NONVIOLENCE RADIO* THE BEAT OF AN UNSTOPPABLE MOVEMENT A MAGAZINE FOR PRACTICAL IDEALISTS Winter/Spring 2017

climate protection applying nonviolence to safeguard our earth

* formerly Peace Paradigm Radio Airs every other Friday at 1pm PST on KWMR. Find station info and show streams at kwmr.org. Podcasts available at: iTunes, Stitcher, AudioBoom featured inside

Principle & Strategy Person Power & Unity

8 Nonviolence & the Earth 26 Stepping Up Resistance Action-oriented nonviolence can be applied The climate justice movement is taking bold anywhere. As Michael N. Nagler notes, the and creative action—and winning some place we most need it today is with climate victories. Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers protection. illustrate a few actions.

10 Stop the Oil Trains 58 Healing Ourselves & the World Dan Everhart, an activist with Chico 350, Peace educator Stephanie Steiner looks at writes about efforts in his Butte County, healing from the inside out. To help our California community to halt dangerous oil Earth heal, she insists, we must take care of trains. ourselves—we are the Earth.

14 A Next Step for Climate Justice Experts say the planet is warming faster than scientists expected. Li and Stellan Vinthagen propose a controversial movement strategy.

Earth provides enough to satisfy every [hu]man’s needs, but not every [hu]man’s greed. ~ Gandhi

4 nonviolence Interviews & Insights Scholarship & Culture

18 Q&A: Marissa Mommaerts 31 Inseparable Aims Marissa Mommaerts is Director of Programs Randall Amster, Director of the Program on at Transition US. She spoke with Stephanie Justice and Peace at Georgetown University, Van Hook about resilience and ecological looks at the intersections of environmental preparedness. and social issues.

36 Q&A: Rachel Marco-Havens 32 Who Do We Owe In her role as Youth Engagement Coordinator In his piece, Abraham Entin turns the notion for Earth Guardians, Rachel Marco-Havens of debt upside down. He describes it as a supports youth empowerment in the climate social commitment rather than money owed justice movement. to corporations.

46 Mother Earth Treaty 42 Going Local in Maine “As Indigenous Women of the Americas, Author and activist Rivera Sun grew up in a we understand the responsibilities toward potato-farming family in Maine. She shares the sacred system of life given to us by the how small farmers there created a successful Creator,” state Indigenous Rising. local food movement.

50 How to Create a Nature Reserve Writing from the UK, Adrian Cooper provides Poetry a case study of starting and maintaining a community nature reserve. His tips include working with neighbors and local media. 13 Isle de Jean Charles by Ira Batra Garde 54 The Power of Music Music can be a catalyst for social change weather and revolution. Lukas Walsh highlights 10 25 contemporary songs to inspire social change. by James Phoenix 56 Our Nonviolent Nature Stephanie Van Hook connects the dots between ant baits and fighter jets, observing that understanding is the key to avoiding “us vs. them” antagonisms.

nonviolence 5 nonviolence

PUBLISHER The Metta Center for Nonviolence

EDITOR & CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kimberlyn David

WINTER/SPRING 2017 CONTRIBUTORS Designer Miroslava Sobot

Proofreader Todd Diehl

Writers Randall Amster Adrian Cooper Abraham Entin Dan Everhart Margaret Flowers Indigenous Rising Michael N. Nagler Stephanie Steiner Rivera Sun Stephanie Van Hook Li Vinthagen Stellan Vinthagen Lukas Walsh Kevin Zeese

Poets Ira Batra Garde James Phoenix

Photographers Backbone Campaign Dan Felix Karen Laslo Marian Stephens Transition US

HOW TO REACH US

MAIN OFFICE The Metta Center for Nonviolence PO Box 98, Petaluma, CA, 94953

PHONE NUMBER 707-774-6299

WEBSITE www.mettacenter.org

All contributors maintain the rights to their work as they choose, though the publisher generally uses Creative Commons licensing (CC BY-NC-ND). Please request permission to reproduce any part of Nonviolence, in whole or part. For info about permissions, advertising or submissions, email the editor: [email protected].

6 nonviolence editor’s letter

The poetry of the earth is never dead. ~ John Keats Photo: Red squirrel, via Pexels

“It is a wholesome and necessary thing Toward the end of September, Climate Central, an for us to turn again to the earth and independent organization of scientists and journalists who in the contemplation of her beauties research and report on climate issues, delivered an alarming to know the sense of wonder and finding: We’ve passed the 400 parts per million (ppm) humility,” the noted marine biologist threshold on carbon dioxide—and we’ll likely stay above and conservationist Rachel Carson that ppm “for the indefinite future,” as one Scripps Institute wrote in The Sense of Wonder. Carson’s scientist put it. 1962 book Silent Spring is often credited with inspiring the contemporary global Which means that the emissions-reducing commitments movement to protect the environment. government leaders made at last year’s climate talks in Paris, and that were ratified in early October, must be enacted immediately. It also means that the shift from extracting and burning fossil fuels must proceed swiftly. There’s no time to waste: even if we succeeded in making that transition 100 percent tomorrow, the existing carbon will remain in the atmosphere for several decades.

By now, we’re familiar with the doomsday scenarios. So our editorial team, along with our contributors for this issue of Nonviolence, feel called to look at climate from little-discussed angles. How can we transcend collective paralysis to protect the environment, move away from the destructive system that led us here and grow into more peaceful human beings? What community actions, broad-scale strategies and personal-societal healing could get us there?

Our Winter/Spring 2017 issue revolves around these and related questions. While we don’t necessarily agree with every position taken by our contributors, we believe that the realities we’re facing at this time call for multiple perspectives and diverse proposals, from which successful strategies can emerge.

We find hope in the possibilities. Is your community developing resilience strategies or taking climate-protection actions? We’d love to hear about them: [email protected]. KIMBERLYN DAVID Editor & Creative Director

nonviolence 7 Photo: Red Berries, via Pexels

2 nonviolence thankfulness

The Metta Center for Nonviolence, publisher of Nonviolence, thanks all the volunteers who share their love and help spread the mission of creating a nonviolent future. This issue of Nonviolence was made possible, in part, by generous support from the following people:

MARY ANDERSON BURNETT BRITTON TODD DIEHL MIKE GAJDA PAULA HUGGINS ANNA IKEDA JOHN LEWIS TRAVIS MELLOT RICH MEYER MICHAEL & VICKI MILLICAN MICHAEL NAGLER PRASHANT NEMA MARK PARNES LORIN PETERS JAMES PHOENIX DAWN RAYMOND BERT SACKS JEANINE SAPERSTEIN JIM SCHUYLER JOHN WADE SUSAN FISCHER WILHELM

nonviolence 3 Principle & Strategy Nonviolence & the Earth by MICHAEL N. NAGLER

This is why it’s important to recognize the good news when it’s there: During this year’s US It’s important to recognize primaries, 350 Action challenged the presidential the good news when it’s there. candidates with its “keep it in the ground” campaign, which helped get Hillary Clinton come out against the Keystone XL pipeline and to back Nonviolence can be applied everywhere. The most keeping publicly owned fossil fuels in the ground. urgent place we need it today is to overcome the Now the tide is turning against fracking too, and the unheard-of damage industrialism and greed are story of Exxon’s deception regarding climate change doing to our planet, euphemistically called “climate has become a defining political issue. change” or “global warming.” These may seem like small steps, but in the words of This destruction is reversible. As Science has recently a Sufi master, “When we take one step towards God, reported, the drastic thinning of the ozone layer he takes seven steps toward us.” In other words, that protects us and all other living beings from nature is resilient and as it were, just waiting for us to the harmful effects of ultraviolet solar radiation has take restorative actions. Nevertheless, today we need begun to heal. According to UN scientists, we are to engage the full spectrum of nonviolent measures, on track to see a complete recovery of the ozone from personal empowerment and constructive layer by 2050. How did we accomplish this feat? program to outright nonviolent resistance. Under the Montreal Protocol of 1987, world leaders agreed to stop the release of chloroflourocarbons There is a line in one of the ancient Vedic hymns (CFCs) into the atmosphere. To do that, they went that often comes to mind when I think about climate against the strenuous objections of DuPont, the main disruption: Mã gãm anãgam Aditim vadhishta!, or Do profiteer from CFC-propelled products. DuPont not injure the faultless one, Aditi, the (cosmic) cow! argued in the face of mounting scientific evidence and predicted dire results for the global economy, Aditi here stands for the divine feminine principle, but science and sanity prevailed. In case you haven’t the creative power of the universe in its active form, noticed, the lack of CFCs in your hairspray hasn’t the origin of all forces of nature. That she is called damaged the global economy. a “cow” is highly honorific in an Indian context, where the cow was the symbol of wealth and of all Good news on the environment, especially climate innocent nature. “Cow protection” in modern India disruption, is so rare that when I read that the is meant to remind us not to injure the earth or Antarctic hole in the ozone layer was shrinking I at any living thing. We are all involved in what Martin first thought, “Oh no, we’re losing more ozone!” As Luther King Jr. called “a single garment of destiny.” Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus argued Because of “the fierce urgency of now” (King again) in Break Through: From the Death of Environmentalism with climate change and the understandable anger to the Politics of Possibility, nothing is more it arouses—because this is clearly a case where, as disempowering than gloom and despair, which are Joanna Macy says, we have to “stop the worst of the unfortunately the dominant mode of environmental damage”—some activists have sometimes resorted writing. It produces nothing but paralysis, as my to violence. But violence, in one or another form, initial reaction showed. is how we caused the problem. It can never lead

8 nonviolence Aurora lights over Bear Lake, Alaska in 2005. Photo: NASA, via Flickr

us to a solution. As Gandhi said (and showed), the vehicle drivers and tireless efforts at educating the nonviolent method “may appear to be long, perhaps public. But it must not stop there. We must also too long, but I am convinced that it is the shortest.” make—and be prepared to make—judicious use of disruptive tactics like the kayaktivism blockades The Handbook for Satyagrahis: A Manual for Volunteers used in Seattle and San Francisco to halt drilling of Total Revolution, compiled by Narayan Desai, who in the North Sea. It is important to keep up the grew up in Gandhi’s ashram, recommends that educational “pressure.” Even though people (let activists “keep in touch with mother earth through alone corporations) may seem not to be listening, working on it [her].” The nonviolent life, grounded it’s important to continue explaining that we all in nature, gives us a sense of our inner resources. share this beautiful planet that needs our good When we begin to sense that happiness lies within custodianship. When we’re speaking plain truth us, and in relationships of trust and service, we no and not being insulting or overly threatening—and longer need to exploit the resources of the earth; backing up our words with concrete actions based in this, too, is a part of nonviolence, and this kind of the same nonviolent principles—our message gets example tends to spread. In time it could change the through. whole economy. Nature is resilient. The climate crisis can be solved. The rest of our nonviolent approach is strategy. A Nonviolence, from strategic vision to tactics, is the long-term strategy should embrace working within way to solve it. n the system when it responds, as it did with the Montreal Protocol and last year’s climate talks in Paris, where leaders agreed to limit warming and phase out fossil fuels by the next half of this century. Michael N. Nagler is Founder of the Metta Center It should include supporting constructive-program for Nonviolence and author of The Nonviolence alternatives like resilient communities, electric Handbook: A Guide to Practical Action.

nonviolence 9 Principle & Strategy Stop Oil Trains: A Community Campaign by DAN EVERHART

Members of Chico350. Photo: Karen Laslo

The planet can Rarely a day passes lately when we don’t learn neither endure of some new, or worsening, ecological calamity. Among the litany of bad news: millions of starfish nor sustain our dying along the western coast of the United States, assault much increasing frequency of extreme storms, dying longer, and it’s up coral reefs, species extinctions 1,000 times over to us to determine the background rate, glacial and Arctic ice melting far faster than at any other time in human history, the quality of what entire mountains leveled for coal, shale basin follows. regions plagued with poisoned groundwater and earthquakes caused by fracking and record-breaking temperatures every month.

