Action Week Reports from Costa Mesa, Charles City, Chicago, and Portland!
Today is the International Day of Peace, and across the country we can see activists challenging their communities to embrace nonviolence. We’re inspired by the work done by each and every one of you to create a more peaceful future. Once you’re done with your action, send us your report here. And remember—we’re just getting started! There are still events going on throughout the week. You can check the full list of actions to find online events and what’s happening near you, and you can see our daily blog post for a selection of what’s happening today and tomorrow.
Above you’ll find pictures documenting actions in Costa Mesa, CA; Charles City, IA; and Chicago, IL. Below, descriptions from our inspiring organizers.
Pat Alviso of Costa Mesa, CA writes that on September 19, “We had signs with We stand with Afghan Refugees and our Returning Troops, demand an End to War, Poverty & Racism; full Nuclear Disarmament; an effective response to Climate Change; and a Sustainable Future for all our children! We also passed out yellow ribbons to passersby to symbolize that we welcome our troops home from Afghanistan and also had poster boards for passersby to answer with a sticky note: what do you think of the US exit from Afghanistan and where else do you think we should have spent the 2 trillion dollars spent on that war?”
Mary Ryan-Hotchkiss of Portland, OR reports from two separate actions, “Over Zoom, Sept. 19, we showed the video, The Third Harmony: Nonviolence and The New Story of Human Nature, and had a presentation on CLARA (Calm, Listen, Affirm, Respond, and Add) for peaceful conversations, a method of de-escalation, by Adam Vogal. 145 people registered and 85 participated during the event. The video was available on line after the event for 2 days and many people recommended to others to watch it. We sent out many emails describing nonviolence and the CLARA method. The City of Beaverton sent a mailing to residents which included a description. People registering in response to our mailings says people wanted to learn more about nonviolence and peaceful communication. We had 9 endorsing organizations who were willing to advertise the event to their members. They are all working for a culture of peace and nonviolence.
This Sunday, as the background for our church’s Forum on Nonviolence, we used the Nonviolence Means text and posters. Over Zoom readers shared the associated text and pictures from these excellent posters, then we went into breakout rooms to talk in small groups about what we learned or were inspired to do. Report backs included concerns about militarism and the military budget, homelessness, environmental degradation, restorative justice, handling anger, consumerism, lessen our use of violent language, etc. About 30 screens participated. Our community learned a broader definition of nonviolence—active nonviolence, not passivity. We will continue to learn more about nonviolence and incorporate it in our services. We mentioned 2021 Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action: Making active nonviolence our way of life in the Church and the world. Restorative Justice seemed to especially resonate. Many are already involved in immigrant and racial justice efforts.”