Metta’s Opinion

The Man From the North: Story 3

The Man From the North is a fictional writer in Rivera Sun’s novel, The Dandelion Insurrection. The novel takes place in the near future, in “a time that looms around the corner of today,” when a rising police state controlled by the corporate-political elite have plunged the nation into the grip of a hidden dictatorship. In spite of severe surveillance and repression, the Man From the North’s banned articles circulate through the American populace, reporting on resistance and fomenting nonviolent revolution.

The story below is one of several written by the Man From the North. The article series is not included in the novel and was originally published on Dandelion Salad. We will feature a Man From the North story on a weekly basis through June 3, 2015. You can read the entire series at Dandelion Salad. The Dandelion Insurrection and a companion study guide can be purchased on Rivera’s website.

Shopping as an Act of Resistance

The holidays are at hand. Boycott Season is in effect. As the snow starts to fall, the commercial war of the season asserts its dominance. Our identities as citizens are quickly buried in a blizzard of advertising that defines us as consumers.

We are occupied territory for the corporate regime. Our option is to resist.

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The Man From the North: Story 2

The Man From the North is a fictional writer in Rivera Sun’s novel, The Dandelion Insurrection. The novel takes place in the near future, in “a time that looms around the corner of today,” when a rising police state controlled by the corporate-political elite have plunged the nation into the grip of a hidden dictatorship. In spite of severe surveillance and repression, the Man From the North’s banned articles circulate through the American populace, reporting on resistance and fomenting nonviolent revolution.

The story below is one of several written by the Man From the North. The article series is not included in the novel and was originally published on Dandelion Salad. We will feature a Man From the North story on a weekly basis through June 3, 2015. You can read the entire series at Dandelion Salad. The Dandelion Insurrection and a companion study guide can be purchased on Rivera’s website.

Tis the Season to Wage Boycotts

Boycott Season is now upon us. Let every citizen take careful aim. Your target is the corporate empire. Your weapon is your wallet.

For decades, corporations have defined the battlefield of shopping malls, box stores, mail order catalogues, and online sites. They have set the timeframe back each year; Halloween currently kicks off the battles. You can see the preparations: the lights rolled out, the anthems played, the trees set up like cannons. The enlistment fliers have been posted far and wide: on billboards, in newspapers and magazines. The radio sends out the call: all shoppers to the front! Every family must support the effort and do their patriotic duty. The costs are high; savings must be sacrificed. The debts pile up like soldiers’ bodies, unspeakable.

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The Man From the North: Story 1

The Man From the North is a fictional writer in Rivera Sun’s novel, The Dandelion Insurrection. The novel takes place in the near future, in “a time that looms around the corner of today,” when a rising police state controlled by the corporate-political elite have plunged the nation into the grip of a hidden dictatorship. In spite of severe surveillance and repression, the Man From the North’s banned articles circulate through the American populace, reporting on resistance and fomenting nonviolent revolution.

The story below is one of several written by the Man From the North. The article series is not included in the novel and was originally published on Dandelion Salad. We will feature a Man From the North story on a weekly basis through June 3, 2015. You can read the entire series at Dandelion Salad.

The War On Terror is a Typo

In the political arena of double-speak, outright lies, serpents’ tongues, appalling misnomers, and sins of omission, time alone stands up to champion truth. Time will tell, they say . . . so listen close to this report:

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In Memoriam: Marshall Rosenberg (1934 – 2015)

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Photo: Kirk Crippens

Marshall RosenbergI am typing this while listening in on a memory circle—a conference call joined by people all over the planet to memorialize Marshall Rosenberg, the late founder of Nonviolent Communication (NVC). Marshall passed from this life last weekend. I knew him best from the years he taught regularly in the San Francisco Bay Area, showing advanced students and newcomers alike how to skillfully use language to reconnect with ourselves and others when in conflict or despair.

Marshall authored several books, including the highly popular Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life. In 1984, he founded The Center for Nonviolent Communication, which has been instrumental in spreading NVC education. There are hundreds of NVC trainers and trainings around the globe, and people from near and far are calling in to share their memories, gratitude and grief. This call has been going nonstop for over 50 hours by now, indicating the worldwide impact Marshall had through his work. The call also goes to show some of the power of NVC for creating something we could call Beloved Community. (You can join the ongoing call here.)

