See What Happened in Huntsville, Birmingham, and Opelika, Alabama; Tucson, Arizona; Austin, Texas; Rapid City, South Dakota and at Asia-Pacific Universities!

Campaign Nonviolence Action Days, September 21-October 2, are off to a great start. Here are a few stories and photos from actions and events to build a culture of peace and active nonviolence, free from war, poverty, racism, and environmental destruction.

Huntsville, ALABAMA

On September 20th, Interfaith Mission Service in Huntsville, Alabama, held their Annual Celebration and Awards Conference - The Hope and Spirit of Beloved Community. This hybrid in-person and virtual gathering featured many guest speakers and award recipients. On a large screen behind the stage, the group showed videos on Campaign Nonviolence Action Days and Nonviolent Cities. As people departed the auditorium, they handed each person a postcard size handout about these programs and Dr. King’s 6 Principles of Nonviolence. You can watch a recording of the event here

Opelika, ALABAMA

In Opelika, Alabama, the Samford Youth Social Justice Activist Group received MLK Jr. Social Justice Awards from Pastor Carolyn Morton and the Samford Community Outreach Peace Group on the International Day of Nonviolence, Sept 21st. “It’s truly a blessing to serve and give back to the community and people,” says Pastor Carolyn Morton in Samford/Opelika, AL

On the same day, Mayor Gary Fuller made a Proclamation celebrating the Int’l Day of Peace in Opelika, Lee County, and the surrounding areas. The proclamation was urged by Pastor Carolyn Morton & Samford Community Outreach Peace Activist Group along with the Samford Community Outreach Fellowship Group.

Birmingham, AlABAMA

On Sept 21st, Death Penalty Action in Birmingham, AL, delivered a petition calling for full transparency around proceedings leading to a prisoner execution. This action is aimed at halting inhumane treatment, and is part of a broader effort to abolish the death penalty. Read and watch local news about the action.

Rapid City, South Dakota

Check out this rolling action! Alan Sutton writes that he put our posters “on both sides of the camper on the back of my truck. It’s kind of a continuous action in pursuit of a culture of nonviolence. The truck pulls my tiny house which is where I live, currently in Rapid City, SD, and I’m headed further west for winter warmth in November.” If you want to download and print these posters, you can do so here. They’re free!

Tucson, Arizona

On September 20th, Nuclear Resister held the first of two planned peace vigils in Tucson, Arizona. This vigil against killer drones took place outside of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base to:

call for an end to wars and occupations waged by our government in our name and with our tax dollars
take a stand against war profiteering
remember the victims of war (including those killed by drones)
join others around the world in working for peace

Asia Pacific, Virtual

As part of Catholic Days of Action, Pax Christi International and Youth Speak For Peace’s students from colleges across Asia-Pacific sent in photo messages for ending violence & respecting diversity. Students, part of Youth Speak For Peace, answered the prompt: What do you do to prevent violence and promote respect for diversity? Responses included, “I respect them for who they are”, “I listen without judgment”, “Respect difference - it’s the one thing we have in common”, and more. See more photos here.

Austin, TX

Nonviolent Austin has a whopping 23 actions planned for the Campaign Nonviolence Action Days. Here’s a message from founder Jim Crosby, as they launch into this whirlwind of activity, “I'm fasting starting today. Each day I'll try to carve out what would normally be lunchtime to meditate/pray on the issue for the day. Today is the official UN International Day of Peace with a focus of "End Racism, Build Peace." Please join me in whatever spiritual approach is yours, and give some attention to anti-racism as an essential element of peacemaking today. I've been working my way through the book The Power Worshippers. Many, myself included, have been getting depressed in the process, as we've familiarized ourselves with the past fifty years of intentional erosion of our democratic institutions and aspirations by the forces of religious nationalism. As antidote over the past several weeks, and very much in keeping with the theme for today, I have read, and can highly recommend three short books: Revolutionary Nonviolence: Organizing for Freedom, by James M. Lawson Jr.; Brothers in the Beloved Community: The Friendship of Thich Nhat Hanh and Martin Luther King Jr., by Marc Andrus; and Stakes Is High: Life After the American Dream, by Mychal Denzel Smith.”

Stay tuned for more photos and stories from Nonviolent Austin … and beyond!