satyagraha’s role in social movements?

i’m reading this book right now “non-violence: the history of a dangerous idea” by mark kurlansky and here’s a bit of the beginning that i’ve really been chewing on-would be interested in your insights:

The first clue, lesson number one from human history on the subject of nonviolence, is that there is no word for it. The concept has been praised by every major religion. Throughout history there have been practitioners of nonviolence. Yet, while every major language has a word for violence, there is no word to express the idea of nonviolence expect that it is not another idea, it is not violence. In Sanskrit, the word for violence is himsa, harm, and the negation of himsa, just as nonviolence is the negation of violence, is ahimsa-not doing harm. But if ahmisa is ‘not doing harm,’ what is it doing?

…violence has been one of the primary moves of history, historians and social scientists rarely study the subject of violence. She (Hannah Arendt) suggested that this was because violence has been such a mainstay of human activity that it was ‘taken for granted and therefore neglected.’ Violence is a fundamental of the human condition, whereas nonviolence is merely a rarified response to that reality. What does this mean? If we lived in a world that had no word for war other than nonpeace, what kind of world would that be?

….Nonviolence is not the same as pacifism, for which there are many words. Pacifism is treated almost as a psychological condition.  It is a state of mind.  Pacifism is passive; but nonviolence is active.  Pacifism is harmless and therefore easier to accept than nonviolence, which is dangerous.  When Jesus Christ said that a victim should turn the other cheek, he was preaching pacifism.  But when he said that an enemy should be won over through the power of love he was preaching nonviolence.

…Mohandas Gandhi invited a word for it, satyagraha from satya, meaning truth. Satyagraha, according to Gandhi, literally means ‘holind ong to truth’ or ‘truth force.’ interestingly, although Gandhi’s teachings and techniques have had a huge impact on political activists around the world, his word for it, satyagraha, has never caught on.

Post COP15 in Copenhagen

COP15 is ’over.’  Most of the foreigners have left town.  The citizens are starting to emerge again, so it seems.

I decided to stay in Copenhagen for a few days after the conference is over so that I could relax a bit, see the city, and just be.  It has been quite amazing to see how different the city and the people are, now that most of the people who were here for COP15 have left. 

Copenhagen is a city of approximately 1 million people.  During COP15, I met the most Danes at the march on Saturday.  Beyond that, it seemed as though the local people had gone into hiding.  It is certainly not the case now. 

The shopping areas are full of people and the air full of Christmas.  Jul (Christmas) is one of the main holidays for Danes.  Christmas starts in the beginning of December and goes through the month.  However, due to COP15, much of the usual Christmas tidings have not been as prominently displayed in public.

In private, there was still a lot of the normal Jul celebrations.  Since I have been here, I have been blessed to attend a couple of fantastic Christmas celebrations.  With my host, I have gone to a Christmas party of cakes.  We had a lot of cakes and glug (a warm red wine and spices that is drunk around Christmas time). 

They also have a tradition called, Christmas Lunch.  Christmas Lunch does not always occur at lunch time, but is a general term for gatherings between families, friends, co-workers, etc. where people eat traditional Christmas foods.  There is lots of fish, meat, desserts, and alcohol.  According to one Dane I met, Danes have the highest consumption of meat in the world.  Perhaps, much of that occurs during Christmas Lunch.

In public, now that most of the foreigners have left, the decorations and the Christmas spirit has also changed.  There are many more open spaces filled with people selling Christmas trees.  People at corner stores handing out glug.  The Christmas markets are now filled with Danes.  And one of the best things to me, people are talking to me first in Danish instead of English. 

I will be leaving Denmark tomorrow and will write a better reflection on the trip when I return home.  I will upload pictures later.  If you want to see the pictures from the trip thus far go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lyvef/

God Jul (Merry Christmas)!

Hope.March of….

What I see everywhere in the world are ordinary people willing to confront despair, power, and incalculable odds in order to restore some semblance of grace, justice, and beauty to this world. ~ Paul Hawken

Saturday was the great march by the people through the streets to the Bella Center.  Sadly I did not make it for the march, but was there at the end for the rally.  The day had started out quite beautiful.  The sun was shining (finally) and we were all in high spirits. 

I had a meeting to go to and by the time it finished, we had missed the march; however, we went down to the Bella Center to check things out.  The folks that I was with went into the Bella Center to listen to Desmond Tutu speak.  I went out to the march.

On the way there, I met a guy from Yale who was doing surveys for a professor from Columbia on protests, so I helped him.  When we first went towards the march, everything was dark and all you could hear was the beat of the drum at the sweat lodge.  The sky gets dark around 3:30 in the winter here.  The wind was blowing and it felt like the spirits were out that day.