10 nonviolence These add up to more than just bad news; they are train derailments per year for the next several years symptoms of an unhealthy economy dependent once prices again approach previous heights. Earlier on extracting and burning fossil fuels. We rely this year, a derailment in Oregon spilled only a small on distant, low-paid labor to grow, process and amount of oil into the Columbia River, thanks to manufacture many necessities (and most luxuries), extraordinary luck. because cheap fuel makes long-haul shipping a more profitable option than local alternatives. The We believe there is no safe way to transport crude- planet can neither endure nor sustain our assault by-rail through our community, maybe anywhere. much longer, and it’s up to us to determine the The older DOT-111 railcars, which make up quality of what follows. Will we descend further most of the current inventory, weren’t designed into insanity, until cascading failures of food chains for flammable liquids and puncture easily even cause widespread famine and worse? Or will we take at low speed. The newer CPC-1232 compliant the great turn toward redefining our relationships railcars being slowly phased in are only slightly with nature and learning to live modestly, within its safer and have already been punctured during means? burning derailments in West Virginia and Mosier, Oregon. Despite the jeopardy that oil trains pose Quickly phasing out fossil fuels would be consistent to communities and sensitive habitats along their with Gandhi’s brilliant and simple advice to forgo routes, there has been little success in stopping them depending on structures that are oppressing us. so far. Only federal regulators have sufficient legal Constructive-program approaches to reducing our authority to halt them, and we doubt that these dependence on fossil fuels might include a radical regulators will defy their corporate donors anytime localization of producing and distributing basic soon. needs. We could then create meaningful local jobs, facilitate broader and deeper relationships within After concluding that oil trains pose an immediate our communities and offer viable alternatives to a and unacceptable risk to our region, we launched centralized and impersonal “market.” the Oil Trains Committee in April, so we’re still early in the campaign. Right now, we are working to Obstructive action is required too, as we can’t count educate ourselves and the broader community about on the fossil fuels industry to voluntarily go along the dangers of crude-by-rail. We are organizing with the abrupt and ubiquitous shift we need. With volunteers to ascertain the quantity of oil passing that in mind, we at Chico 350 began recognizing through, since that information is otherwise the devastating risks that oil trains pose to our unavailable. It is our intention to continue escalating community in Butte County, California—and started in nonviolence until oil is no longer shipped by rail doing something about it. through Butte County.

Trains carrying Bakken crude and diluted Canadian If education, demonstrations and negotiations tar sands travel the Union Pacific rails down the ultimately fail to achieve our goals, we will seek to Feather River Canyon for over 50 miles, across change our opponents’ hearts by willingly taking at least one 100 year-old bridge and through suffering on ourselves, persuaded by Michael mountainous terrain that makes emergency response Nagler’s observation that “the more we are prepared very difficult. The Feather River feeds into Lake to suffer voluntarily, the less we will have to suffer Oroville, a key component of the State Water Project involuntarily.” We understand that could mean that provides water to more than 20 million people incarceration and other serious consequences, but and 1 million acres of farmland. In addition to the with the safety of our communities and the health of risk of contaminating an essential regional water our entire planet at stake, we can’t afford to risk any source is the threat of fire. Because burning oil less. n trains are nearly impossible to extinguish, even under ideal circumstances, it is standard practice to secure a one-mile perimeter around an ignited oil train and let it burn until the the fuel is exhausted. Dan Everhart is a former social worker and software There have been 14 burning oil trains derailed engineer who now spends his time cultivating respect, during the last three years in the US and Canada, compassion, equality and truth while trying to pitch in and the US government predicts that number of oil where he can. He can be reached at [email protected].

nonviolence 11 Poetry

Photo: New Orleans, following Hurricane Katrina, via Pixabay

12 nonviolence Isle de Jean Charles, Louisiana

New York Times, May 3, 2016

When my little girl sits on her great-grandfather’s native land for the last time barefoot on familiar soil, wearing a light cotton shift her grandmother sewed moist air warming her baby skin, bare shoulders taking the bright day’s heat She soaks up our island from morning’s light until each sun sets over the mainland When there are no tears left in me, who will weep when she is moved?

She is too young to worry At three, she is carefree But, I wonder what else the weather will bring more mud over the threshold through our front door on a stormy night seeping up the stairs while we sleep

When the water laps at our doorstep what will we do? When the rain leaves soggy mud in the entryway what should we do? When salt waves swallow my grandfather’s island, sweeping it into its boggy grave what can we do? When the wooden planks of the pathway to our home have warped twisting this way and that, rising and falling and the old wooden steps in the foyer are weak, creaking from the water rising what can they do?

We tell stories it wasn’t this way before, it came with her birth so, we called her “Carefree” so we wouldn’t forget how it felt Once upon a time

Poem by Ira Batra Garde. Ira is a physician, poet, wife and mother. She lives with her family in California’s San Francisco Bay Area and is currently at work on a book.

nonviolence 13 Principle & Strategy A Next Step for the Climate Justice Movement by LI VINTHAGEN and STELLAN VINTHAGEN Paris marches for climate justice as COP21 concludes. Photo: Takver, via Flickr

After 21 years with climate summits two things are expected. We have only a few years in which to clear. First, we finally have a global climate justice implement the global transformation needed to movement. During last year’s climate change create a society that functions sustainably. conference, 10,000 activists from various parts of the world gathered in Paris. Many traveled Climate change is not a theoretical threat, but a there even though the shootings and bombings in reality here and now, created by the fossil industry Paris and St. Denis resulted in French president in the most industrialized countries. Our starting François Hollande calling for a state of emergency point is that we are in an emergency situation where, and banning protest organizing. Since commercial according to Kofi Annan’s Global Humanitarian activities and sports events were allowed to Forum, 300,000 people die every year and millions continue, climate campaigners saw the ban as a are forced to flee due to the consequences of repressive attempt to squelch dissent. Despite the climate change, such as drought. There is a moral circumstances, activists were prepared to carry out responsibility to act, and with strong measures. civil disobedience. The question is what the climate justice movement should do now. Second, we now know that the world’s politicians are not prepared to take responsibility for preventing Since its founding in the 1980s, neoliberalism has climate change. Climate negotiations have been given rise to a new stage of market fundamentalism: going on since 1992, leading to ambitious goals but naked greed. Everywhere, our elected politicians no binding agreement with firm measures against have increasingly shifted their loyalty from people violating parties. Even Sweden, which has long been to economic powers. This shift changes the playing regarded as a pioneer in the environmental field field for grassroots movements and their ability to and today has a green-labor government, has chosen lobby politicians. to sell one of the largest coal mines in Europe to a Currently, most movement actions are designed venture capitalist rather than allow the carbon to as symbolic dramas aimed to sway public opinion, remain in the ground. We must conclude that our brand-sensitive companies and politicians concerned politicians have abdicated. about voter flight. But between corporate lobbying The UN’s expert panel on climate warns that climate and one heightened political scandal after another, change is happening faster than scientists previously marches and other forms of symbolic activism are

14 nonviolence Paris marches for climate justice as COP21 concludes. Photo: Takver, via Flickr A November 2015 climate protest in Paris. Photo: Till Westermayer, via Flickr

far less effective than they were in the late twentieth century, when public opinion could still influence policy frameworks.

How should the political battle strategies be designed in a context where democracy is rapidly shrinking and economic power is emboldened? Climate change The answer seems clear: We who understand this emergency situation must step up our resistance and is not affect the economy directly. Here’s what we propose a theoretical threat, strategy-wise: a focus on dismantling the fossil industry, literally—as in material infrastructure. This but a reality would be a kind of “incapacitating” of the biggest here and now, threat to climate protection. This could be called “sabotage,” but it is not created by the conventional sabotage that we propose. We do not believe that the climate movement could win fossil industry a fight that is reduced to economy. Companies can always defend themselves with increased in the most surveillance and get the state’s help with repression. industrialized Plus, if the measures by activists are perceived as threatening, citizens could end up supporting the countries. fossil fuel industry. What we’re suggesting is to creatively design the dismantling so that we achieve a combination of economic effect and political crisis. The key problem is how this dismantling can be done in such a way that it is perceived as both legitimate and necessary.

nonviolence 15 Photo: Grafittied remnants of the Berlin Wall, via Pixabay

A practical dismantling of fossil fuel infrastructure Vernon Walters said that “ultimately, it was not would directly affect the industry’s economic activity the Soviet Government which leveled the wall, it and possibly its profit. We assume that this form was the citizens of Berlin themselves—ordinary of action initially leads to polarization, increased people, taking into their own hands hammers and repression and rejections. But if the dismantling chisels—battering the wall.” Just as the purpose were perceived as legitimate by a substantial number of demolishing the Berlin Wall was to achieve a of people, it would become difficult to label it a tangible impact, a dismantling would also show that threat to society. people are ready to step up and take the necessary measures to stop the climate destruction that To win an increasing share of public opinion, threatens the existence of humankind. the dismantling would need to be done not only creatively, but peacefully and in an organized way, We realize that our proposal is controversial. While with many participants taking an open accountability not everyone will agree with it, we hope that we have for their actions. With seniors and young people, nevertheless offered a contribution to the debate on professors and workers, students and parents what the global climate justice movement could do purposefully dismantling climate-destroying next. n factories and plants, the actions would be tough to characterize as “extreme.” The decisive factor is that such dismantling actions do not threaten human life or safety, but instead appear clearly as a defense of our society, our lives and our future.

We’ve seen this type of mass disobedience succeed Li Vinthagen is a sociologist, activist and painter. Stellan before, most notably when hundreds of people Vinthagen is Professor and Endowed Chair in the Study equipped with sledgehammers smashed the Berlin of Nonviolent Direct Action and Civil Resistance at the Wall in 1989. Describing it in 1992, CIA Director University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

16 nonviolence Courage, complemented by the knowledge of skillful nonviolence, as provided in this handbook, is a recipe for a world of peace and justice.

~ Ann Wright, Col. US Army (ret) and recipient of the US State Department Award for Heroism

Support your local bookseller with your purchase of a print copy.

Nonviolence Handbook: A Guide for Practical Action is also available as Amazon Audible and Kindle books.

nonviolence 17 Interviews & Insights Q&A: Marissa Mommaerts by STEPHANIE VAN HOOK

Transition is about preparing for a world that drastically reduces its reliance on fossil fuels, building local renewable energy sources and localizing economies.

Photo: A fence decorated with gardening tools, via Pixabay

18 nonviolence As an early childhood educator as well as a Since 2005, Transition has spread to more than meditator, I am aware that the most challenging 50 countries around the world, and in 2009, moments of the day are during transitions—when Transition US was formed to support and nurture we are in the midst of shifting our mind and focus the grassroots movement in the US. More than 150 from one thing to the next. We need to pay attention Transition Initiatives have formed in communities to transition moments and prepare for them with across the US, from Maine to Texas to Washington constructive skills that will help us move to where we and everywhere in between. We are a bottom-up, want to go. decentralized movement. Transition looks different in every community, based on local context and the What about transitions on the mass scale, from one strengths and interests of local organizers. worldview to another? From one way of operating a community or an economy to another, one that’s Let’s consider some inspiration. If you could more just, healthier and nonviolent? think of a song that would be the anthem of the Transition US movement, what would it be? The Transition movement comprises communities around the world and is dedicated to moving What immediately came to mind for me was away from dependence on fossil fuels and towards REM’s “It’s The End Of The World As We Know resilience: personal, political and ecological It (And I Feel Fine).” I was at the Transition preparedness. To glean insights on this movement, Network conference in the UK last fall, and we I spoke with Marissa Mommaerts, who is Director had an amazing international dance party with of Programs at Transition US, a nonprofit that Transitioners from around the world. When this supports Transition Initiatives across the United song came on I thought, “Yes, this is our anthem!” States and works in partnership with the UK- and really let loose. based Transition Network, which supports the Right now our civilization is powered by fossil international Transition movement as a whole. fuels. Transition is about preparing for a world that What is the mission of Transition US, and when did drastically reduces its reliance on fossil fuels and this work begin? relies instead on reducing energy consumption, Transition US is a national nonprofit hub for the building local renewable energy sources and international Transition movement, a network of localized economies. We believe this transition is communities that are re-imagining and rebuilding both necessary and inevitable, because we cannot our future, moving away from dependence on continue with an infinite growth model on a planet fossil fuels toward local resilience. Our mission is with finite resources. We know the future will look to catalyze and strengthen a national network of very different than the present. But we believe it will citizen-powered groups who are building local be a healthier, more connected, abundant, joyful and resilience through community action. fulfilling future—one that works for humanity and for the planet. Transition started in Kinsale, Ireland in 2005, when a British permaculture educator, Rob Hopkins, How did you get involved personally and why? was teaching a two-year permaculture course at a When I started college, I was on a mission to learn community college. Permaculture is an ecological how to solve the world’s greatest problems: poverty, design methodology based on how natural war, hunger, environmental destruction, etc. Five ecosystems work. For their final project, Rob and his years later I had a master’s degree in International students came up with an “Energy Descent Action Public Affairs and had traveled, studied and Plan” to transition their entire community off fossil volunteered in Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Peru and fuels, emphasizing localization, renewable energy, throughout Central America. reducing consumption, eliminating waste, etc. What emerged was a model for healthier, more connected My first job out of college was at a think-tank in and resilient communities that use less energy than Washington, DC, staffing world leaders on a project we currently consume. The concept began to spread to increase global access to family planning by organically, and the Transition Towns Movement was educating policymakers about the link between born. women’s health, population growth, global

