I’m sick of the violence. Aren’t you?
Some days the situation seems merciless. A shooting in a school. Another teenager killed by gun violence. A family on the street after fleeing their violent partner. A genocide on the other side of the world. Brutal wars that force millions of people to flee.
When will the violence stop?
The answer is: If we take action together to stop it.
It’s not impossible. Communities across the country and around the world are showing us how it can be done. Violence may be everywhere, but there are also people trying to stop it. And many of them have effective antidotes to the violence we face.
During the days of action of the “Nonviolence” campaign, which will take place this year from September 21 to October 2, tens of thousands of people will show everyone that another world is possible.
What does a non-violent world look like? It’s not all sunshine and roses. Conflicts happen – but we can respond better to them without resorting to violence.
Many of these strategies will be featured during the upcoming days of action: Neighborhood safety patrols to prevent gun violence. Unarmed peace teams de-escalating tension in crisis zones around the world. Anti-bullying programs to prevent the next school shooting. Centers to help mothers and families get back on their feet after escaping abusive situations. Protests to pressure banks to get out of the gun business.
More than 4,438 actions and events are planned in the United States and around the world to “build a culture of peace and active nonviolence, free from war, poverty, racism and environmental destruction.”
Campaign Nonviolence is an 11-year-old movement dedicated to ending violence in all its many forms. This includes direct or physical violence (fighting, bullying, war, gun violence) as well as systemic violence (homelessness, hunger, mass incarceration, the climate crisis, etc.). In addition, the initiative also works to change cultural violence – the beliefs, attitudes, and values that lead to harm and destruction, such as militarism, racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, and more.
Instead, Campaign Nonviolence brings together hundreds of groups and organizations that take nonviolent action and promote nonviolent solutions. Sandy Hook Promise trains thousands of schoolchildren on how to address social isolation, a factor in mass shootings, as part of Start With Hello Week.
The Nobel Prize-winning International Campaign Against Nuclear Weapons coordinates hundreds of actions to divert money from the nuclear industry. The Global Silent Minute brings thousands of people together for a moment of reverent silence for peace on September 21, the International Day of Peace. Nonviolent Peaceforce and Cure Violence use de-escalation techniques in conflict zones around the world to prevent attacks.
Local community groups are taking forceful action in their neighborhoods. Nonviolent Opelika, Alabama (part of the nationwide Nonviolent Cities Project) is providing training and lectures on gun violence prevention during its neighborhood patrols. Groups in Honolulu, Hawaii are affirming their Zone of Peace and Nonviolence in a low-income public housing complex. An elementary school in Little Rock, Arkansas is holding a peace march with all the children. In Detroit, the Meta Peace Team is training an entire high school in de-escalation techniques.
There are street theater protests in front of military bases and teach-ins about nonviolent history, such as that of MK Gandhi or Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers. There are peace art competitions and concerts in public parks. There are demonstrations for ceasefires in Gaza and Ukraine. There are actions to stop environmental destruction and the climate crisis.
The Nonviolence Campaign is preparing for its biggest days of action yet, which will run from International Day of Peace (September 21) to International Day of Nonviolence (October 2). More than 5,000 actions took place in 2023. In the next few weeks, 4,438 actions are already planned for 2024, and hundreds more are expected.
The campaign calls for a series of nonviolent actions during the twelve days, including solidarity actions with labor strikes, divestment from fossil fuels and weapons, healing circles for ethnic minorities, nonviolence teach-ins, peace demonstrations and trainings on de-escalating violence.
If you care about the violence in our world, you should connect with the people who are working to change it. They offer practical solutions and real-life experiences. They show time and time again that something different is possible. They invite you to be part of the solution.
Find out (google us) about the action days of the “Nonviolence” campaign from September 21 to October 2.
Rivera Sunsyndicated by PeaceVoice, has written numerous books, including The Dandelion Insurrection and the award-winning Ari Ara series. She is editor of Nonviolence News, program coordinator for Campaign Nonviolence, and national trainer on nonviolent campaign strategies.