From my current perspective of having worked with NVC and learning principled nonviolence at Metta Center, I would say that Marshall popularized and made the ancient wisdom of nonviolence more user-friendly. His vision for peace follows the model of swadeshi, or localism, where we act from within first, then our relationships, then society:

I would like us to create peace at three levels and have each of us to know how to do it. First, within ourselves. That is to know how we can be peaceful with ourselves when we’re less than perfect, for example. How we can learn from our limitations without blaming and punishing our self. If we can’t do that, I’m not too optimistic how we’re going to relate peacefully out in the world. Second, between people. Nonviolent Communication training shows people how to create peace within themselves and at the same time how to create connections with other people that allows compassionate giving to take place naturally. And third, in our social systems. To look out at the structures that we’ve created, the governmental structures and other structures, and to look at whether they support peaceful connections between us and if not, to transform those structures.

Marshall’s goal was to develop a practical process for interaction, one rooted in Gandhi’s theory and philosophy of ahimsa, the overflowing love that arises when ill-will, anger and hate subside from the heart. In the video below, he envisions a “critical mass” of “re-educated people”—people trained to see one another’s humanity and our interconnectedness so that “the needs of everyone on the planet” can be  met, compassionately. May it be so.

Alice Paul: Not Just a Radical

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Who really was Alice Paul?

This is the question that Zoe Nicholson, satyagrahi, feminist, scholar, and lifelong activist, spent over forty years nicholsonresearching and synthesizing to realize the woman from the sensationalized myth of a woman we have been taught about in school or that has been depicted in film. Through her research Nicholson found that many authors did not really know Alice Paul, and it showed in how they wrote about her. Nicholson has read countless books and recounts of Paul, and countless interviews and transcripts to create a more realistic, more true to who Paul was and what she did. She took it upon herself to write about her muse as accurately as possible-as an activist by an activist. Paul has not been recognized as an activist that uses nonviolent direct action and civil disobedience. Much of the rhetoric describing Paul is radical, feminist, and fighter for justice- she has not described as a tireless, cunning, and aggressive political strategist and effective satyagrahi.

 

 “Ultimately Miss Alice Paul showed us that creating change is all in the contrast, in the differential.   As activists, we are called to make an unforgettable spectacle of ourselves.  Anything less than novel will not do.  At an unexpected and/or unwelcome time, create what the opponent will perceive as chaos.  Always pressing for greater contrast from what was, what is and what is wanted.  All in the interest of the mission.  What do we have today to create the contrast?  What can we do to demonstrate the outcome we want while permanently breaking convention.  What can a person do that alerts them and all who see, that there is a possibility for a different Life?  Liberty? Justice?”

missalicepaulcover

In true Alice fashion, Nicholson is writing her latest book, Miss Alice Paul~ Heart of an Activist, in serial format as an ongoing public online project, uploading chapters as she writes them and updating as needed, providing a wealth of additional resources such as photos, references of over fifty books and articles, a PDF brochure and YouTube Video addition and some merchandise for Alice Paul admirers everywhere.

In the many beautifully written chapters, Nicholson retells Alice’s story, in careful detail, recognizing Paul’s strategy and its effects. In Chapter 3, Make a Spectacle of Yourself, she describes one of Paul’s most famous strategies, the 1913 Suffrage procession and pageant in great detail. She points out an important strategy used by Paul in which she created a spectacle as a method of demanding the public’s attention to her cause and simultaneously sending a message. A female protest of that size and organization was unprecedented. In her analyses, Nicholson seamlessly provides a narrative of Paul’s life as well as highlighting the many ways in which Alice Paul was a courageous visionary.

 suffragemarchLawyer Inez Milholland Boissevian leading the Suffrage Parade on March 3,1913. (theatlantic.com)

“This would be a visible collective, signaling a change that went far beyond the vote.  Her goal was not to sell suffrage to the nation but to demonstrate power to one another and the government. By leaving home, assembling in public, walking down this most famous street, they shed their own inequality, even if for that single day.”– Chapter 3

Nicholson provides a valuable resource on Paul, adding dimension and vivacity that paints a more holistic picture of one of America’s most revolutionary figures.