nonviolence 19 sustainability and national security. After less than After this “initiating group” or “core team” has two years I was very frustrated. I saw how many solidly formed and begun to spread within the resources are poured into global summits like the community, register with Transition US to become international climate change negotiations and an Official Transition Initiative, which means your Rio+20, without having much of an impact. group will be listed as part of the US Transition network and receive extra support from Transition I wasn’t sure what the alternative was, but I knew US. in my heart there must be a better way. So I quit my job, began traveling and ended up in Northern What are some of the key skill sets that help people California on a friend’s permaculture farm. I in the Transition US movement feel most effective realized permaculture was a bottom-up strategy and inspired in their daily labors? for feeding people while healing the natural Great question! Becoming an effective, inspired environment and our societies. I began looking for Transitioner is a constant process—this is opportunities to get more involved in this work, and challenging, cutting-edge work. We have a huge found Transition. mission and a small budget, so we have to be very resourceful and conscious of avoiding overwhelm. If I wanted to start a Transition town, what would I Here are some of the skills I see as especially have to do? Do I have to start an entire town? Can it important: be a household? 1. Systemic thinking: understanding the There are many ways to get involved in Transition. interconnectedness of the systems we depend First, find out if there is already a Transition on. Since most of our civilization depends on Initiative in your area (see transitionus.org/ fossil fuels to function, getting off fossil fuels initiatives-map). requires much more than putting up solar If there isn’t already an active Initiative in your area, panels. We need to redesign our food, water and I suggest starting small and building relationships. sanitation, transportation, housing, healthcare There’s a permaculture saying: “Start where you and manufacturing systems and so much more. are, with what you have.” That could be your home We need to think long-term and understand the or neighborhood. One thing I love about Transition impacts our choices as consumers and citizens folks is that most of us really “walk the talk.” We have on the big picture. embody a low-carbon lifestyle in our homes and 2. Community organizing: convening people personal lives, and can draw from that experience as around an important issue, inviting real we teach others in our community. participation, designing and executing a campaign or project and creating a sense of Transition Initiatives can form at whatever scale is community ownership over the process and most appropriate for your group and community outcome. This does not come naturally to (that’s why we’ve changed the name from everyone, but there are many resources and “Transition Town” to “Transition Initiative”)—a trainings you can draw from to learn and practice. neighborhood, town, city, island, valley, etc. 3. Good social and collaboration skills: self- The neighborhood is an important scale for building awareness, conscious communication, conflict community resilience, because we’re only as resilient resolution, etc. The hardest thing about working as those around us! We have a great project called with people is the people! This is especially true Transition Streets (transitionstreets.org) that helps in a collaborative, egalitarian, post-hierarchical people make changes to their own homes, meet their setting (like most Transition Initiatives). In order neighbors and start organizing on a neighborhood to work effectively as a group, you need to be very scale. aware of the way you yourself are showing up and participating, and be well-equipped to navigate We also recommend building a small team of interpersonal challenges with other members committed individuals who represent various parts of your group. Transition US provides a lot of of the community. Then as the effort grows, it will resources to support Transitioners in developing find a foothold and grow naturally within these these skills, like our “Effective Groups” and “Power circles as well as connect these circles to each other. of Conflict for Building Community” trainings.

20 nonviolence Marissa Mommaerts’ permaculture-style medicinal herb garden in Sebastopol, CA. Photo: Marissa Mommaerts, Transition US

4. Permaculture/homesteading/DIY/renewable also strive for a sense of balance between being energy, etc: hands-on, concrete skills that you can and doing. use to build resilience in your own life and share 6. Movement-building: collaboration with other with others. Teaching hands-on skills is a fun, community groups and local governments in empowering way to engage people in Transition, order to expand our base and grow our impact, as and it tends to be more successful than preaching well as collaboration with the broader Transition about what people should or shouldn’t be doing. We call this type of hands-on learning “reskilling.” movement to craft a shared narrative and strategy. Hands-on skills also provide a balance to the Gandhi created models of Transition Towns community organizing and advocacy work, where during his campaigns, but he called them ashrams, you don’t always see the direct results of your or spiritual communities. How do you see the efforts. I know many Transitioners who relax by Transition movement fitting into the nonviolent getting their hands in the dirt and growing things. revolution—building the world that works for 5. Inner resilience: personal practices to help you everyone? avoid burnout and be able to face the realities of the world we live in without being paralyzed by Much of the violence in our society is the result anger, grief or fear. I think this is part of what the of an economic system based on exploitation Metta Center for Nonviolence would call “person and extraction and an accompanying culture of power.” An important piece of Transition is our disconnection and isolation. Racial injustice, extreme “Inner Transition” work, which helps us build wealth inequality and even terrorism are all tied to inner resilience through positive visioning. Our the violent and oppressive methods the dominant Western culture (especially in the US) tends to be economy utilizes to extract resources, exploit labor more action-oriented than contemplative, so we and consolidate wealth.

nonviolence 21 Transition founder Rob Hopkins (turning compost) and members of Transition Milwaukee. Photo: Dan Felix, Transition Milwaukee

Transition was created to be a model for empowering We strive to create localized communities where individuals to take constructive action in creating people know their neighbors and see each other a world free from dependence on fossil fuels and a as friends and resources; where the economy is violent economic system, while at the same time re- based on relationships, and businesses exist to serve weaving the fabric of community and connection. the community rather than extract wealth and resources; where elders are valued and integrated Transition communities are re-imagining and re- into society; where diversity is seen as beneficial and designing the vital systems upon which we depend where fewer people are marginalized, vulnerable or (food, water, energy, transport, housing, healthcare, isolated. etc.) to be community-oriented and ecologically regenerative. Like Gandhi’s cotton campaign, As much as we can, we embody these ideals in our Transition—and countless other organizations daily lives, and we know at a visceral level what kind and movements around the world—are building of societal transformation will be possible once this an alternative economy from the bottom up, an fabric of community and connection really spreads economy that will someday either displace the and permeates our culture. dominant extractive economy or serve as a lifeboat when the dominant economy collapses. Look at One of the most inspiring and unique things about what has happened in places like Greece and Spain, Transition is the type of people it attracts: folks where economic collapse has led to the rise of who are warm, open-hearted, welcoming, tolerant, solidarity, gift and sharing economies. People are caring, generous.They share a positive vision of the coming together and helping each other meet their future (despite being all too aware of the realities basic needs. of the world in which we live). I know I can visit any Transition Initiative in the US and meet people The Metta Center for Nonviolence encourages who feel like family, who will open up their homes people in the nonviolent movement to personalize and share meals with me. And I will return the their relationships. How do Transition hospitality. communities build supportive, nurturing systems that undermine separation and competition? What community guidelines might people consider adopting, based on the experiences of those in the Transition is all about relationships and mutual Transition US movement? support: we believe connected communities are the foundation of the social change and ecological We don’t have any official guidelines, but rather a resilience we need in order to survive as humanity collective culture or ethos. Here are a few informal on this planet. guidelines for developing a more resilient community:

22 nonviolence 1. Get to know your neighbors—by more than just their first names. 2. Reduce consumption—buy less “stuff ” and use less energy. 3. Support local food producers and resilient regional food systems. 4. Know your watershed, and use water wisely. 5. Support local, independent and resilience- building businesses. 6. Switch to community-scale, renewable energy sources. 7. Walk, bike, carpool or use public transportation when possible, rather than driving a personal vehicle. Avoid flying, especially long distances. Photo: Radishes, via Pixabay 8. Reduce waste, recycle and start composting. 9. Build resilience on your street and in your neighborhood by using Transition Streets, facilitating an emergency preparedness plan or A couple of months before I moved out of my last holding block parties. rental house, we hosted a garden work party to help get our garden in good shape for the next tenants. 10. Collaborate with community groups, schools, We hoped that if the garden was attractive enough, libraries and more. future tenants would put as much love into it as 11. Get involved in local government. Show up to we did. In the three years we’d lived there, our city council meetings, hold your elected officials backyard had grown from a barren patch of earth accountable, collaborate with local government into a lush habitat for birds, bees and humans, with agencies or run for office. Develop your own lots of food and medicinal herbs. We wanted it to person power—your inner strength, resilience continue thriving. and self-awareness. I had expected a couple of people to show up for 12. Hone your skills in effective collaboration and the work party and help us pull some weeds, but conflict resolution. we had so many eager helpers that we were able to not only tidy up our backyard garden but also To learn more about each of these guidelines and install a beautiful front yard garden with raised beds tips for implementing them into your daily life, and a raspberry patch. It was an intergenerational, visit transitionstreets.org. You can also find a list of multicultural affair. My friend’s elderly father from principles and ingredients for Transition Initiatives Ecuador, formerly a carpenter, was having a blast at www.transitionus.org. building raised beds with help from a few younger folks. Neighbors drove by slowly, some of them In three words, what is the REAL transition you are taking photos of us. Everyone was just thrilled trying to manifest? to be enjoying a beautiful day together, “paying it forward” by creating this beautiful garden for Thriving resilient communities. whoever would be lucky enough to move in next. Looking around and seeing those happy faces—and Describe a joyous moment in your work. how the front yard had been transformed—I was “Work parties” are a staple of Transition. It’s a way filled with joy.n to build community while getting our hands dirty and creating concrete manifestations of the positive future we envision. The saying “many hands make Stephanie Van Hook is Executive Director of Metta light work” really rings true—it always surprises me Center for Nonviolence, Co-host of Nonviolence Radio that we seem to accomplish exponentially more work and author of Gandhi Searches for Truth: A Practical at work parties. Biography for Children.

nonviolence 23 Poetry

Photo: Lightning storm, via Pixabay

24 nonviolence weather

in all our solar system this thin shell of weather is all there is for us: an aura of viability, a halo of life, its breezes our breath, storms our cleansing.

it surrounds our ‘pale blue dot’ (as seen from Saturn, so minute in the vast vacuum of space) not as an eggshell which cracks to birth, but as a wisp of air without a second, once violated, lost or poisoned desolate like Mars deadly like Venus, and as a corona: a breathing, spherical, sustaining raiment: a crown for life as we know it.

