Nonviolence Toward Earth
Tuesdays July 12 - August 23 (No session August 2)
1-2:30 PT / 2-3:30 MT / 3-4:30 CT / 4-5:30pm ET
$80, scholarships available
Acting upon the climate crisis is a growing urgency and OUR responsibility. Now, more than ever, we need to practice Nonviolence Toward Earth. This 6-week course with Merwyn De Mello and Rivera Sun will explore the many dimensions of how we can both practice nonviolence toward the Earth and join nonviolent actions on behalf of the planet. Centered on love and connection, this virtual series is aimed at restoring our sacred relationship with the Earth even as we move into action to stop destruction and harm. Each session will anchor our hearts, unleash our love, and help us bring our care of the Earth into compassionate action. We will look at our personal impact, our communities’ environmental practices, and the global climate crisis.
From localism to the Rights of Nature, we’ll explore how we can rethink our relationships with animals, plants, and living ecosystems. We will learn from stories and examples, including water protectors, treehuggers, and more. You will hear tales from around the world, including from Western Sahara, Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan, Kenya, and beyond. Arts, poetry, and creativity will be woven throughout the six weeks. Each session will include a tangible, practical action we can take.
This course will be an engaged, participatory exploration of these themes. We (Rivera and Merwyn) come to this course as companions on the journey, practitioners and fellow activists along the path. This course is designed to invite your perspectives and experiences as part of this learning community. We will draw upon participants’ stories throughout. You do not need to be a climate expert (or an activist) to enjoy and get a lot out of this course. Everyone is welcome.
This course is offered as part of Pace e Bene/Campaign Nonviolence’s focus on building a culture of active nonviolence, and supporting people in practicing nonviolence toward themselves, each other, and the whole world. Nonviolence toward the Earth is a critically important part of the conversation, especially at this moment in human history.
Sessions:
Week 1: For the Love of the Earth—Nonviolence Rooted In Connection
Week 2: Start Where You Are—Localism, Personal Action, Community
Week 3: The Beingness of All—Rights of Nature, Sentient Animals, Living Ecosystems
Week 4: Water Protectors & Treehuggers—We Are Life Standing Up For Itself
Week 5: Live Simply—Energy, Consumption, Conservation, Voluntary Simplicity
Week 6: Peace & Nonviolence vs. War & Destruction
Need a scholarship? Just email Erin: info(at)paceebene.org
Facilitators
Merwyn De Mello is Kenyan-born and of Indian heritage. He is a former Maryknoll Lay Missioner with years of service in Japan, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. He has also served with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Over the years, Merwyn’s work has encompassed accompanying and advocating for refugees and other marginalized groups, promoting interfaith dialogue and joint actions, and coordinating peacebuilding initiatives in fragmented societies. Merwyn is a graduate of the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding’s Masters Program at Eastern Mennonite University. He is Catholic and his wife, Kirstin, Quaker. Their faith practice is enriched and stretched by interactions and relationships with people from other faith traditions and cultures. The precepts and ethics of their faith guide their values and life choices. They live at the Dorothy Day Catholic Workers in Washington, DC, immersed in a model of simple living, hospitality, solidarity with the vulnerable, and witness through nonviolent resistance. They strive to connect with the earth through gardening and living in harmony with nature.
Author/Activist Rivera Sun is the Editor of Nonviolence News, a nationwide trainer in strategy for nonviolent movements, and the author of many books and novels, including The Dandelion Insurrection and The Way Between. She serves on the Advisory Board of World Beyond War and Backbone Campaign. www.riverasun.com