As Heard on PPR: Albanian Blood Feuds

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As mentioned by Michael Nagler in “Nonviolence in the News” section on January 23, 2015 episode of Peace Paradigm Radio (PPR), The Art of Nonviolence, Operazione Colomba (Operation Dove) is a project by the Pope John Paul XXIII community to promote nonviolence, peacekeeping, and peace-building in conflict zones. Currently, Operative Dove is operating in several countries: Israel, Palestine, Colombia, and as Michael mentioned, Albania, a country suffering tremendously by the horrific culture of blood feuds.

Blood feuds are based on brutal eye-for-an-eye vengeance dictated by the Kanun of Lekë Dukagjini, an ancient Albanian code of law. “The Kanun was transmitted orally for generations, and it served as a foundation of social behavior and self-government for the clans of Northern Albania for more than five centuries (it was collected and put in writing during the first quarter of the 20th century). The importance of the Kanun in the history of the Albanian people can scarcely be overestimated, and its precepts continue to exert a significant influence on a significant number of Albanian families living in Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, Macedonia, as well as in other countries to which Albanians have emigrated.” (excerpt from Blood-Feud – Internally Displacing Because of Life Security Threat)

 

“Once  a bloodletting has set the wheel of vengeance in motion, only the annihilation of the other party could bring it to a stop, for obligations of badal passed from father to son. One vendetta in the province had claimed more than a hundred lives, yet no one could remember how it started.”

-Excerpt from: Nonviolent Soldier of Islam

Kanun had the role of strengthening the cohesion of Albanian people, which had been oppressed for centuries by external incursions and invasions, through the regulation of private and public relationships. This judicial code collects the history of the judicial and institutional tradition of Albanian people. It is important to highlight the central role honor plays in Albanian culture.  Honor is the constitutive factor of the relationship between individuals and membership community. To maintain intact one’s own honor became an absolute individual and collective prescription. According to the Kanun, the blood of a murder victim should be avenged with the blood of the killer. The resulting feuds can last generations and affect whole families. Affected families are confined to their homes, unable to leave for fear of immediate death and retribution. This violence is gender-based. Men hold the family honor and when murdered, the men of the family must get retribution through the killing of any male member of the perpetrator’s family. Women are also greatly affected through the Kanun. Traditionally exempt from retribution killing, women are expected to work and handle out of the house duties. This unusual gender responsibility adds another layer of conflict both within the home and out. Women are not provided the same opportunities as men. Part of familial honor in Albania is derived from the male’s ability to provide for his family: stripped of that honor men are subject to judgment of cultural and social norms. It has been observed by Operation Dove that women and children have become victims in retribution killing. The effects of blood feuds particularly affect children, who are confined to their homes, unable to receive education unless a home tutor is provided by the school. The devastating ripples of blood feuds cannot be overstated.

The Albanian state acknowledges the prominence of blood feuds in Albanian society, but cannot provide protection or justice to those threatened by the phenomenon. The Albanian National Reconciliation Committee was created to document blood feuds and offer professional mediators to diffuse conflict, but there are not enough resources or trust in the system to provide adequate resolution. The lack of institutional protection has strengthened the power and influence of the Kanun as a rule of law. It has been largely left up to NGOs and the community to do the groundwork necessary to foster resolution and restorative justice. Operation Dove has been working in northern Albanian communities, particularly in the Shkodër area since 2010 to promote reconciliation and peace. Their practice is oriented in restorative justice, reconciliation, and community building. Operation Dove’s methods are diverse: they carry out monthly demonstrations against blood revenge in main social areas in the Shkodër area, provide medical support, ensure access to medical care via nonviolent escorts, education and activities for families living in isolation, hold roundtable discussions with local civil society members intended to collaborate against a culture of revenge. The organization focuses on providing opportunities for storytelling; for both victims and perpetrators to have a safe space where their stories can be heard. There is a “Youth Group” that creates short films on revenge and  reconciliation, promoting the importance of knowing the other in order to overcome prejudice. Through Sisters of Ravasco, nonviolence trainings are available for students of Operation Dove so they can independently pursue the path of reconciliation within Albania. Empowering individuals by building skills in nonviolence and reconciliation are essential in fostering foundational changes in conflict practices. Operation Dove also provides accompaniments, a very successful and vital peacekeeping strategy world wide in which a third party accompanies a person in danger. This has been a very powerful tactic as it raises the stakes of an attack against the threatened individual. An accompaniment is a powerful nonviolent tactic because the presence of a third party, especially one risking their own safety for the sake of peace in an impartial (non-partisan) spirit, changes the psychological dynamic of a dualistic, victim/victimizer situation.  There may be additional costs due to public or international exposure.