Poem by James Phoenix. James is Vice President of the Metta Center for Nonviolence and a program officer with Fenwick Foundation. See more of his poetry: jamesphoenix.com.

nonviolence 25 Person Power & Unity

Climate Justice Advocates Step Up Their Resistance by KEVIN ZEESE and MARGARET FLOWERS

A March 2015 TPP protest in Dallas, Texas. Photo: Backbone Campaign, via Flickr

26 nonviolence A broad popular movement advocating for Port, the City and the community at large, and not economic, racial and environmental justice is bring an offshore drilling rig into Elliott Bay.” Shell resisting on many fronts of struggle. One front, the arrogantly ignored the commissioners, the mayor climate justice movement, is taking bold and creative and the people, proceeding before the legal review. action—and winning some victories. Advocates trained hundreds of people in Worldwide, there have been amazing protests kayaktivism; a dozen of them met the oil rig in the in recent years against coal, tar sands, offshore Port of Everett in a test for larger conflicts. Last oil, pipelines, fracking and nuclear power, not to May, when the rig came to Seattle, it was met by mention last year’s climate meetings in Paris. There hundreds of kayactivists. The drama, a David and are too many actions to describe in one short article, Goliath conflict of small kayaks facing a massive oil so we will highlight climate justice campaigns in the rig, created images that damaged Shell’s reputation. United States that stood out in the daily movement The leadership of indigenous descendants of Chief news we cover on Popular Resistance. We do not Seattle in the Lummi Youth Canoe highlighted the focus on one protest, because no single protest is history of the Duwamish people who inhabited the ever successful alone. It always takes a campaign of bay for thousands of years. persistent protests to win. While the kayactivists ultimately failed to stop the ARCTIC DRILLING STOPPED BY SHELL rig from leaving Seattle, the campaign continued. July 20 of last year brought a national day of action: NO! CAMPAIGN from California to Alaska and from Florida to Who can forget the images of hundreds of Massachusetts, hundreds of citizens participated in kayaktivists in Seattle and Portland blocking massive the “sHell No” Day of Action, with more than 20 oil drilling rigs, protesters repelling off a bridge in events in 15 states. Portland or six Greenpeace activists hanging on an The next big conflict in Portland on July 30, was oil-drilling rig in the ocean for days? The inspiring a two day kayactivist and bridge-hanging action, sHell No! campaign in 2015 demanded “Climate creating a human blockade on and over the water Justice Now” and helped stop Shell Oil’s drilling in to delay the exit of a Shell ice breaker. Sheriffs’ the Arctic. boats reacted aggressively, including running over This persistent, well-organized nonviolent direct a kayak. As kayaks were removed by police, more action campaign, highlighted by spectacle protests, canoes and kayaks joined. In the end, a massive was key to stopping arctic drilling. In the Northwest, fine of $2,500 per hour imposed by a court made the protests involved the creativity of the Backbone it impossible to continue the blockade and the ice campaign and the ethical leadership of indigenous breaker was able to leave port. peoples, along with 350.org, Climate Action Coalition, At the end of September, Shell announced it would Rising Tide, Greenpeace and others. end drilling in the arctic. One test well failed, and Activists not only put forward picturesque spectacles, the company admitted privately that it was taken but also lobbied the Port of Seattle Commissioners aback by the public protests against the drilling, with three hours of public comment and 74 which threatened to seriously damage Shell’s witnesses, pushing the commissioners to bow to reputation. Shell spent $7 billion on arctic drilling public pressure. They urged Shell to delay coming and took a $4 billion loss. During the three-year into the Seattle port, pending legal review. Seattle campaign the stock of Shell dropped, its public Mayor Ed Murray applauded the Port’s request: image took a major hit and the company knew an “I now hope Shell will respect the wishes of the escalation of protest was likely.

nonviolence 27 The 2015 Paddle in Seattle to to protest Shell Oil’s plans to drill in the Arctic. Photo: Backbone Campaign, via Flickr

The drama, a David and Goliath conflict of small kayaks facing a massive oil rig, created images that damaged Shell’s reputation.

EXPOSING FERC’S RUBBER-STAMPING by fracking and pipelines. The blockade at FERC OF CARBON INFRASTRUCTURE resulted in more than two dozen arrests. From there, BXE escalated its protests. In November The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 2014, BXE organized a weeklong FERC blockade. (FERC) has operated without public accountability They were joined by some participants from the for years. FERC is not funded by tax dollars but by cross-country Great Climate March. The blockade revenues from oil and gas permits and fees. FERC rubber stamps almost every request for oil and gas included amazing artwork by Kim Fraczek of The infrastructure, without considering the effects on People’s Puppets that served as blockade tools. public health and safety—or the cumulative impact Ten-foot-tall signs showed photographs of people of the thousands of miles of pipelines, compressor whose lives were being destroyed by FERC, large stations and export terminals on climate change. It banners had clear messages and a three-D model of actually defines the public interest as what is good communities impacted by FERC permits was glued for the market, which is another way of saying to the sidewalk, forcing police to destroy them. BXE profits for the oil and gas industry. calls the destruction of communities “communicide.” They also used hard block tactics with lockboxes An ongoing, multi-year campaign to expose FERC connecting half a dozen protesters together across by Beyond Extreme Energy (BXE) has shined a the driveway of the FERC garage. They organized public spotlight on FERC and its commissioners. a silent die-in at FERC emphasizing the climate The agency has never experienced pressure like pollution of the Pentagon. And the doors and garage this, leading a former chair of FERC, Cheryl of FERC were blockaded every day of the work LaFleur, to exclaim about the protests, “We have a week. There were more than 70 arrests. situation here.” The goals of BXE are to keep carbon energy in the ground, stop new permits for carbon The November action included a protest at the infrastructure and shift rapidly to clean, renewable Democratic National Committee, where specific energy. Democratic politicians were called out for their industry ties, at National Public Radio for airing false BXE’s first major action was a march and blockade pro-gas advertisements, on Capitol Hill protesting of FERC in July, 2014. BXE highlights communities the Trans-Pacific Partnership and at Cove Point impacted by FERC permits so the action featured against the export terminal, where 11 were arrested people from Cove Point, Maryland, where an for stopping construction by climbing a hill on the export terminal is being protested; Louisiana, work site. BXE showed how all issues are connected. where pipelines are being fought; Myersville, Maryland, where a compressor station is opposed BXE continues to escalate their tactics. They disrupt and communities in Pennsylvania being destroyed FERC’s monthly public meetings with interruptions

28 nonviolence by residents of front-line communities. They The multi-state AIM pipeline is being protested in occupied the sidewalk in front of FERC for a week, a coordinated way across the Northeast. Activists held an 18-day fast, blocked streets around FERC dropped banners in Spectra’s headquarters and with banners and a tripod and cooked and served in state regulatory agencies, sat in at the offices of pancakes with the last syrup from a maple farm National Grid, an energy corporation, and protested that FERC destroyed. They have visited the homes speeches of elected officials; more than 155 have of FERC commissioners, first to deliver Valentines been arrested attempting to delay the AIM pipeline. urging protection of people and the planet and then In New York, where the governor and both senators visiting again to provide a meal and information oppose the pipeline, which goes a few hundred to neighbors about their FERC commissioner feet from a nuclear power plant, a recent creative neighbors’ role in destroying the planet. protest was placing a remodeled shipping container, a sustainable living space for two people, on the COMMUNITY-BASED PIPELINE PROTESTS pipeline path. In West Roxbury, Massachusetts, Protests by BXE are synergistic with scores of waves of protests by business people, faith leaders, communities that are protesting pipelines and community leaders and climate activists have stopped carbon infrastructure. Protests have a significant construction for the year. FANG also protested at impact by delaying, increasing costs and stopping the offices of State Street Corporation, a major AIM pipelines. The engineering consultants Black and pipeline funder. Spectra’s profits have declined for Veatch recently published a report that said the most the last five quarters, ranging from 12 percent to 80 significant barrier to building new pipeline capacity percent in each quarter. Whistleblowers have come was “delay from opposition groups.” forward to describe workplace safety violations that risk a catastrophic accident. There are so many excellent protests, but we can only highlight a handful in this space. Vermont Rising Tide has used blockades, lock downs, tree-sits and NO MORE OIL AND GAS LEASES protests at the homes of government officials to delay BY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT the Vermont Gas Pipeline. Fighting Against Natural Gas (FANG) has run a series of protests against a A series of protests against oil and gas leases have fracked-gas power plant in Burrillville, Rhode Island shut down efforts to lease land and offshore areas for and Spectra’s AIM Pipeline. The Cowboy and Indian extraction of oil and gas. As a result of these protests, Alliance and indigenous groups are protesting the government is moving towards online auctions pipelines across their lands in the midwest by for leases of public lands. No doubt this will be met building structures and camps to block the path. with new kinds of protests to stop leasing online.

nonviolence 29 On March 24, 2016, hundreds of protesters in New DC, marches through cities and other spectacle Orleans occupied the Superdome, where an auction actions. The pressure from the movement forced the of 43 million acres of oil and gas leases in the Gulf government to release the text, which has resulted of Mexico was to take place. Courageous activists in more opposition. As of this writing, the agreement overwhelmed the auction with a resounding “NO” is stalled in Congress, preventing its ratification, to further oil extraction by the same people that and the movement was building a #NoLameDuck brought the Gulf BP Oil Disaster in 2010, which rebellion to halt a vote this fall. continues to decimate communities and ecosystems along the Gulf Coast. The auction was canceled. LESSONS FOR NONVIOLENT DIRECT ACTION

On May 17 of this year, dozens of people disrupted These campaigns achieved various levels of success a Bureau of Land Management oil and gas lease and provide important lessons. They are campaigns sale in Salt Lake City, Utah. This action followed that can last months or years. Here are some key on the heels of weeks of worldwide protests and features: disruptions calling for an immediate end to all fossil fuel development. As soon as the auction ▪ Persistence is critical. Activists are always told began, members of the audience erupted into song. that they are not having an impact, even though The police quickly told everyone that they would they are. And activists never know how close be asked to leave if they continued to sing. The they are to success. It often comes as a surprise. audience continued, and the police started removing ▪ Clear messaging and bold action to gain people by force. A small group linked arms and sat attention are important. Campaigns used grand down. Wave after wave of people continued the song spectacle actions that could not be ignored in rounds. that provided dramatic images with simple messages that were shared on social media and STOPPING THE GLOBAL CORPORATE COUP: by corporate media. THE TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP ▪ Protests focused not only on the corporations but also on their funders and decision-makers. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will have an The strategic aggressiveness of these protests impact on many issues, including climate change. angered regulatory agencies, elected officials Like all trade agreements, it will be a binding and investors. Protests also held decision-makers agreement and enforceable, unlike the climate personally responsible by interrupting public agreement in Paris. The TPP will drive more events and taking actions to their homes so their extreme extraction for carbon and nuclear energy family, friends and neighbors were made aware and export of oil and gas. There has been a multi- of their decisions. Escalation of protests kept year campaign to stop the TPP, building the largest their targets off guard, not knowing what to and most diverse movement to stop rigged corporate expect. trade agreements in history. ▪ Linking the climate crisis to other issues The climate movement has been an active broadened the movement and nurtured its power. participant in the campaign to stop the TPP by These protests ultimately show that nonviolent bringing anti-TPP messaging into their actions direct action is effective. As more people learn about and by bringing their direct action skills to target and are inspired to join the movement, people the TPP. The messages are: “TPP equals climate power grows. The climate justice movement is catastrophe” and “There is no climate justice without expanding, achieving victories at a critical time in trade justice.” human history. n A huge challenge in the TPP fight is making the public aware of its existence and its threats. The government negotiated the TPP in secret and prevented the public, media and US Congress from knowing what was in it. Protests exposed secret negotiations using massive weather balloons flying over the meeting sites, multiple banners covering the Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers co-direct US Trade Representative building in Washington, PopularResistance.org.

30 nonviolence Scholarship & Culture Climate Justice & Nonviolence: Inseparable Aims

by RANDALL AMSTER

Teaching at the intersection of peace/nonviolence and environment/climate, I’ve found it increasingly evident that meaningful progress in either sphere is impossible without paying attention to both. The arc of peace studies as an interdisciplinary, holistic school of thought has been moving in this direction for decades, and likewise environmental studies has long recognized the centrality of social and political concerns. Students today readily grasp the realization that “wicked” problems require “kind” solutions.

