Watch "Flatten the Curve of Violent Conflict"

Recently Pace e Bene’s Ken Butigan, was interviewed by the Raven Foundation about his thoughts around COVID-19 and nonviolence in response to his article “Love in a Time of Coronavirus”.

They produced a wonderful video with Ken called “Flatten the Curve of Violent Conflict” focusing on changing the metaphor of addressing COVID-19 from “war” to “nonviolent mobilization”.

Watch the video and read what they write about the video and this moment below:

Over the last several years, many of those working towards a nonviolent future have begun to think of War as a Disease Epidemic. So when the novel Coronavirus outbreak began to reach across the globe—causing thinkers, writers, and leaders to begin speaking of the health emergency as a war against an invisible enemy, it piqued our attention.

Is this not exactly backwards thinking? Understanding war as a disease opens incredible new opportunities for the creation of a peaceful world, while thinking of disease as war creates a dangerous paradigm for critical decision-making in a time of high-anxiety.

Gratefully, an article by Ken Butigan of Pace e Bene points us to the opportunity in this crisis. In Love and Nonviolence in the Time of Coronavirus, Ken promotes a powerful reversal and compelling reason to believe that, precisely because this is a global experience, great strides can be taken towards the transformation of violence to peace.

“In this time of anxiety, let us renew our relationship with our loved ones, even if we are in close quarters. In this time of dislocation, let us nurture the bonds of connection and solidarity. In this time of disruption, let us find ways to commit our lives to the healing and well-being of all. In this time of instability, let us imagine what nonviolent practice we can take up and deepen.” “The greatest social movement in human history hasn’t happened yet… and it is coming.” - Ken Butigan