The Khudai Khidmatgars or "Servants of God" were the world's first "army of peace". (Wikimedia).

The Khudai Khidmatgars or “Servants of God” were the world’s first “army of peace”. (Wikimedia).

Moves towards constructive program in Albania are critical to heal the violence of blood feuds and redefine a culture without violence. With government failing to adequately address the situation, Albanians themselves must own and create new systems in order to move towards a society ingrained with empathy and nonviolence. The story of Badshah Khan comes to mind. From Utmanzai, a town also ruled by cultural rules, called Pushtunwali (the unwritten law of the Pathan). Pushtunwali dictated a strict revenge code, Badal, that obligated a Pathan to avenge at the slightest insult. Eknath Easwaran describes in Nonviolent Soldier of Islam,

Badshah Khan was able to elevate the Pathan culture through constructive program mainly in the areas of education and gender equality. Through a foundation of constructive program, Khan was able to found the Khudai Khidmatgars (Servants of God), a successful nonviolent army to rid India of British rule. Khan also promoted svadeshi (local development) as a way to furnish strength as people develop self-reliance and solve their own problems better than a distant government. Creating parallel institutions that serve the community is a powerful and successful method of peacebuilding.

By promoting svadeshi, individuals and communities can develop a capacity for self-reliance based on human dignity and empathy, leading to a sense of community which would be a strong protection against internecine feuding, especially when coupled with restorative methods of resolving inevitable conflicts.

While the work of Operation Dove in N. Albania deals with a specific kind of vengeance, we feel that much of their work could be applied to the phenomenon of vengeance as a whole. Revenge practices have dictated world conflict culture. When I reflect on history, and current headlines, I see harmful cycles of revenge in many areas. The vengeance that occurs on a much larger scale could be addressed through some of the mechanisms listed above, as the fundamental dynamics of vengeance obtain everywhere.

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[1] Resta P. (2000), Il Kanun, Nardò: Besa editrice; Martucci D. (2009), Il Kanun di Lek Dukagjini, le basi morali e giuridiche della società albanese, Nardò: Besa editrice.

UNESCO’s Global Citizenship Education Forum

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UNESCO GCE

Nonviolence on the International Education Agenda

From January 28-30, 2015, I had the opportunity to participate in UNESCO’s Second Forum on Global Citizenship Education (GCED), which was held in the lead up to the World Education Forum (WEF). At the WEF, the educational goals for the post-2015 development agenda will be established, following the Millennium Development Goals that end this year. Over 250 participants from all regions of the world, including educators, academics, policy makers, government officials, civil society representatives, gathered at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris to discuss recommendations for how global citizenship should be included in the international education agenda.

In the working draft of the proposed Framework for Action, Goal 4 deals with education, and states that member states should ensure “inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” Global citizenship – and nonviolence – are specifically mentioned in target 4.7:

“By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.”

But what do we mean by global citizenship education? UNESCO describes GCED as “values, knowledge and skills that are based n and instill respect for human rights, social justice, diversity, gender equality, and environmental sustainability and that empower learners to be responsible global citizens.” This may also sound like peace education or sustainable development education, or one of the many fields of education which strive for transformation of oneself and the world. In the UNESCO guide on GCED, Toh Swee-Hin explains it as such:

“Important entry points for GCE are peace education, human rights education, education for international understanding, and education for sustainable development. They are like a river with many tributaries: in this river we can mix and learn from each other.”