At the same time, it would be an overstatement to suggest that an environmentally sustainable society is automatically a peaceful one, or that the absence of Photo: Kids play with water, via Pexels hostilities directly yields greater ecological wisdom. The spheres are interconnected, but not necessarily in a linear causal manner. Rather, it might be said all of these points, we come to see other people as that the same policies and practices that enable connected to ourselves—and all of us together as the potential for a peaceful world—including the intimately interconnected with the habitat itself. absence of systemic violence and the presence of These are merely some of the ways that social justice, the capacity to manage conflicts in a environmental and social issues intersect. The healthy way and the embrace of nonviolence as not silver lining of this era of profound crisis is that merely a set of tactics but as a way of life—are also it amplifies this nexus in a clear and compelling part and parcel of achieving justice when it comes to manner, bringing us to a recognition that our environmental and climate-related issues. collective future will only be ensured through action in concert and wise policy-making at every For instance, mitigating systemic (or structural) level of governance. In the end, the stark choice violence entails addressing profound inequalities at before us indicates that we can have both peace and all levels, which have been found to correlate with sustainability, or neither. More succinctly, we might poor environmental outcomes and climate change say (as those before us have) that the ultimate choice alike. Simply put, people and their environments is between nonviolence and nonexistence. This is fare better when greater opportunities and equities our generational crucible. n are present. Similarly, the capacity to prevent conflicts from escalating to violence applies not only in human-human interactions, but to the human- nature interface as well; this can serve to avert not Randall Amster, JD, PhD, is Director of the Program on only escalating “resource wars” with other nations Justice and Peace at Georgetown University. He is also the but also associated “scorched earth” practices. editor-in-chief of Contemporary Justice Review and And when we apply the tenets of nonviolence at author of Peace Ecology (Routledge, 2015).

nonviolence 31 Scholarship & Culture Who Do We Owe? by ABRAHAM ENTIN

Illustration: Graphic representing economy and taxes, via Pixabay

The question of debt has emerged as the defining This debt is often couched in moral terms: We owe issue of our era. Whether it is students entering their because we lack impulse control, and our “bad lives burdened by unpayable loans or countries being behavior” catches up with us. Yet, putting aside the called upon to adopt “austerity” policies that cripple fact that our whole economic system is based on their populations, we all seem to be sharing the plight convincing people they “need” whatever is being of the coal miner described in the song “Sixteen sold to them, most of today’s debt has little to do Tons”—to work hard all our lives and die in debt. with our inability to control our impulses. There is much more debt in the world than there is money and, in our system, money is created by debt. Young people are told that their future depends on What this means is that, even if we as a world wanted getting a good education, and they take on debt to to get out of debt, it is impossible under the current get that education. When they graduate, the good system. And, since the power in a creditor-debtor jobs are not there. Instead, trillions of dollars in relationship seems to lie with the creditor, we feel stuck. student debt is weighing down a generation.

32 nonviolence St. Peter don’t you call me ’Cause I can’t go I owe my soul To the Company Store ~ “Sixteen Tons” by Merle Travis (1947)

Similarly, we haven’t put into place a health care to renewables would imperil the dividends” and system that covers everyone and removes the doing so should therefore be opposed. The fact that profit motive from medicine. The result is that continued reliance on fossil fuels imperils the planet the principal reason for personal bankruptcy is is of secondary concern. Indeed, the revealed history medical emergency. We didn’t let daddy die—is that that the entire fossil fuel industry was aware of and really a moral failing (as a dad, I hope not!)? The covered up the effects of its policies for decades calls next largest source of these personal bankruptcies into question whether it is a concern at all. is mortgages that cannot be paid, and the events of the last 10 years have shown the institutional These decisions have created a legal and cultural responsibilities associated with these filings. environment that calls for new and creative ways to oppose corporate power over our lives and our Our economic system utilizes monetary debt as an planet. organizing principle, leaving us no funds to replace our crumbling infrastructure, educate our people or An essay by Ronnie Cummings, the director of the generally serve human needs. Organic Consumers Association, asks “What would Gandhi do?” in response to the signing of the The most important institution in our existing DARK (Deny Americans the Right to Know) Act, economic system is the corporation, which holds which voided Vermont’s mandatory law for labeling our political system hostage and defines what GMO food and therefore makes it even harder to is important in our culture. The United States learn what is in the food we eat. On the one hand Supreme Court has established, through a long Cummings points to political and economic tactics series of decisions, that the rights formerly associated (boycotts, etc), and on the other the support of and belonging to human beings extend to these alternative sources of food that are more in keeping artificial economic “beings” as well. “Corporate with the values we hold (organic, sustainable, personhood” is the term most often associated with etc). His piece indicates a larger movement and this phenomenon, and it has aided and abetted this phenomenon that is closely allied with a nonviolent process by allowing corporations to buy elections and positive response to the issues facing us as a and have the same free-speech rights as individual world today. It is the recognition of karma (the human beings. Since 2012, Citizens United has principle of cause and effect) as a reality that is symbolized elevating the rights of money over the deeply embedded in human existence. rights of people. People understand karma as a form of debt. This is Of equal importance was the 1919 decision in correct. It is the debt that we owe to each other, to the Dodge vs. Ford, which established the “fiduciary planet and to the cosmos for our existence and continued responsibility to the shareholders” as the most evolution. It is a recognition of our interdependence important activity of a corporation. Making money, and of our need for each other. When we say “I owe in other words, became the primary goal of a public you one” to a friend who has done something for us, corporation. This goal leads, inexorably, to the or to make up for a hurt we have done to another, it statement by Shell Oil’s CEO that “moving too soon is an acknowledgment of this reality.

nonviolence 33 Photo: Children walking down a gravel lane, via Pixabay

The most significant place that this principle is This recognition elevates us as human/spiritual being recognized today is within recent economic beings. It is a crucial step in the development of experiments. One is the emergence of Benefit an economic system based upon love, which has Corporations, also known as B Corps, legal entities its roots in sharing and concern for the other. This that specifically repudiate the single-minded is the “next system,” the one that replaces the attention to profitability built into the C Corp monetary debt that chokes and degrades us, with the described above. Benefit Corporations incorporate debt that leads us into work in service to each other. the “triple bottom line” into their structure, It is happening now, being born in community emphasizing that a commitment to People and gardens and worker co-ops, in alternative currencies Planet are equal in importance to Profit. based upon service and in the many social, cultural and economic experiments and institutions coming The second and, to my mind, more significant into being around the world. We are establishing a development is the fantastic growth of the Fair worldwide web of conscious interdependence that Trade movement as a replacement to the “free- appreciates the value of everyone. We are building trade” agreements that leave money free to race the nonviolent future, even in the midst of the chaos to the bottom in terms of labor and environmental around us. n regulation. Fair Trade is built upon the recognition that the people who grow and pick our food and other crops, who sew our garments and work in our factories, are our partners in these enterprises and that we must act in ways that are mutually beneficial. Fair Trade recognizes the “high cost of cheap goods” to the planet and the people who produce these goods. When we recognize that we who purchase Abraham Entin is a lifelong activist for nonviolent social and use these products are also paying a steep price, transformation as well as a singer, songwriter and dancer. He then we are acting on the principle of karma. lives in Sonoma County, California with his wife of 41 years.

34 nonviolence nonviolence 35 Interviews & Insights Q&A: Rachel Marco-Havens by STEPHANIE VAN HOOK

All photos courtesy of Earth Guardians

As a gifted “solutionary artivist,” Rachel grab right in my backyard. A small and cherished Marco-Havens maintains a strong focus on lake was up for grabs by Niagara Bottling Company women’s leadership, youth empowerment and and the deal was well in the works. Historically, the intergenerational connections. She serves as New NIMBY [not in my backyard] attitude of my local York Chapter Director and Youth Engagement community wasn’t one for winning in situations Coordinator for Earth Guardians, an organization like this, and I expected the tapping of 1.75 million working to empower youth leadership in the climate gallons per day would become a reality. justice movement. Rachel also hosts The Same Boat Radio, a two-hour show that airs Monday evenings Fortunately, in another town affected by this on WIOF, a community station in Woodstock, NY. proposal, a group of powerful women was forming and I joined them. It was a crash course in policy, How did you become involved with Earth Guardians? economic development, state environmental quality In the autumn of 2014, I went to a Harvest review and general water protection. Governmental Gathering in upper Michigan produced by an transparency through civic engagement at it’s finest. incredible music collective called EarthWorks. It I was thirsty to learn, and my novice approach to was a rich and active artisan community, where the work had me asking questions and a willingness people fused music, social justice, farm justice, native to make risky moves that more experienced activists tradition and art and spirituality in quite an elegant weren’t taking. When I called my team to go after way. I was inspired to the point of tears. I cried the economic development grants, it was from a place of entire 17-hour drive back to Woodstock. The closer sheer guts and in some respects, naïveté. I felt like I got to “home,” the more real it became that I was a driven, tenacious kid. We blocked the granting of driving to a place that felt far from an activated consolidated funding (what we later heard to the community. When I landed and checked back into tune of $10 million or so), turning Niagara’s project social media I was made aware of a corporate water on its heels.

36 nonviolence To be an earth guardian is to recognize the importance of taking local action for global regeneration.

Soon after, we stepped up our efforts to stop tax and atmosphere for a just and healthy planet. To be abatements through StartUpNY, a program our an earth guardian is to recognize the importance governor was pushing. This program pushed of taking local action for global regeneration. At industry into communities using state colleges least that’s how I see it. Earth guardians focus on as the gateway, offering the youth “opportunity” bringing your creative input to a bigger mission. If through internships. The students resisted the idea we all work in our local communities however we of a bottling company in the community much can, we naturally give back to the greater whole. less the “opportunity” to serve millions of plastic That could mean making art, marching in rallies bottles to our oceans. At the forefront of the student and taking direct action (always nonviolent, of resistance to StartUpNY was a young woman named course), learning about urban planning or making Aidan Ferris. She was newly working with Earth music to bring awareness about what’s happening in Guardians. our communities and around the world. This planet My entry into social and environmental justice work, isn’t going anywhere, but if we are going to remain and a natural calling for the youth perspective, on it and survive with any comfort, we need to be selfish enough to protect the only Mother Earth we led me to reach out to her. We started the Earth know. Guardians New York Crew—it’s a volunteer effort that now supports new crews as they pop up around There is room and opportunity for anyone to join the state. Aidan and I both work for the Boulder, this movement. Engaging intergenerational equity Colorado organization remotely from our storefront allows us all to learn from each other as we grow to office in Woodstock. protect the planet and the people on it. None of us has room to turn away from protecting the planet, What does it mean to be an Earth Guardian? and what motivates me is to see and support more Earth Guardians is a youth-led intergenerational and more young people taking leadership and organization working to protect the earth, air, water speaking truth to power.

nonviolence 37 You use the term “solutionary activation.” What We are always more powerful when we operate with does this mean, and how do we access it in love and compassion. ourselves? How does your experience as an artist overlap One of the things that turned me off about and intersect with your work in the climate justice “activism” was that I would look around and see movement? people protesting, pushing against systems that I am a writer, a designer and a thinker. I cannot seemed to grow in strength as the resistance grew. survive on numbers and policy. Once I started I have a strong belief that our focus is power. So it prioritizing this work, I had to find ways to express was my inclination to keep my focus on prayer and my creativity within the work. I sometimes wish I positive visualization. But eventually you have to get had more time to be immersed in my art, so I have off the cushion and take action. In doing so, it is very to make everything I do be that art. So, I make short clear to me that moving toward a solution rather films about the work we do. Or I make the memes than pushing against a perceived reality, or worst- and the flyers for events we host. case scenario, is far more effective when put into practice. We must hold the vision of solutions when Most of my work with Earth Guardians is we do this work, or we will burn out before we see volunteer-based, so it is imperative that I keep my entrepreneurial endeavors alive. Check out the results we seek. my poetry card deck at haikuforthought.com. So it may be your way to plant a garden that My most recent project is “Vocal Cords” sequesters carbon, regenerates the soil and feeds (vocalcordsinspire.com), which are single beads on the community; write music that inspires people to hemp string that have been prayed upon, to support wake up or make art or hold your elected officials the fifth chakra in expressing pointed messages. accountable. The Hopi prophecies point to these Life is art! days we are in, and they have said time and time You were in North Dakota when I asked you to again, the state of the world will depend on the do this interview, as a spokesperson for Earth mindset of the people on the planet. We can look Guardians. Can you share a bit of what you into the darkness ahead and mine the worst-case experienced there, to emphasize what is emerging scenarios, or we can turn a light on and assess a in this movement of #NoDAPL protectors? pathway forward, into illumination and positive A quiet storm is brewing at Standing Rock—one of change. I choose the latter. There are answers to of connection, intention and inspiration rising out of these climate disasters. turmoil.

What are three life lessons that fuel your creative The young people of North and South Dakota called action? a movement to rise, and the response has been Trust the creative process. immense. Indigenous tribes the world over, along with their allies and supporters, are galvanizing Intuition does not manifest as fear, but rather offers to support a movement representative of the direction toward a positive outcome. vulnerability of all of our futures.

