For seven years now, Campaign Nonviolence has challenged peacemakers across the globe to use the week around the International Day of Peace to go public and mainstream nonviolence. Each year, organizers have stepped up and dedicated their time and energy to reaching out to their communities, building bridges between groups, and working to change their institutions by becoming Nonviolent Cities. In previous years we’ve seen big gatherings, art and music festivals, parades, marches, and public speakers all dedicated to resolving issues of injustice in our world.

There’s no question that in 2020, organizers faced unique challenges in getting the public involved. Those who started to work on their events early had to rebuild their plans from scratch, dedicated to the vision of a more nonviolent community. The results were inspirational. This year we had 4058 registered actions, still managing to increase our numbers over the years before. Beyond quantity, it was particularly moving to see people incorporate care and thought for the most vulnerable in our society into their planning. Though there were still some opportunities for outdoor vigils and protests, there were dozens of events designed for an online format to be inclusive of people who needed or chose to stay home, providing the opportunity to connect with peacebuiders around the world.

The real highlight of this year’s week of actions was the creativity with which people approached building a culture of peace. Nonviolent Austin provided an incredible soundtrack to keep us going with their Nine Days of Songs of Peace featuring Willie Nelson and his sons, Eliza Gilkyson, Riders Against the Storm, and so many more. Great care was taken to get artists of all backgrounds and styles so there truly was something for everyone, all united in building peace. CNV Memphis shared their events online discussing getting into Good Trouble, as John Lewis would say, and encouraging their Youth Council to start early and learn from their nonviolent heroes who went before them. Nonviolent Morro Bay put their efforts into nonviolent education this year with a series of videos about repairing broken systems, becoming a nonviolent city, allyship, and more.

Our overall goal has been to connect the dots between war, poverty, racism, and environmental destruction and build a culture of peace, and this year organizers addressed all that and more. In Placerville, CA they saw the unique struggles of teachers caught in the crossfire of COVID concerns, so they dedicated their efforts to uplifting those who were down. The Boundless Love Project and Twin Cities Nonviolent teamed up to work towards creating a global Beloved Community. In Uganda, organizers showed how COVID-19 highlights inequalities and recommitted to their work to leave no one behind. And Maloy, IA did their part to stand against nuclear weapons.

All of the above actions show only a tiny sliver of the overall effect of this year’s Action Week. We are deeply grateful for every single person who got involved this year, whether it was your first time or you’ve been with us from the start. We need this work now more than ever. This is how the world changes. This is how we start to create a culture of peace: with a vision and the engagement of people like you. So thank you for all you do, and let’s keep going.