Is it possible for social reforms to take place peacefully? Is it possible to bring about social justice without violent confrontation? Is it possible not only to maintain, but actually to enhance peace during times of change?

It is my belief that the best way to promote change is to change our own selves first, and then inspire in others the desire to change. I have been asking myself how to inspire those who hold power to do what is right and just. How do we persuade leaders to become champions for justice, and defenders of the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all? How to steer them away from focusing solely on the accumulation of personal power and wealth and redirect them to dedicate themselves to helping others live free and dignified lives, not only with opportunities to pursue, but actually with real chances to achieve happiness?

I still don’t have satisfactory answers to those questions, but I am leaning toward the idea that humanity is in need of a new way of thinking, one that values cooperation more than competition, selflessness more than egoism, and generosity more than greed and tightfistedness, a way of thinking and conduct deeply rooted in a ethical and moral code based on doing no harm. It is my belief that in order for this new paradigm to grow and become prevalent, more individuals need to engage in meditative practices that allow them to have those experiences that reveal our true nature, make our oneness very evident, and as a result enhance empathy, compassion, generosity, and solidarity.

While thinking about all these things, a speech delivered by my son came to my mind. He was just 14 years old on January 12, 2007 when he spoke at the 17th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts. Here’s his speech: 

“I’m very happy to be here and I want to thank the Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee for inviting me to speak. My name is Mateus Falci. I am a freshman at American Heritage School. We’re here tonight to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and all the hearts he touched.

I’ve always admired Dr. King and I know he certainly left his mark on the nation. I was traveling throughout Florida and I commented to my dad how many cities have streets named after Martin Luther King, Jr., and I truly think that is a beautiful thing.

I recently saw Arun Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson, speak in Fort Lauderdale and he spoke about nonviolence. I know that Dr. King was also a great admirer of Gandhi and emulated Gandhi in many ways. In fact, Dr. King once said, ‘If humanity is to progress, Gandhi is inescapable. He lived, thought, and acted, inspired by the vision of humanity evolving toward a world of peace and harmony. We may ignore him at our own risk.’ Seeing and speaking with Arun Gandhi was very cool. He even wished me good luck on the speech I am giving right now, and I thought to myself, ‘Now I can’t go wrong. Gandhi’s grandson himself wished me good luck!’

One thing that always stood out for me and that I admired in Dr. King was his philosophy on nonviolence. I love Dr. King’s message when he said, ‘We shall match your capacity to inflict suffering by our capacity to endure suffering.’ I feel it makes so much more sense than fighting back, because violence only generates more violence. He was so right when he said, ‘We’ll wear you down by our capacity to suffer, and one day we will win our freedom. We will not only win freedom for ourselves, we will so appeal to your heart and conscience that we will win you in the process, and our victory will be a double victory.’

I look back at history and I notice that many violent revolts failed, but the nonviolent ones always achieve their goal and are the ones that leave the greatest marks, such as Gandhi’s for the independence of India and Dr. King’s for civil rights.

Nonviolence also requires the ability to forgive and Dr. King shone through in this too. I’ve seen the videos of defenseless African-Americans being beaten senselessly and I am always appalled. But I forget I am appalled when I become overcome with amazement over how Dr. King and the African-American community were able to forgive such acts. Once again Dr. King said, ‘We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.’

With all the turmoil going on in the world today I believe Dr. King’s message of nonviolence and forgiveness can easily apply to situations all over the world. From the war in Iraq to the genocide in Darfur his message is one that can help resolve these issues.

Dr. King once said this when talking about the war in Vietnam, ‘It’s time for all people of conscience to call upon America to return to her true home of brotherhood and peaceful pursuits.’ He continued by saying, ‘We must work unceasingly to lift this nation that we love to a higher destiny, to a new plateau of compassion, to a more noble expression of humaneness.’ I feel this message is just as relevant today as it was then. Dr. King’s message was of peace, love, and forgiveness and I feel all of us gathering here tonight is very important, because we can reflect on his message and continue to spread it afar. Thank you.”