38 nonviolence The indigenous communities joining this work and meditation, it is easy to rest in a desensitized are in grave danger. And it is not just this pipeline mode. But for Native people, who have to be seeking to run the dirtiest oil on the planet through stripped of their heritage and pummeled into native country and across the planet; there are removing their heart from the song, this is not a several other pipelines being revealed, and they are natural way to be. all connected to the systemic attack on indigenous communities since the white man arrived on Turtle The pipeline to missing native women and girls: Island. When a land is being stripped of its resources, “jobs” are “created.” Men from all over the country When you try to strip a community of their come to cash in. When you put thousands of men language, their traditions, their history, you fail the in dormitory-style living, you can imagine how the greater whole and find that you can’t completely rates of human trafficking, prostitution and missing waste a people without repercussions. It is clear women and girls goes up. that one pipeline feeds another, and we can see the methods in place. One of the biggest questions I came away with is two-fold: How can we, the older generation, release The pipeline to drug and alcohol addiction: Just our jaded beliefs that we know what is best and about every native nation, globally, is in defense of offer the guidance the youth are asking for in a way land, rights, tradition and culture. It is not difficult that is fluid enough to allow ceremony to reveal to understand how the drugs being pumped onto solutions that use both innovation and centuries-old reservations are being consumed and consuming traditions? lives daily. Youth, elders, allies, supporters, activators, The pipeline to the US military: Strip a community storytellers, seers, thinkers, doers—we need each of promise and then send in military recruiters other. And we had all better be praying. There is to swoop in with promise of a “future.” The immense prayer happening at Standing Rock. And veteran cemetery on the edge of the reservation is from that prayer it is becoming more and more heartbreaking to see. Row after row after row of apparent to the movement that the young people native-filled graves. Young, hopeful people who are the ones with the balance to see us out of this bought the lie and came home in a body bag. mess. We need to work with them. We must support The pipeline to disease: The native communities are them. We cannot leave the mess we made for them so impoverished that the flood of processed white to clean up. flour and industrial foods is killing our people. What is rising out of the Standing Rock #NoDAPL Diabetes is rampant across the US and triple the rate movement? in native country. The youth. The youth are the new elders, and they The pipeline to prison: The drugs, the disconnection are taking the lead in an intergenerational evolution from tradition and sacred ceremony leaves little to as they call for the guidance of ancient tradition. live for. For white America just now finding yoga They see all of the pipelines I’ve just described.

nonviolence 39 without fresh water. In Bhutan, their crew focuses on litter removal and being civically engaged in environmental policy. Just about every Earth Guardian crew manifests out of an environmentally or socially challenged front line.

Earth Guardians is growing, transforming and nurturing partnerships to support youth empowerment and regeneration for the health and safety of future generations. One of our most inspiring partnerships is with Our Children’s Trust, an organization supporting young people in taking And most certainly awareness. About the Dakota legal action toward climate justice. Currently, Access Pipeline, about pipelines in general—fracked Xiuhtezcatl Tonatiuh Martinez, Earth Guardians’ gas, Bakken crude—and the others I mentioned, all youth director, and four of our RYSE Youth Council of which threaten native lives every day. members, are plaintiffs in the landmark case of 21 kids suing the federal government for the An incredible phenomena that I see arising is rather exponential buildout of fossil fuel infrastructure and fascinating. While it is usually a NIMBY attitude that knowingly breaching their responsibility to protect brings people to take action, this is happening in the public trust. reverse. People are being moved by the movement to support the Native People of the Sioux Nations Young kids everywhere are stepping up to take in the Dakotas, and that is causing them to turn leadership and are making waves. back and notice that this, and similar affronts to our health safety and that of the planet’s, is happening Meditation, yoga, prayer, spiritual practice... How all over the land some call the United States. Now, do they fit into the picture for you? people are turning to see the CPV plant, the I have been a student of Tibetan Buddhism for the pipeline or bomb train going through their own last 25 years. My teachers have given me the gift neighborhoods. of meditation-in-action. When our focus is upon mindfulness and lovingkindness and compassion, We need to remember that the work we are doing we grow to share that with ourselves and others in to shift this fossil foolery in every community is practice, and we can take it anywhere. All that I have supporting that of Standing Rock and vice-versa. learned in the first half of my life, I apply in this It is time for our collective evolvement, and the stage, where I went from praying for the movement Standing Rock movement, started by young people, to flowing within the movement. The water calls us is a clear indicator that we may be moving in the to be fluid and shows us that paddling upstream right direction. and pushing against the system is not the way to What are some Earth Guardian successes? What change what is happening on shore. I must always kinds of tools are the youth using to organize and remember to take the path of least resistance, as my mobilize earth protection? inclination is to fiercely protect what I find to be sacred, whether that is our children, our elders, the The organization is a success in itself as we voiceless, disabled or disenfranchised. It is a striving organically grow, crew by crew. Each chapter to find and choose the nurturing, healing and loving celebrates different successes in their local methods of change. community. Some are stopping gas or oil pipelines, some are planting gardens and learning how to The Vajrayana, or Tantric tradition, is one of grow food and medicine. In Togo, Africa, their transformation, so I am constantly working to crew has planted thousands of trees and is now transform energy, and in this work, there are a working to provide filtration systems to communities lot of lotuses to bloom from a murky and muddy

40 nonviolence landscape. We must be able to see the desired fight for the space for them to express themselves outcome, or our work is for naught. Meditation, among other adults. It’s not always easy, because in action or on the cushion, is our greatest asset in the entitlement is something we think we earn with prioritizing social and environmental work, because age. I am constantly checking myself, and reminding without something to calm, center and cleanse the young people to challenge my opinion. To practice mind, heart and spirit, we would never be able to taking their space with me while they can. sustain the energy to continue forward. There are I do a lot of different things with and for Earth far too many adverse energies working against our Guardians, but my most cherished work is efforts for us to be counteracting ourselves as well. supporting the RYSE Youth Council, which is made Nonviolence is… up of 18 members who are working around North America to bring regenerative change in their own The only way that we are going to balance the communities. Encouraging their work is the most violent acts of degradation and desecration of our rewarding way that I can be spending my time. Mother Earth. We cannot fight violence with more violence. We continue to prove that we cannot be When you give opportunities to young people, they successful when we push against the systems that take off running. Worlds are being changed because bind us. We must recreate them with open hearts of their efforts. It is all about them, and they are and open arms, for these are the only tactics we have teaching me new ways of considering this life. not committed to trying as a collective conscience. It is time to try nonviolent acts of transformation. The Past or present, whom would you like to have funny part is that it will be less work to do so. dinner with? You can pick more than one person. Miriam Makeba, the first South African musician Do you have a theme song right now? to “make it” in the West and a powerhouse who Alex Schein’s acoustic version of “Rise Up.” overcame more adversity and hardship than any The message is this: of us in America could imagine. She died on stage while in performance at 76 years old. She was one of It’s time for the women to rise up the greatest voices of our time, and her life was an It’s time for the man to take a stand inspiration. It’s time for the child to realize It’s all on our hands Grace Lee Boggs began her path of action as It’s time if you know what’s right a fiercely militant civil rights activist who, with It’s time if you feel it inside age, found that conversation and reflective It’s time communication could turn Revolution to Evolution. Let it go and let your love Her mission came out of the turbulent and Rise up, rise up extremely violent environment of Detroit in the 1960s. If there is anyone who could share the value What about a personal mission statement? of nonviolence with us, it would be her. n “The bucket is smaller than it appears, think every drop.”

What insights can you share about effectively empowering and working with youth? I was raised to use my voice and to believe in myself as a viable member of society. But outside of the confines of my home and close community, it was Stephanie Van Hook is Executive Director of Metta clear that the voices of young people were not Center for Nonviolence, Co-host of Nonviolence Radio held in the same regard. Since I began working to and author of Gandhi Searches for Truth: A Practical empower young people, I find myself having to Biography for Children.

nonviolence 41 Scholarship & Culture

How Maine Small Farmers Spun Gandhi’s Wheel of Constructive Program by RIVERA SUN

Photo: Freshly harvested potatoes, via Pixabay

42 nonviolence Wearing mud-caked blue jeans and standing in a field with a dusty potato in my hands, I was 5,000 miles and 10 years away from the words climate justice, constructive program and Gandhian nonviolence. But, as a hard working girl on my family’s farm Local food is helping in Northern Maine, I was playing a small role in the local food movement. Every organic potato I end the extractive harvested was helping transform the state of Maine. relationship between We didn’t set out to prepare Maine for the climate crisis and the rising need for a localized, regional, box stores and local sustainable food system. We didn’t know that our small organic farm, along with others, would communities. help replace mega-corporations in grocery store produce sections and bump California produce off Maine’s kitchen tables. At that point in time, we certainly never imagined that one day we’d grow big and women as an act of resistance to the British enough to kick industrial, toxic and unsustainable Empire. The Indian Independence movement agriculture off the menus of some of Maine’s organized picketing campaigns outside cloth import hospitals, public schools and universities. Yet in the shops. The charkha, or spinning wheel, revitalized fields of Northern Maine, my two parents and four an ancient Indian symbolism and became the icon of siblings found ourselves in a parallel position to the independence movement. Gandhi’s spinning Indians: willing to work, ready to produce and no one to buy our local products. Just as the charkha evoked deep symbolism in the Indians, local food holds a powerful place in the When my parents discovered that the large grocery psyche of people from Maine. Up until the 1940s, store chains wouldn’t deal with small growers who we produced most of our food in our backyards and couldn’t deliver mass quantities to dozens of look- on small farms. Throughout the state, the idea of alike box stores, they formed a cooperative of 10 a local food movement tapped into Mainers’ long- small farms throughout Aroostook County who standing independence, self-reliance and stubborn would pool inventory and split shipping costs. Then pride. It also activated our historic rebelliousness my father got on the phone to restaurateurs, natural and mischievous inclination to fight the powers-that- food stores and buying clubs to start building a be. By buying local food, many Mainers understood market for Maine’s small farmers. Bringing my that we were snubbing mega-corporations, out-of- siblings and I along with him, he went to one store state interests and the industrial agriculture giants after another serving hot-baked potato samples, that had destroyed our local food economy in the talking about small farms and asking Maine first place. customers to support Maine produce. It worked. After all, who can resist smiling teenage redheads Twenty years later, our family’s cooperative, Crown handing you slices of rosemary-roasted potato and O’ Maine Organic Cooperative, supplies Maine-made informing you that buying a bag of potatoes today produce and products throughout the state, serving means survival for the family? a wide network of small and mid-sized farms; local restaurants; natural food stores; regular grocery If I had known my nonviolent history back then, stores; buying clubs; hospital and business cafeterias; I would have recognized the similarities between the University of Maine dining halls and some public my family’s efforts and how Gandhi launched the and private elementary, middle and high schools. We spinning program and went to the Indians who were are part of a multi-stranded movement for local food buying imported British cloth, imploring them to that has steadily and profoundly transformed the give up the imports and support their countrymen culture and economy of Maine.

nonviolence 43 A farmer‘s market customer selects an apple. Photo: Erik Scheel

Currently, local food is the fastest growing sector springing up throughout the state—to protect the of the Maine economy—a fact that helped Maine land, water, air; to stand up for the treaty rights of citizens demand and pass GMO labeling laws our indigenous tribes; to stop water privatization through the state legislature. Local food is helping and to halt fossil fuel infrastructure. Our renewed end the extractive relationship between box stores respect for our soil and water, fisheries, fields and and local communities by returning the money to forests plays a pivotal role in what propels people the local economy, instead of sending those dollars into action. out of state to corporate giants and extremely wealthy individuals like the Walton family, who own One way to honor the work being done by the Wal-Mart. people of Maine to transform themselves and their communities is to replicate it where you live. Start Like Gandhi’s constructive programs, the most to build local self-reliance, sustainability and a profound effects of Maine’s local food movement vibrant food-based economy. Start an urban farm are within the hearts and minds of the people, in an abandoned lot; turn your parents’ suburban increasing self-respect, dignity and appreciation front lawn into a garden or set up a small farm of the values of cultural diversity. It revitalized cooperative in your own rural region. communities, building connections between neighbors, residents and growers. Many tiny Maine As with Gandhi’s salt and spinning wheel campaigns, towns have experienced a resurgence of arts, the magic is in the making. It is the time spent cultural events and even a resurrection of their spinning wool, or the taste of independence in downtowns. Young people are returning to Maine, a locally-foraged pinch of salt, that provides the often to become farmers, growers and producers. transformation. We each must plant our seeds and Being a farmer in Maine is turning into an honored harvest the change in our own lives—and in our profession, much loved among the communities own communities. The future of our planet and our there. Maine has become a place of increasing hope species depends on it. n and opportunity for young people, older people and farming families. The constructive program of the local food movement played a vital role in this transformation. Rivera Sun is an activist, poet and author of several In a time of climate crisis, the groundwork of novels, including The Dandelion Insurrection. She is resilience, connection, community and caring for also the co-host of Love (and Revolution) Radio and the the land and water has had a profound impact. programs coordinator for Campaign Nonviolence. Learn Today, nonviolent movements and campaigns are more about her at riverasun.com.