Rather than viewing these as separate fields of education, they are interrelated and overlapping, all seeking the outcome of transformation towards a just, peaceful, sustainable, nonviolent world. While they may differ slightly in approach and focus, they share greatly in what they offer in terms of knowledge, skills, values, and also the pedagogy through which they are taught. They also emphasize lifelong learning, and the need for education opportunities at the formal, nonformal  (community-based) and informal (media, parenting, etc.) levels.

Right now, there is energy and enthusiasm for global citizenship education at the United Nations among some member states, notably South Korea, Austria and Oman (who supported the meeting). UNESCO is in the process of developing a guide of teaching and learning objectives for policymakers and educators that will help them implement GCED at the national level.

SKC UNESCO GCE

As the policy rapporteur for the meeting, I was responsible for taking extensive notes during the plenaries and concurrent sessions, and then summarizing the key recommendations in a ten-minute presentation on the last day of the conference, along with the rapporteurs on implementation and partnerships (you can find the slides here).

One of the key findings for policy that came up repeatedly was the need for teacher training (both pre- and in-service) to be included and emphasized in policy, and to support this, the need for creating institutes and programs for GCED leadership (such as masters  degrees in GCED). Another strong theme throughout the conference was the meaningful, authentic inclusion of youth in all levels of decision making regarding their education. Additionally, there was a call for a broader base of stakeholders to be included in the policymaking process, such as teachers, parents, students, and other members of the community. We heard of one example from Central America of how this was conducted over a period of 8 years, which gives hope that such an inclusive process can in fact be implemented in spite of challenges.

One of the most inspiring parts of the event for me was hearing from representatives from different countries that have related national policies, such as for peace education. Kenya, for example, has a national policy for peace education that came about after the 2007-2008 election violence. Colombia also recently mandated that peace be taught in all schools. Both of these initiatives came about in light of violence experienced in those countries (the post-election violence and civil wars, respectively), and I found myself wishing that in the US, we could respond to our own violence in such a constructive way. These examples provide us with many lessons learned, from how the policies came to pass, to what has worked well, as well as the challenges. While gaps remain between the policy and implementation, these policies are still quite new and give hope for the potential of mainstreaming peace education (and related education) in schools.

One of the highlights of the conference for me was a comment during our last open session Q&A from Dr. Peter deSouza of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies in Delhi, who opened the forum’s first plenary with his thought-provoking talk on “Revisioning Education in Today’s World.” Dr. deSouza brought to our attention that it was the anniversary of Gandhi’s assassination, and we should explicitly commit to nonviolence as one of the universal principles for global citizenship, and better yet, to use the original Sanskrit in the document, as some of the meaning gets lost in translation. While nonviolence is included in target 4.7, it had not been discussed at the forum in the context of GCED. Throughout the forum, participants had agreed that a set of universal principles for GCED needed to be established (such as gender equality, respect for human rights, etc.), which could then be adapted for local contexts.

The gap between policy and practice was a persistent theme, and at times I think we were all wondering what such lofty goals mean if we always fall short of reaching them (we have not fulfilled the MDGs, for example). However, one participant pointed out that although we may not reach the goals in the time we had hoped, these policies point us in the right direction and tend to hasten change to that effect. If we are able to take steps closer to making Target 4.7 a reality, I truly believe we will also be on our way to a more just, peaceful, sustainable world.

Introducing… Mercedes Mack

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Mercedes MackAs an intern at Metta Center, Mercedes Mack supports our mission in a variety of ways: she writes insightful, context-filled posts for our History blog; provides event and administrative assistance; contributes research and project ideas. She juggles quite a lot (and we’re incredibly grateful for her capacity to do so!).

Mercedes is currently working on her BA of Science in Political Science, at Sonoma State University in California, where she also participates in National Model United Nations (NMUN). With a passion for international cooperation, Mercedes applies nonviolence philosophy to her NMUN experiences, both in resolution writing and caucusing. Approaching solutions with the intention of preserving human dignity, she says, gives her a win-win perspective on international issues.

In 2012, Mercedes interned for Rep. Lois Capps (CA, 23rd District). Then in the fall of that year, she served as the regional political director for Gary G. Miller’s congressional campaign (R-CA13, 2013-2014).