We walked to the very front of the march and asked people to fill out the surveys.  In the process I also talked with the people who were filling out the survey.  They say there were 100,000 people there.  I am not sure the percentage of foreigners versus Danes, but every other person that I spoke with was Danish.

Overall, the march made me incredibly sad.  When I was not speaking with someone directly my eyes were almost always filled with tears and my heart heavy.  Perhaps it was the cold and darkness, but I think it was much more. 

 There were 100,000 people outside walking together, singing, laughing, dancing, hoping.  Inside the Bella Center (the place where the negotiations occur), no one could hear, see or feel the people.  The windows in the center are only on the ceiling.  There is over 60 meters of concrete surrounding the center.  If people did not read the news, they would not even know the march had happened.  So much disconnect between people’s lives and the policies that are created to govern us.  So much work needs to be done on bridging this gap. 

What continues to give me hope is that people are serious about wanting change.  Of the people that I spoke with, two Danish men stay in my mind.  They were   both middle aged and both had chidren.  They said they came out for their children.  They almost mirrored each other in the quiet anguish and apprehension on what might come of their future if a strong and binding deal was not achieved.  However, they also had hope that, as a global community, we could make a difference.  From these men I draw hope. 

Climate Justice Day of Fasting Thursday!

Join me in fasting tomorrow!  I want to invite you to support one of the most important actions that we will be doing as a part of the push to create an agreement that allows us, as young people, to have a future.

Please join the CLIMATE JUSTICE DAY OF FASTING tomorrow.   The main purpose is to show the world that we are serious about wanting a legally binding solution that is protecting the most vulnerable community .  We need to challenge our leaders to take a moral stance NOW.  Please join me tomorrow: www.avaaz.com/fast

There are people who have been fasting since November 6^th.  Please show your solidarity!

Our call for justice:

We, the participants of Climate Justice Fast!, are undertaking our international 
hunger strike in order to call upon world leaders – and all people, everywhere – 
to act with courage and good faith for our common, global good, by implementing 
the most rapid possible transition to stabilise atmospheric greenhouse gases below 350ppm CO2-e, and by committing to deliver justice for the global poor 
and future generations – who are the least responsible for causing 
climate change, yet who suffer the most from its effects.

Climate Justice for the poor and for future generations can be delivered by 
funding climate adaptation and mitigation activities in developing nations with 
at least US$195 billion per year; by reducing and rejecting over-consumption, 
wherever it exists, and by phasing out both deforestation and fossil fuels completely – starting with the elimination of developed countries’ fossil fuel subsidies, shifting them
wholly to renewable energy and international climate finance.

We urge all people, everywhere, to make a commitment to 
join the movement for climate justice, 
and to not to give up until we succeed in these demands being met.

http://www.climatejusticefast.com/pages/

Bikes and Danish Christmas

I have been here only for two and a half days but it feels like I have been here much longer.  I think it is because there has been SO much going on and because I am working so much it is hard to keep everything straight.   Even though I am working quite a bit, it is really interesting and fun.  Apart from working, I have also been meeting new people and learning about Danish customs and communities.  Thus far, all of  the Danish people that I have met have been extremely genereous and kind. 

One of the main things that I notice here is that there are SO many bikers.  It is quite fantastic!  In fact, they have bike lanes that are raised up so that the cars cannot go on them.  There is then another area that is a bit higher up that is for people to walk on.  You have to watch that you do not walk on the bike lanes, as I have done so and almost been run over a couple of times already.  The bikers here do not mess around.

Yesterday I had the privelege of attending a Christmas celebration with the woman that is hosting me.  Apparently Danes love Christmas and celebrate it for the whole month of December.  So yesterday, I went with my host to one of her family’s Christmas gatherings with their neighbors.  There were four generations there in total and enough desserts to feed at least 20 people.  It was glorious, I ate sugar until I was about to fall asleep.  All kinds of new desserts that I was told are specific to Christmas time.  There is also this warm wine/sherry/lemon/sugar drink that is quite delicious that goes with all of the sweets…and we biked there

For reflections that are more related to COP15 go to iofcenvironment.wordpress.com

Dreams and Anguish

Ideologies separate us.
Dreams and anguish
bring us together.

~ Eugene Ionesco

Practice
Today I do not care about what doctrine, dogma, or politic you ascribe to. Today I want to know what keeps you up at night, what you long for, what has made your heart break… or break open. (from the Seasons of Non-Violence)

This is the question I have been searching for.  What are your dreams and what brings you anguish?  How do we meet each other there?  What is your answer?  This will be the question that I will be asking people and will be answering throughout this time as well as other general observations and information.