44 nonviolence Photo: Potatoes, via Pixabay

nonviolence 45 Interviews & Insights Indigenous Women of the Americas— Defenders of Mother Earth Treaty Compact 2015 by INDIGENOUS RISING

Indigenous women leaders of the North and South Americas signed a first-ever treaty last year declaring solidarity in the movement to protect Mother Earth from extractive industries. The full text of their treaty follows.

46 nonviolence For the purpose of perpetuating the friendship As Indigenous Women of the Americas, we which heretofore existed, as also to remove understand the responsibilities toward the sacred all future cause of dissension, as it respects system of life given to us by the Creator to protect responsibilities, trade and friendship between the territorial integrity of Mother Earth and Indigenous Women of the Americas. To further Indigenous Peoples. These responsibilities include re-establish the undersigned’s desire to protect the the safety, health and well-being of our children and territories, sovereignty and peaceful lifeways of those yet to come, as well as the children of all of each Indigenous Nation within the Natural Laws our non-human relatives, the seeds of the plants and and Creative Principles of Mother Earth and Father those unseen. These responsibilities demand that we Sky, Traditional Headwomen have agreed to the act to ensure healthy air, water, soil, seeds and a safe following articles: climate so that life may continue.

nonviolence 47

Rally in September 2016 supporting indigenous solidarity against the Dakota Pipeline. Photo: Peg Hunter, via Flickr There are those who have forgotten that we live in a natural system with natural laws that govern that system: the Laws of Mother Earth and Father Sky. These laws have been violated to such an extreme degree that the sacred system of life is now threatened and does not have the capacity for life to continue safely in the way in which it has existed for millions of years. We understand that violations of the Laws of Mother Earth are also violations against women—we are inseparable. These violations have led to the untold numbers of missing, murdered, raped and enslaved women.

The violations of these Laws have led to ocean acidification and warming, sea level rise, devastating fires, floods, extreme heat, cyclones, hurricanes, tornadoes, species extinction (because of what our species has done, Mother Earth has lost half of her species since 1960), epidemic rates of cancers and autoimmune diseases, the poisoning and privatization of fresh water in lakes, rivers, streams and aquifers as well as polluted air and soil. Additionally, genetically modified seeds and life forms have been created, which threaten to destroy the sacred system of life that has taken millions of years to achieve its present state.

We understand that the system of laws in many governments around the world have been crafted to support an economic and corporate system that is destroying the ability of life to exist in the manner in which it has existed for millennia. The economic system of the world has exploited and abused nature, pushing Mother Earth to her limits, so much that the system has accelerated dangerous and fundamental changes in the climate. Mother Earth is the source of life which needs to be protected, not a resource to be exploited and commodified as “natural capital.” We are seeing the world expanding the commodification, financialization and privatization of the functions of Mother Earth that places a price on forests, air, soils, biodiversity and nature causing more inequality and destruction of nature and the environment. We cannot put the future of nature and humanity in the hands of financial speculative mechanisms like carbon trading and REDD.

We understand that we do not have the time to change this system in the manner in which these systems are normally changed. We understand that we have run out of time.

48 nonviolence In light of these facts, we invite all women of the We call upon our sisters and their allies around the world to join us, your Indigenous Sisters of the world to gather together on each new moon to pray Americas, to put a stop to the destruction. We are for the sacred system of life, guidance and wisdom, drawing the line and saying that the harms stop and, on every solstice and equinox to: here and now. No more fossil fuel infrastructure or ▪ Become educated concerning the harms to life extraction, no more genetically modified organisms, and the environment no more toxins in our water, soil and air and no more commodifying and privatizing of the earth, ▪ Pledge to support the rights of Indigenous air, water, soil and natural systems. Mother Earth Peoples and her natural resources cannot sustain the ▪ Inform yourself and join the circles of global consumption and production needs of this modern resistance demanding a new system that seeks industrialized society. harmony between humans and the rights of Mother Earth There are times in history when it becomes necessary for the people to rise up to change the ▪ Pledge to nonviolence and become trained in intolerable. There is nothing more intolerable than nonviolent direct action the destruction of thousands of species, including ▪ Nonviolently rise up with others in your our own. communities and around the world to demand immediate changes in the laws that have created There have never been more unjust laws than the destruction the ones that exist now which are allowing the destruction of the environment that we need to ▪ Commit nonviolent acts of civil disobedience exist. For these reasons we invite our sisters and where destruction is occurring until it is stopped their allies around the world to join us in teach-ins ▪ Continue these acts until “business as usual” and nonviolent direct actions at all of the facilities is halted and life on Mother Earth is safe for and seats of power that are causing the destruction. generations to come. We invite you to do this calmly, without malice, and with the love in your hearts for everything you hold We stand together. dear. Signed on this Day, September 27, 2015, at the East As tribal women, our love is clear, unconditional Meadow of Central Park, Traditional Territory of the and strong. Our traditional Indigenous ways of life Lenape of Turtle Island n instruct us that women hold the wisdom necessary to guide the leaders toward understanding the needs of children and the unborn. Through this treaty initiative we are raising our voices to give direction to government leaders and those holding seats of power to adjust the man-made laws in accordance with the natural laws.

We call upon all women, but especially the female elders in every community, to educate themselves on these issues and on nonviolent movements. We call upon you to take the lead and to be on the front lines of all nonviolent direct actions and to share this information with those who are younger on the power of love and nonviolence.

We understand that love is the most powerful weapon we have. Love is not violent, is not harsh. Any violation of the power of love and the power of who we are when we stand in love, no matter what Indigenous Rising urges all humanity to join them in happens, is a violation of Mother Earth, this Treaty transforming the social structures, institutions and power Initiative and a violation toward the women who relations that underpin deprivation, oppression and have signed this Accord. exploitation. Learn more at indigenousrising.org.

nonviolence 49 Scholarship & Culture

How to Create a Community Nature Reserve by ADRIAN COOPER

The most powerful force for change in modern society comes from we, the people. We have a collective talent and a body of passion for our communities, which far surpasses the will of government or giant corporporations. It is people power that will prevail when our communities are in greatest need. In this Age of the Internet, small communities can have vast international impact.

In a small coastal town in the southeast of England, I started a conservation group called Felixstowe’s Community Nature Reserve with my partner, Dawn Holden. The project began in the months before the UK government elections in May 2015. More recently, Dawn and I have been joined by a wide group of friends and supporters who have helped and encouraged each other.

When most people think of a nature reserve, they imagine wide open spaces such as Yosemite or Yellowstone. However, for an independent voluntary organization working at the community level, it simply is not practical to buy such a large area of land. So, I had to re-think what our community nature reserve could be. Instead of it being one single area of land, I decided that it could be composed of many small pieces of private gardens, back yards and window boxes. For birds, bees and other wildlife, that patchwork collection of small private green spaces presents a wonderful new set of habitats in which they can find shelter. Felixstowe’s Community Nature Reserve is therefore a network of these small green spaces, where local people can grow wildlife-friendly plants, and where they can also create ponds, insect lodges and bird nesting boxes— all with the ultimate aim of stopping the decline in wildlife populations. Our work is therefore relevant to many other communities all over the world.

50 nonviolence A Painted Lady butterfly settles on lavender. Photo: Marian Stephens

nonviolence 51 A home garden turned community nature reserve. Photo: Marian Stephens

Our social media presence attracted the attion of the TV presenter Chris Packham, whose tweets about our project to his 145,000 Twitter followers produced a small avalanche of inquiries about our work and achievements.

STEP 3: TURN TO LOCAL MEDIA

I wrote an article for one of our local advertiser magazines. I also did interviews for our community TV station and BBC Radio Suffolk. One of our volunteers printed informational posters about our STEP 1: TALK WITH PEOPLE AND LEADERS work and aims. Those posters ended up on just IN YOUR COMMUNITY about every community notice board in town.

Immediately after the UK elections in May 2015, I By the end of 2015, Felixstowe’s Community Nature started meeting with local government leaders as Reserve had become well-known. We received well as community members. For about six months, messages from nearly 100 locals who said they had I listened to people’s ideas, learned what might be bought and planted at least one of the plants we had possible, and gathered a small team of volunteers. recommended. We were thrilled with that early take- Most people understood that wildlife populations in up of our ideas. Our work continued by highlighting our neighborhood were declining, and they wanted plants that grow berries and other seasonal fruit. to help, but they simply did not know how. It was Here the plant list comprised hawthorn, yew, alder clear that getting hold of a single plot of land for buckthorn, elder, berberis, holly, rowan, spindle, any kind of nature reserve project in our area would dogwood and wild privet. take too long and be too complicated. I therefore decided to make participation in this initiative as STEP 4: INVOLVE YOUNG PEOPLE simple as possible. All I asked of neighbors was for them to allocate at least three square yards of their Felixstowe’s Community Nature Reserve is a long- gardens and/or backyards for wildlife-friendly plants, term project. Consequently, it was essential to ponds, nesting boxes and insect lodges. We then involve local youth, the next generation of wildlife- set ourselves the goal, over the next five years, to friendly gardeners and conservationists. encourage 1,666 people to take part in the project. We enlisted a highly intelligent and community- That combination of people, each allocating at least inspired student as our Youth Representative. three square yards of their land, would give us a Luke Smout was only 18 when we first met him, total area of 5,000 square yards, which is the size of a however his maturity, environmental awareness soccer field an image which everyone can imagine. and motivation were far beyond his years. Luke therefore championed our work amongst his peers. STEP 2: GET ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA He also helped us create our “Dawn of Spring” video series, to further promote our work on By the end of October 2015, enough people television and YouTube. supported our initiative. We therefore started a Facebook page to keep them advised Luke introduced us to other young people who about wildlife-friendly plants (facebook.com/ wanted to express their creativity and help promote FelixstoweCommunityNatureReserve). Three times our work. Among this new group of young each week, a new plant was introduced to our rapidly supporters, Harriet Rackham, Vicki Walsh, Amy growing readership. The plants we recommended Turlington and Luke Penning produced a wonderful included: rowan, barberry, firethorn, foxgloves, short documentary, again with a view to promoting thyme, sunflowers, lavender, honeysuckle, ice plant, our work to an ever wider group of locals. (You can buddleia, evening primrose and purple loosestrife. see that documentary at: https://www.youtube.com/ There was something for everyone to enjoy. watch?v=2FNFt7DGVE0).

