Activists

Nonviolent Social Change

The Legacy of Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhi emphasized the need for individuals to be the change they wish to see in the world through nonviolent principles. His movement in India based on these principles liberated India from imperialism, and inspired Martin Luther King Jr. who used these same powerful principles leading the Civil Rights movement to bring needed change to the United States. Martin Luther King Jr., as Gandhi did, expressed that there are evils in the world which must be overcome using these principles including Racism, Poverty, and War. These principles are as relevant today as ever. Most of us agree on nonviolence, but what does it mean to be nonviolent, and to bring social change?

The King Center for Nonviolent Social Change was founded by Martin Luther King Jr.'s wife Coretta Scott King, and is where today Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King are entombed.

All information below is from the King Center.

http://www.thekingcenter.org/prog/non/index.html

BELOVED COMMUNITY - Term coined by philosopher Josiah Royce to denote an ideal community, used frequently by Dr. King to describe a society of justice, peace and harmony which can be achieved through nonviolence. In his sermon at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, on April 2, 1957, Dr. King said, “The aftermath of nonviolence is the creation of the beloved community.

The Triple Evils

The Triple Evils of POVERTY, RACISM and WAR are forms of violence that exist in a vicious cycle. They are interrelated, all-inclusive, and stand as barriers to our living in the Beloved Community. When we work to remedy one evil, we affect all evils. The issues change in accordance with the political and social climate of our nation and world. Some contemporary manifestations are in italics below.

POVERTY - materialism, unemployment, homelessness, hunger, malnutrition, illiteracy, infant mortality, slums...

"There is nothing new about poverty. What is new, however, is that we now have the resources to get rid of it. The time has come for an all-out world war against poverty ... The well off and the secure have too often become indifferent and oblivious to the poverty and deprivation in their midst. Ultimately a great nation is a compassionate nation. No individual or nation can be great if it does not have a concern for 'the least of these." *

RACISM - prejudice, apartheid, anti-Semitism, sexism, colonialism, homophobia, ageism, discrimination against differently abled, stereotypes...

"Racism is a philosophy based on a contempt for life. It is the arrogant assertion that one race is the center of value and object of devotion, before which other races must kneel in submission. It is the absurd dogma that one race is responsible for all the progress of history and alone can assure the progress of the future. Racism is total estrangement. It separates not only bodies, but minds and spirits. Inevitably it descends to inflicting spiritual and physical homicide upon the out-group." *

WAR - militarism, imperialism, domestic violence, rape, terrorism, media violence, drugs, child abuse...

"A true revolution of values will lay hands on the world order and say of war- 'This way of settling differences is not just.' This way of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation's homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into the veins of peoples normally humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped psychologically deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice and love. A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death." *

From the King Center: To work against the Triple Evils, you need to: develop a nonviolent frame of mind as described in the "Six Principles of Nonviolence"; and use the Kingian model for social action outlined in the "Six Steps for Nonviolent Social Change."

Six Principles of Non Violence


PRINCIPLE ONE: Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people.

It is active nonviolent resistance to evil.
It is aggressive spirituality, mentally and emotionally.
It is always persuading the opponent of the righteousness of your cause.
It is only passive in it’s non-aggression towards its enemy.

PRINCIPLE TWO: Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding.

The end result of nonviolence is redemption and reconciliation.
The purpose on nonviolence is the creation of the Beloved Community.

PRINCIPLE THREE: Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice not people.

Nonviolence recognized that evil doers are also victims and are not evil people.
The nonviolent resister seeks to defeat evil not people.

PRINCIPLE FOUR: Nonviolence holds that suffering can educate and transform.

Nonviolence accepts suffering without retaliation.
Nonviolence accepts violence if necessary, but will never inflict it.
Nonviolence willingly accepts the consequences of its acts.
Unearned suffering is redemptive and has tremendous educational and transforming possibilities.
Suffering has the power to convert the enemy when reason fails.

PRINCIPLE FIVE: Nonviolence chooses love instead of hate.

Nonviolence resists violence of the spirit as well as the body.
Nonviolent love is spontaneous, unmotivated, unselfish and creative.
Nonviolent love gives willingly knowing that the return might be hostility.
Nonviolent love is active not passive.
Nonviolent love is un-ending in its ability to forgive in order to restore community.
Nonviolent love does not sink to the level of the hater.
Love for the enemy is how we demonstrate love for ourselves.
Love restores community and resists injustice.
Nonviolence recognized the fact that all life is interrelated.

PRINCIPLE SIX: Nonviolence believes that the universe is on the side of justice.

The Nonviolent resister had deep faith that justice will eventually win.
Nonviolence believes that God is a God of justice.

Six Steps to Nonviolent Social Change

From The King Center for Nonviolent Social Change



Step 1: Gather Information

Learn all you can about the problems you see in your community through the media, social and civic organizations, and by talking to the people involved.

Step 2: Educate Others

Armed with your new knowledge, it is your duty to help those around you, such as your neighbors, relatives, friends and co-workers, better understand the problems facing society. Build a team of people devoted to finding solutions. Be sure to include those who will be directly affected by your work.

Step 3: Remain Committed

Accept that you will face many obstacles and challenges as you and your team try to change society. Agree to encourage and inspire one another along the journey.

Step 4: Peacefully Negotiate

Talk with both sides. go to the people in your community who are in trouble and who are deeply hurt by society’s ills. Also go to those people who are contributing to the breakdown of a peaceful society. Use humor, intelligence and grace to lead to solutions that benefit the greater good.

Step 5: Take Action Peacefully

This step is often used when negotiation fails to produce results, or when people need to draw broader attention to a problem. it can include tactics such as peaceful demonstrations, letter-writing and petition campaign.

Step 6: Reconcile

Keep all actions and negotiations peaceful and constructive. Agree to disagree with some people and with some groups as you work to improve society. Show all involved the benefits of changing, not what they will give up by changing