Notes from Nonviolence: Pilgrimage

From the first to the second days of the Kingian Nonviolent Conflict Reconciliation training, we had homework:  Among other things, we read King's Pilgrimage to Nonviolence (link is to impartial copy - it includes description of his pilgrimage but not the full description of the Six Principles of Nonviolence outlined at the end of the copy we read).

We started the morning of day two digging deep into this. We thought about, questioned, and discussed his journey as well as the nonviolent principles King outlined in detail in the Pilgrimage.  

We then moved through multiple models for effectively creating social change.  When Rev. Vivian emphasized the importance of strategy for effective nonviolent movements, this outlined key strategies to use.  These included the model of Aggression/Conciliation & the Dynamics of Social Conflict, the Hegelian approach to problem solving, and Top-Down/Bottom-Up Theory. This then led us into the Six Step of Kingian Nonviolence.  

Are you curious how to move the concept of nonviolence into effective action?  Then keep an eye out for SALD offering the two-day Kingian Nonviolent Conflict Reconciliation training starting this fall!

A guest expert panel to whom we asked questions about the Six Principles of Nonviolence

Notes from Nonviolence: A Force More Powerful

The evening of Day Two of the two-week 12th International Nonviolence Summer Institute involved a special treat of an optional program:  A screening of the A Force More Powerful section on the Nashville movement starting in 1960 to integrate lunch counters and other public accommodations followed by a Q+A session with Rev. C.T. Vivian, a leader in this movement.

As someone who works primarily with university students, it was particularly moving to see how the movement involved a deeply rooted collaboration between university students and the Nashville community.

Throughout the discussion following the film, Rev. Vivian emphasized two key points to successful nonviolent movements:

• Successful nonviolent movements utilize nonviolent strategy.  A movement without strategy is unlikely to succeed at its goals.  Strategy also gives key motivation for the persistence and discipline needed for success.
• Successful nonviolent movements are intentional about relationships.  They must be built on mutual respect, connecting over shared vision, and practice the nonviolent principles behind the movement itself.

Rev. Vivian shared his insights with participants for 90 minutes.

Notes from Nonviolence: King's Six Principles of Nonviolence

The afternoon of Day One of the two-day Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation training covers two critical components:

• What is nonviolence?
• Nonviolence has been successful over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over.

We explored definitions and dimensions of nonviolence, we identified the methodology of Kingian thinking, and we learned and analysed King's Six Principles of Nonviolence (below the cut). We reflected on the principles as well as the powerful concepts embedded in them like courage, discipline, community, goals, vision, and hope.

We explored the application of these principles over time in the grander context and in detailed context around four important historical movements in the US Civil Rights Movement, all of which achieved their goals through the practice of nonviolent action:

• 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott
• 1961 Freedom Rides
• 1963 Birmingham Segregated Accomodation Campaign
• 1965 Selma Voting Rights Campaign

Interested in all of this?  Be sure to keep an eye out at SALD rolls out Kingian nonviolence trainings this fall! Also, check below the jump for King's Six Principles of Nonviolence.

Notes from Nonviolence: Two is One

Day Two of the 12th International Nonviolence Summer Institute has us participating in Day One of the two-day Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation that we are being trained to facilitate.

The morning involved building community while practicing taking perspective in order to practice empathy.  This was followed by an introduction to common types and levels of conflict, in order that we may practice understanding the roots of conflict in order to create lasting, nonviolent responses/solutions.

Interested in that?  Keep an eye out for SALD's offering of these two-day trainings throughout the year starting soon!

We are lucky to have the author, historian, and peace activist Paul Chappell as a guest speaker this week and fellow participant in the sessions.  He provided additional insight into conflict.  Primarily, he shared scholarship on how sustained violence (like war) requires dehumanizing the people we are in conflict with in order to overcome a deep-rooted aversion to killing.  He also shared his finding that feeling disrespected is a very common cause of conflict, the feeling of which usually comes from misunderstanding or not fully understanding what is happening around and to us.

In this light, he said that King's off-cited status as a "moral authority" is rooted in his continual practice of demonstrating respect to those with whom he interacted and staying focused on understanding issues & perspectives.

The Institute is being held in the URI Multicultural Center, home of the Center for Nonviolence & Peace Studies

Notes from Nonviolence: A Night on King, the Person

The first day of the 12th International Nonviolence Summer Institute was an orientation day, helping us as participants begin building our own experience of what King often called the Beloved Community.  We were oriented to the University of Rhode Island and the institute process we will be participating in for two weeks.

The day ended with an evening community dinner and a special film+discussion event.

The institute itself teaches the principles and methods of nonviolence.  It connects with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King in that we are learning the philosophy and structure of what the Civil Rights Movement in the US practiced and identifying how to utilize these to practice nonviolence in our work and life.  We will spend very little time on him as a person.

Tonight gave us a chance for that.  We watch one hour's worth of segments from King, a documentary produced by Tom Brokaw on his life and the movements in which he was involved.  This was followed by an hour of Q&A with Rev. C.T. Vivian and Dr. Bernard Lafayette, two leaders with decades of practice of nonviolence and nonviolence education as well as two people who worked alongside Dr. King through his involvement in nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement.

As a Cincinnatian, my heart was especially happy to hear them share stories of how Fred Shuttlesworth led to their - and Dr. King's - involvement in Birmingham, AL, in 1963.

Notes from Nonviolence: Inner Peace

The first day of the 12th International Nonviolence Summer Institute was an orientation day, helping us as participants begin building our own experience of what King often called the Beloved Community.  We were oriented to the University of Rhode Island and the institute process we will be participating in for two weeks

As a pre-institute opportunity, in the afternoon we were treated to a presentation by Thupten Tendar, a Kingian nonviolence trainer who is also a Geshe (equivalent to PhD) in Buddhist Philosophy.

The key message Thupten shared is that inner peace is the foundation for universal peace.  He defines inner peace as "a mental disposition free of negative thoughts and emotions, with internal strength, harmony, and peacefulness regardless of the external conditions."  He emphasized that all people have the potential to experience this.

Thupten emphasized that when he talks of violence he means it in a holistic sense:  Physical, Verbal, and Mental.  He highlighted how deeply interconnected these three are.

According to Thupten, developing our capacity for inner peace is important to our work around nonviolence because it helps us better understand the conflict and disagreement we will naturally face every day, improve our interactions with those around us by increasing our ability to stay focused on our values in adversity, and strengthening our understanding and connections with others.

Notes from Nonviolence: Overview

I am deeply honored to be blogging from the 12th International Nonviolence Summer Institute.  This two-week training on Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation is hosted by the Center for Nonviolence & Peace Studies at the University of Rhode Island.

The institute features a world-reknowned faculty of leading scholars of and activists in nonviolent movements.    The institute truly draws an international crowd - participants in this year's session represent 15 countries as well as 10 US states.

My participation in the training and implementation of nonviolence trainings at UC are thanks to a Diversity Incentive Grant awarded by the UC Diversity Council.

Flags on this map represent people who have been and are being trained at the Summer Institutes.

What will I learn over the next two, intensive weeks?  Look after the break for the Training Outcomes!

-Rebecca