52 nonviolence Ponds and pond plants are vital to creating sustainable biodiversity. Photo: Marian Stephens

STEP 5: CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESSES Through these meetings, we’ve met all kinds of people who contribute in unique ways. A local At the time of writing (August 2016), we’ve received poet, for example, shares some of his work on our 453 messages from friends and neighbors telling us Facebook page to enrich our project. that they have bought and planted at least one of the recommended plants. All those individual pieces of No one is excluded from contributing to our land transformed into conservation spaces add up community reserve, whether they own land or not. to an impressive 1,350 square yards, or a quarter Even window box owners are encouraged to take of an acre—not bad for a grassroots voluntary part. After all, they can grow herbs, crocus, snow organization! drops and much else. But the good news hasn’t stopped there. In another STEP 7: HELP OTHER COMMUNITY RESERVES part of the UK, the Leicestershire villages of Cosby and Burbage decided to copy our model to develop Felixstowe’s Community Nature Reserve always their own community nature reserves. So now, enjoys offering help to new community reserves there is the Cosby Community Nature Reserve and as they spring up all over the world. Among the the Burbage Community Nature Reserve. People most frequently offered pieces of advice is the need all over the world have been asking how we set for group leaders to spend time listening to their ourselves up and how the initiative has developed. community. If the community isn’t ready to support the group, then project leaders must be patient. All STEP 6: CONTINUE TO ENGAGE YOUR COMMUNITY that listening and persuading takes time and effort, but the results will be worth the wait. In the overall development of Felixstowe’s Community Nature Reserve, we have always listened I wish all new community nature reserves every to our local community, through small group success with your vitally important conservation meetings in people’s homes (coffee and cake, pizza work. n and ice cream have helped those meetings go well!). During these meetings, we have met new supporters and received wonderful new ideas, such as swaps Adrian Cooper is a geographer and conservationist. He where local people can exchange wildlife-friendly is also a consultant to BBC Television and a Fellow of the plants and plant pots. Royal Geographical Society in the UK.

nonviolence 53 Scholarship & Culture

The Power of Music by LUKAS WALSH

Photo: Banjo musician, via Pixabay

54 nonviolence ASALAM SHALOM* (AYLA ANERYO)

Israel and Palestine is a region torn by violence, yet both cultures use the word “peace” to greet each other. This song gives hope for the possibility of both sides coming together peacefully.

NO WAY AS THE WAY* (DEAD PREZ)

Underground hip-hop has always had strong revolutionary themes, and Dead Prez has been leading the way for decades. Their last album, Information Age, showed a great amount of evolution in their style and thought. This song shares the Photo: Piano keys, via Pixabay message that there is not just one way to truth and celebrates diversity of belief. MEDICINE* (RISING APPALACHIA) SAME AS IT EVER WAS* (MICHAEL FRANTI) This song’s lyrics remind us how much nature and Michael Franti was inspired to write this song after the Earth offer us. It provides the medicine we need the police killing of Eric Garner. Franti recently to heal our own bodies, which in return encourages posted this on social media: “Right now I’m calling us to work to heal the Earth and preserve nature. out to all of us who care about peace, nonviolence, human rights and equality to raise our voices for MOTHER (TREVOR HALL) justice, empathy and humanity during this time of great pain on our planet.” If we remember that Earth is our mother, maybe we will not allow for her destruction. If we remember HEALING THE BODY* (JEN MYZEL) we all share this one mother, maybe we will see that we are all brothers and sisters and not allow for so Jen Myzel’s latest album, Silence Speak, is inspired by much violence to prevail. Joanna Macy’s Work That Reconnects, which leads you on a journey of gratitude, honoring our pain, WARRIOR (XAVIER RUDD & THE UNITED NATIONS) seeing with new eyes and going forth. This song is a reminder that we need to take time to heal our own This song is for all the peaceful warriors who are physical bodies as well as the body of the Earth. fighting for racial, environmental and economic justice. There is no enemy in this fight—only a COURAGEOUS (MAMUSE) system of division, fear and greed that must be overturned with love and unity. The beauty of these women’s vocal harmony is in itself inspiring. Add an ode to Martin Luther King, WE ARE THE PEOPLE* (ZIGGY MARLEY) Jr. and you have one potent song that will surely give you courage to create social change. Reggae music has its foundation in social change, and Ziggy Marley is carrying the musical torch that SAN QUENTIN* his father, Bob Marley, brought to the world. In “We Are The People,” power lies with the people, as long (NAHKO AND MEDICINE FOR THE PEOPLE) as we don’t live in a divided manner. n This band’s mission is to use music as a means of cultural healing. I chose this song because it conveys forgiveness and restorative justice. It is inspired by Lukas Walsh is a composition of condensed starstuff a trip Nahko took to San Quentin, to visit the man and cultural creative working to be a catalyst for the who murdered his birth father. paradigm shift.

nonviolence 55 Scholarship & Culture

Working With Our Nonviolent Nature by STEPHANIE VAN HOOK

Photo: Ant, via Pixabay

56 nonviolence The essence of the nonviolent technique is that it seeks to liquidate antagonisms but not the antagonists themselves. ~ Gandhi, Harijan, April 29, 1939

On a recent trip to the store, I couldn’t help noticing a shelf with boxes of ant bait. According to the box copy, this product DESTROYS ant colonies. The ants find the bait delicious, so they bring it to their queen and share it with the rest of their colony. Since the bait is laced with poison, the entire colony eventually dies.

While the poison will wipe out ant populations, it doesn’t address the conditions that attract ants to begin with, therefore setting up an us vs. them relationship with nature. Why does the company selling these baits choose to tell such a violent narrative about their product? What are they really Photo: Queen ant, via Pixabay selling—ant bait or violence? There are effective, nonviolent ways to deal with EXPERIMENT IN NONVIOLENCE: insects that come indoors, including sprinkling turmeric around the areas where they enter or Notice how we use violence to sell innumerable rerouting them outside with a trail of something products. Next, consider how this fear-based, sweet. Even a major manufacturer of ant bait DESTROY mindset extends from a seemingly acknowledges on its website that the best “weapons” insignificant product like ant bait to drones and in preventing ant invasions are keeping a tidy fighter jets. kitchen and sealing food in air-tight containers. This piece is an edited version of a Daily Metta published Imagine what a nonviolent ant bait package would by the Metta Center for Nonviolence. Daily Metta provides say. “WHY do you want to get rid of ants? They inspirational emails for your nonviolence path and covers play a useful role to play in our ecosystems. Have topics such as wise action, heart unity and human dignity. you ever learned about the wonders of the ant, Want to see more Daily Metta? Sign up to receive the free to understand their behavior? Do you keep your emails: bit.ly/DailyMetta. n kitchen clean?” And so forth. Maybe that bait brand would be harder to sell.

Nonviolence applies on all levels, from the way we think about insects to the way we handle large- scale conflict. If we could only shift our vision to understanding the conditions we create that Stephanie Van Hook is Executive Director of Metta encourage “us vs. them” antagonisms, we wouldn’t Center for Nonviolence, Co-host of Nonviolence Radio need to concern ourselves with trying to change—or and author of Gandhi Searches for Truth: A Practical obliterate—our so-called antagonists. Biography for Children.

nonviolence 57 Person Power & Unity

Healing Ourselves, Healing Our World by STEPHANIE STEINER

Photo: Reed, via Pixabay

58 nonviolence By cleaning up our inner pollution, we can transform the outer pollution that we have created.

To heal the world, says Zen master Thich Nhat and ignorance that lie within my own consciousness. Hanh, we need to heal ourselves. He teaches that The best thing that I can do now is sit with these our greatest hope for addressing issues like climate strong emotions and hold them like a mother holds a change is in falling in love with the earth, and in crying baby, gently and with compassion. To deny my realizing that we and Earth are one. He means this inner pollution or engage in negative self-talk about in a literal way: we are made of the air we breathe, it would only prevent healing. I vow to sit still and the water we drink, the food we eat, the same observe, realizing that by practicing non-reactivity to minerals found in soil. We are not separate from the my heart-mind pollution, I stop feeding it. planet we call home; we are the planet. Therefore, taking care of ourselves is taking care of our Earth. By cleaning up our inner pollution, we can transform the outer pollution that we have created. We have a lot of healing work to do, individually Earlier this year, I participated in the Earth Holder and societally. The toxic levels of pollution choking Retreat at Deer Park Monastery, an affinity sangha our planet’s life force reflects the very same toxicity of the Plum Village community following the brewing in our hearts and minds. This past year was mindfulness and meditation teachings of Thich noted for its continuous stream of familiar tragedies. Nhat Hanh. Our practice of engaged Buddhism Another person of color killed by police. Another includes protecting the earth, in response to climate mass shooting. Another bombing in a country that change and the grave environmental issues we face. receives less media attention than it should. More At the retreat, we talked about Buddhist teachings lives lost to the culture of violence we are swimming on the three roots of all suffering: hatred, greed in. Drowning in. and ignorance. We can recognize these roots at On my bedside table sit books that I turn to for the individual level, in our own consciousness, and inspiration. Hope in the Dark: Untold Stories, Wild we can also see them manifest at the societal level, Possibilities, by Rebecca Solnit. Teaching Community: where we have institutionalized these drives through A Pedagogy of Hope, by bell hooks. But on some our systems. There’s hatred through the war system, mornings, when my news feed is crammed with greed through our economic system and delusion horrendous violence, books with powerful messages through our mass media. do not feel like enough. Hope is hard to grasp for Because these roots run wide and deep, it makes on days like this, when in my core I know humanity the suffering they cause harder to see, as if they’re can do so much better, but we are failing ourselves normal. This normalizing of direct (physical) and and each other again and again. The hope is there structural (institutional, systematized) violence is underneath the agony, but the pain dominates. what peace scholar Johan Galtung calls cultural So I turn to my meditation cushion, where I sit violence—it’s aspects of our culture that portray with the despair and a deep desire to transform the violence as a part of everyday life, as the only option. world, knowing that any transformation must begin It’s our culture that perpetuates the story that with myself. My heart is crying loudly for the world humans are greedy and violent, and that’s just the these days, yet I recognize the anger, hatred, greed way it is. What an unacceptable, false story.

nonviolence 59 of my textbooks spoke of transforming anger and frustration into loving nonviolent action.

In my classes, I make space for feelings to arise. I encourage my students to practice what Macy refers to as “active hope,” or loving action. When we build our hope around loving action, we can forgo our concern with achieving set outcomes, which can make us feel defeated when setbacks arise. Another way to think about active hope is taking steps to create a world, to paraphrase Paulo Freire, where it will be easier to love. Yet another is through the words of Sister Mai Nghiem: “Joyful, loving action is an antidote to despair.”

Joyful, loving action includes transforming our mind-heart pollution. It is work that we can do at all times, irrespective of outer circumstances. By addressing the toxicity within ourselves, we learn Singing bowl and meditation cushion. Photo: Ben Askins, via Flickr to channel the anger and sadness we feel about the violence and injustices in the world into hopeful action. Along the way, we strengthen our capacity to overhaul our systems. I tell my Peace Studies students at the beginning of each semester that if they want to get a rise out of One of the monks at the Deer Park retreat said, me, saying “that’s just the way it is” would probably “If we don’t address our own awakening, we can’t the best way to do it. Such a verbal shrug of the wake up at a societal level.” It’s not an either/or shoulders is never an acceptable response to any situation—we don’t need to wait until we are fully problem—especially ones proposing violence as a enlightened to take action. Rather, it is both/and: we solution. must clean up our own inner messes while we take action to evolve institutionalized suffering. Each of “Do you have hope for the future?” a student us must take responsibility for our own healing while recently asked me. He’s a non-traditional student at the same time working to create a healthy system in his 60s, so he has seen his fair share of individual that thrives on love, compassion and togetherness. and collective suffering. I told him that teaching is an inherently hopeful profession, that the act We must also change the story we tell about who we of teaching implies that one has hope for a better are and our place on Earth. As Thich Nhat Hanh future. Through teaching, I want to effect positive said in a 2012 interview with The Guardian, “Fear, change in the world by empowering people, young separation, hate and anger come from the wrong or old, to reach towards their highest potential. view that you and the earth are two separate entities, the Earth is only the environment. You are in the On some days, hope is easier to find than others. center and you want to do something for the Earth Confronting the structural violence can lead to in order for you to survive. That is a dualistic way of despair—the systems and institutions can seem seeing. So to breathe in and be aware of your body insurmountable. I remember learning about climate and look deeply into it and realize you are the Earth change as an undergraduate student in the late and your consciousness is also the consciousness 90s and feeling utter hopelessness. My courses of the earth. Not to cut the tree; not to pollute the taught me about how climate change occurs and water, that is not enough.” n what is causing it, but they didn’t give me tools to deal with my feelings about it. No statistic or other bit of information told me how anger and despair Stephanie Steiner is a peace educator, a yoga teacher are natural responses to the inconceivable and and the director of education at the Metta Center for overwhelming. There was no lecture on how to Nonviolence. She is also currently a graduate student at “honor my pain for the world,” as environmental Pacifica Graduate Institute, where she’s specializing in activists and author Joanna Macy suggests. None Community, Liberation and Ecopsychology.

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