Stories of Nonviolence

[Ariah]

Hi, I'm trying to do a series of stories on Nonviolence on my blog. Trying to find modern day examples of creative nonviolence, documented on video, news articles, etc.

If you have anything you can tip me on, links to stories, etc. I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!

[Vijay Shanker Jayanarayan]

Stories of Non Violence DO NOT EXIST.... except the exaggerated story of India's freedom struggle where Gandhi used the term 'ahimsa'... but it was NEVER ACTUALLY PRACTISED by anybody.... it was used as a word of INSPIRATION to give hope to some 400 million Indians who had no weapons to fight the British.

"NON VIOLENCE" was a TACTICAL WEAPON ... more like a WAR CRY used by Gandhi to embarrass the British and win world sympathy. Later Martin Luther king Jr., used the same idea to mobilze the blacks of America. He was assasinated ... so was Gandhi .... so was Jesus .... These people DIED VIOLENT DEATHS in order to teach people the value of NON VIOLENCE ... a paradox.

The India of Gandhi's dream is now filled with violent deeds ... casteism, violence against women, religious intolerance, political extremism, bribery & corruption, environmental degradation, torture of animals, etc.

NON VIOLENCE cannot be individual stories of greatness. NON VIOLENCE is a state of mind. People have to first understand the ROOTS OF VIOLENCE. They have to cure themselves of their OWN VIOLENT NATURE. People have to STOP LOOKING AT "NON VIOLENCE" AS AN IDEOLOGY..... IT SHOULD NOT BE SOMETHING THAT IS RELATED TO "GREATNESS" .... NON VIOLENCE IS ACTUALLY "NORMAL".... LET'S TRY TO BE NORMAL ....

ROOTS OF VIOLENCE (as listed by Gandhi)
Wealth without work
Pleasure without conscience
Knowledge without character
Commerce without morality
Science without humanity
Worship without sacrifice
Politics without principle

[ProDok India]

Hello! check here on ProDok India for a video trailer, also www.prodok-film.ch

[Greg Stumpff]

I have one for you. It is originally from Angie O’Gorman, “Defense Through Disarmament: Nonviolence and Personal Assault,” The Universe Bends Toward Justice, ed. Angie O’Gorman, (Philadelphia, Pa.: New Society Publishers, 1990). Found in From Christ to the World: Introductory Readings in Christian Ethics, edited by Wayne G. Boulton, Thomas D. Kennedy, and Allen Verhey.

Here it is:

Rather than destruction of enemies, the Christian ethic calls for their conversion and counts on enough love on my part to facilitate the process….

I was awakened late one night several years ago by a man kicking open the door to my bedroom. The house was empty. The phone was downstairs. He was somewhat verbally abusive as he walked over to my bed. I could not find his eyes in the darkness but could see the outline of his form. As I lay there, felling a fear and vulnerability I had never before experienced, several thoughts ran through my head – all in a matter of seconds. The first was the uselessness of screaming. The second was the fallacy of having a gun hidden under your pillow. Somehow I could not imagine this man standing patiently while I reached under my pillow for my gun. the third thought, I believe, saved my life. I realized with a certain clarity that either he and I made it through this situation safely – together- or we would both be damaged. Our safety was connected. If he raped me he would be hurt as well. If he went to prison, the damage would be greater. That thought disarmed me. It freed me from my own desire to lash out and at the same time from my paralysis. It did not free me from the feelings of fear but from fear’s control over my ability to respond. I found myself acting out of concern for both my own safety which caused me to react with a certain firmness but with surprisingly little hostility in my voice.

I asked him what time it was. He answered. That was a good sign. I commented that his watch and the clock on my night table had differnt times. His said 2:30, mine said 2:45. I had just set mine. I hope his watch wasn’t broken. When the atmosphere began to calm a little I asked him how he had gotten into the house. He’d broken through the glass in the back door. I told him that presented me with a problem as I did not have the money to buy new glass. He talked about some financial difficlties of his own. We talked until we were no longer strangers and I felt it was safe to ask him to leave. He didn’t want to; said he had no place to go. Knowing I did not have the physical power to force him out I told him firmly but respectfully, as equal to equal, I would give him a clean set of sheets but he would have to make his own bed downstairs. He went downstairs and I sat up in bed, wide awake and shaking for the rest of the night. The next morning we ate breakfast together and he left.

Several things happened that night. I allowed someone who I was afraid of to become human to me and as a result I reacted in a surprisingly human way to him. That caught him off guard. Apparently his scenario had not included a social sense of balance. By that time the vibes were all wrong for violence. Whatever had been motivating him was sidetracked and he changed his mind.

Through the effects of prayer, meditation, training and the experience of lesser kinds of assault, I had been able to allow what I call a context for conversion to emerge.