Oversweep the World: Int’l Day of Nonviolence Teach-Ins On Gandhi’s Birthday
October 2nd marks the International Day of Nonviolence and the 155th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. To honor him, we’re finishing the Campaign Nonviolence Action Days with teach-ins on nonviolence.
“My optimism rests on my belief in the infinite possibilities of the individual to develop nonviolence. The more you develop it in your own being, the more infectious it becomes ‘til it overwhelms your surroundings and by and by might oversweep the world.” - Mohandas Gandhi, Young India, 1929
Throughout Action Days and on October 2, education, knowledge, and learning are at the heart of how people are building a culture of active nonviolence. Here are some examples of what’s happening:
We’re learning . . . about strategic nonviolence, direct action, Dr. King, peacebuilding through shared feasts, Gandhi’s life and legacy, Abdul Ghaffar Khan, peacemakers, the historical smearing of nonviolent action, Pope Francis’ “Nonviolence: a Style of Politics for Peace”, the human condition and peace, the Nonviolent Cities Project, ahimsa and Gandhi, skills for disagreeing better, active listening, Nonviolent Communication, Cesar Chavez and the Delano Grape Boycott, conflict and conversation, best practices for strategic campaigns, stoicism and peace, the nonviolence connection to spirituality and meditation, active bystander training, restorative justice, and more.
We’re studying . . . at the federal building in Hilo, HI; the public libraries in Caro, MI, and Olean, NY; the History Center in Minneapolis, MN; colleges and universities; high schools; community centers; peace and justice centers; sidewalks in Louisville, KY; online; and beyond.
We’re teaching with . . . slideshows, coloring pages, street-chalk, discussion groups, role plays, film screenings, virtual conferences, photos and stories, group exercises, even a neighborhood peace procession in Detroit, MI, and a peace pilgrimage and vow of nonviolence in London.
See everything that is happening today.
“Nonviolence is the greatest and most active force on earth,” M.K. Gandhi audaciously claimed. As Campaign Nonviolence Action Days reports come in from around the world, we’re deeply moved by how people are proving Gandhi’s words to be correct. Despite all the violence—and indeed because of it—people are demanding a profound transformation of society. More than that, they’re making that change happen.
From launching the Catholic Nonviolence Institute in Rome to plastering nonviolence posters across a church for Nonviolence Sunday, they’re infusing our world with the skills, knowledge, and solutions anchored in active nonviolence. From a peace demonstration for all ages to a mayor’s endorsement of a march for peacemakers, they’re inviting everyone from small children to powerful decision-makers to make the shift to a radically different world. From a protest against weapons makers to the Ganta Peace Declaration, they’re challenging people to end the cycle of endless violence.
There have been 5,234+ actions and events during the Campaign Nonviolence Action Days 2024. Tens of thousands of people are experiencing the infectious power of nonviolence, as Gandhi described it. Like him, we also hope that by studying and embodying it, we can help nonviolence overwhelm our surroundings and by and by oversweep the world.
Tonight! Celebrate Gandhi’s Birthday by joining one of our 2 virtual teach-ins!
We Are the Nonviolent Cities Project: Organizers from the Nonviolent Cities Project will share how they’re working to foster nonviolence at every level of their city or town. (5-6pm ET) RSVP here.
Nonviolence 101: What is nonviolence all about? Come learn how it can be used on the personal, interpersonal, and social-political levels to transform our lives. (7-8:30pm ET) RSVP here.