Mercedes is with the Metta Center team for two semesters. It’s no secret to us that she makes many positive contributions toward a nonviolent culture, and that she has a bright career ahead of her. We thought you might like to meet her for yourself.

How did you first hear about Metta Center?

One of my professors, Dr. Cynthia Boaz in the Political Science department at Sonoma State University, introduced me to Metta Center when I expressed a serious interest in learning the theory of nonviolence. She has worked with Metta Center before. I checked out Metta on the web, I had an interview and the rest is history!

When did you start your internship, and what inspired you to join us?

I started in August of 2014. I joined the team with little expectation of what it would be like and an open attitude to serve. I was very ready to learn about principled nonviolence, Gandhi and how an organization would even start to spread the word about nonviolence.

What personal and/or professional goals might you like to accomplish through your internship?

I want to develop and strengthen my meditation practice. This was not a goal I had entering the Metta Center, but in my time here meditation organically grew into a personal goal. I have begun to understand the deep connection between meditation and nonviolence and feel it is both a service to myself and to others to practice meditation. Metta has been a very supportive environment to experiment with and grow in my meditation practice.

As a student of political science, I am absolutely fascinated by politics, law and human nature. Revisiting topics through a nonviolent lens has been eye-opening, to say the least. By studying nonviolence, I intend to integrate it in my career in international politics and represent the nonviolent perspective in government and politics. With knowledge of nonviolence from Metta, I could one day be a candidate for work as a peacekeeper, diplomat or in some capacity with the United Nations.

Are there any particular skills and knowledges you’ve developed as a direct result of your internship thus far?

I have developed skills in meditation, writing, event organizing and research. In writing History blog posts, I have learned how to find information on under reported events in nonviolence and explain the events in greater detail and technicality. I have found that many times the strategy behind, and the effects of, nonviolent phenomenon are not appropriately reported. Being able to expand on under-analyzed nonviolent events has allowed me to further “learn by doing” by explaining nonviolent strategies and outcomes in the context of each movement.

Through my service and involvement I have learned how a nonprofit works. By participating in roundtable discussions I have learned how to better clearly communicate thoughts and ideas to a large group in an open and collaborative setting. I’ve learned how tasks and projects are delegated among multiple people and layers of responsibility are established and maintained. It’s an aspect of nonprofits that I have never been exposed to before, and it’s very rewarding to learn from the nonviolent work ethic demonstrated within Metta.

Describe your internship experiences—what do you find most challenging and/or rewarding about interning for a small nonprofit on a big mission?

I find it most rewarding to work in a nonviolent environment, surrounded by people who are committed to the New Story, to uplifting human dignity to redefine our human experience. It is so great to see the breadth of involvement by Metta members, from all over the world and California, connect and work together in their respective communities.

A great challenge, and probably the most important challenge, is figuring out how to teach nonviolence to a larger audience, or an audience that is unfamiliar with nonviolence. Through my time here, I’ve realized that it’s not that we don’t know about nonviolence, it’s that we don’t consciously know we already know about nonviolence. So it’s not so much to teach, but to re-awaken what is already a part of our natural being. It is sometimes a trial and error process requiring patience and flexibility.

How do your studies and practices of nonviolence benefit you?

The benefits of cultivating a meditation (or yoga)  practice are a powerful daily benefit. It is so important to be intentional and present in everything I do.

Through my study of nonviolence, I am able to approach conflict from a place of understanding rather than response. I have also learned that conflict itself is inevitable and neutral. Conflict itself is not the “enemy”. I won’t continue life without encountering it; but how I handle it makes all the difference and that has been incredibly empowering.

What’s your favorite nonviolence quote?

“So the question is not whether we will be extremist, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate, or will we be extremists for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice, or will we be extremists for the cause of justice?” ~ Dr. MLK Jr., in his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.”

To give some context, Dr. MLK Jr. was responding to the criticisms that his strategies in Birmingham were too extreme. This is a common criticism that many social justice movements get, and I loved his response because it highlighted that it’s not being extreme that was the problem, it was being passive and cooperative by compliance to practices that do not honor human dignity that was the problem.

Feel free to leave questions or comments for Mercedes below. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.