanying our project of updating the Peace and Conflict Studies lectures (we call it PACS 164-c), Kimberlyn David reviews some of the key material of the course from a personal lens in an effort to generate personal reflection and the application of course content. Comment boxes are open below! * * *… read more
Peace and Conflict Studies 164-c Session 4
Topic: Gandhi and Satyagraha (next course is on constructive programme) Resource: Names, books, films mentioned in this lecture. Video: (nb, some canine friends come to join the course at the beginning…) … read more
Obstructive Program
Obstructive Program is the use of civil disobedience to change an unjust or oppressive social order. Obstructive program together with constructive program make up the two branches of Gandhi’s Satyagraha. This term was coined by Michael Nagler.… read more
Nonviolent Action as Conscious Engagement: Science and Satyagraha for Contemporary Society
May 5, 2013 Time: 10-12 pm Where: Lydia’s Organics Sunflower Center, Petaluma Contemporary scientific research increasingly points to the interconnected nature of the universe, and highlights the power of conscious thought and action to interact with this universe. The wisdom traditions have honored the sacred unity of life for millennia, exemplified by their emphasis on… read more