From a person who works directs the organization that works with all of the Pacific Islands:

Anguish-that the homes of their ancestors, their livilihood, their existence in their own country, their land is dissapeared.  The highest point in the Marshall Islands in 1 meter about sealevel.  The oceans will rise that much.  It is only a matter of time before their land dissapear, and what is a person without a home?

Dreams-to see their children flourish, to have a place to call home.

—-

A member of the Parliament of South Africa

I personally have no anguish but there are people who come to us who are saying that the climate has impacted them so that they cannot farm, cannot fish.  Eventually it may come to a point where there are no more fish.

Dreams are that we have a future and that we do not destroy our world.

We are humans, that is the problem.

The Little Things

Someone once said to me, the smallest change makes the biggest difference.  Think about it, this morning, if you had not brushed your teeth, how would your day have been different?  For those of you who drink coffee or tea in the morning, if you had not had that caffeine, how would your day have been different?  If your house was missing a piece of its foundation, how would it have been different?  And so on.

It is the little things that count.  If we make the awareness in our lives for these little things and we choose to live out the little things, the rest will take care of itself.  Thus far on this journey, the little things have made all of the difference.

The folks that I have met along the way have confirmed that there are angels taking good care of me.  When I went to get my ticket, I apparently had a lost look on my face, because the woman at the counter came out from behind the counter to help me to get my e-ticket.  One of my hopes is that on the way back on this trip, I am on an overbooked flight and I am able to get a free ticket.  I informed the woman of this and she looked up the flight to see if it was full (it isn’t).   She also helped me to pick my seats.  Then, on the long flight (three transfers) to Amsterdam, I was seated in a two seat with no one next to me! Now for those of you who travel, you know that having two seats instead of one is gold.

A good beginning.  Now, what does this have to do with small changes and big differences?  Everything.  See, it was how I approached the woman at the desk (looking lost and probably young) and her attitude of kindness that made her want to help me.  It was my willingness to ask for help and for what all that I hoped for that brought me what I wanted.  Of course, there are the angels that are looking out, and all of the other pieces that allowed for this journey to occur that underlie it all.  But, without the faith that we each could make a small difference in each other’s lives, none of these small things that occurred this day would have occurred.

Now I’m going to ask you to stretch with me a bit and think about: climate change, little things, big difference…To me, all of this is indicative of the changes that we must make in our lives in order to both enjoy our lives and to advert the crisis that is at hand.   Yes, there are huge policies and guidelines that must be put into place on the global level.  Yes, politicians, corporations, and government officials need to take a strong and pro-active stance for the future.  And yes, within each of the titles and laws, there are people, just like you and me.

So reach out to these ‘big wigs’ as people and demand that they remember their humanity and the sacredness that is within each person.  Embrace those who have forgotten or been oppressed to the point where they cannot access their voice, and give them hope in their own power.  Reach into your own life and make the small changes that will both allow you to be more satisfied and allow for the future generations to exist.  It takes all of us, doing the small things and appreciating the little things, to keep this earth alive.

What is the smallest change that you will make that will make all of the difference?

Going to Copenhagen!!!

On my way to Copenhagen!!  Will keep you updated.  I am not sure exactly what all I’ll be doing there, but will definitely be working to connect up with other People of Color and with folks from the Global South to see how we can work together to stop this mess.

Thank you all for your support and love and will do my best to keep blogging while I’m traveling.  This is one of the places where I will be blogging about more ‘official’ type stuff: http://iofcenvironment.wordpress.com/

Catholics on Climate Change

Who is under your carbon footprint?

http://catholicclimatecovenant.org/

The Adventures of Home

Upon returning to Milwaukee, I have found that all that is exciting and adventureous about traveling happens in my daily life.  Amazing.  I think a part of leaving and coming back is a reminder of the good things that are here and the good parts of being in one place and watching gardens and children grow to fruition.

Yesterday went like this:

First, I was woken by a phone call from a friend in Australia.

Then, went to a rally to stop gun violence.  The rally was organized by Campaign Against Violence from the League of Young Voters.  They had a march and then rally.  The rally was in a nice park with a small lake in the middle.  Almost all of the people at the rally were under 40 and African American.

Next I went to a renewal of vows for friends who are in their second year as Capuchin Franscican Friars.  Friars are like Catholic and like Monks, but live and work amongst the community.  There were only a few of us there who were not men, since the Order is a men’s order.  The guys who were taking their vows were young and a couple of them Asian American.  Apart from them it was pretty much white men over the age of 40, most of them were in their 60s and older.

After this I went to eat at the house that I used to live at.  This was a mixed group in terms of race, but all people about my age.

Really really good to see folks and Milwaukee.  Was quite interesting how many different cultures and communities I had the prilevege of visiting in one day and how accepting they are of me.  Blessings indeed.