Category Archives: Nonviolence

Nonviolence, Nonviolent Communication, Peace, Royal Book of the Week

Power of Nonviolence Buddhist Anger: Peace Book Chapter 1 of the Week 9/19/11

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The Power of Nonviolence Writings by Advocates of PeaceWe continue from last week with the The Power of Nonviolence: Writings by Advocates of Peace provides us with the Peace Book Chapter of the Week.  As you remember we discussed last week the introduction by Howard Zinn titled Retaliation.  We now move to the first section of the book which is entitled: Pre-Twentieth Century.  The first, very short chapter is  written by the Buddha, and is entitled: Let a Man Overcome Anger by Love.

For hatred does not cease
by hatred at any time,
hatred ceases by love

The reading starts with a series of aphorisms about how you are bound by what you put forth.  It reminds me of the saying that slavery chains both the master and the slave.  Or Gandhi’s response about how he was trying to save England by freeing it from holding India in bondage.  The third set of aphorisms set here as a pull quote remind me strongly of Dr. King’s August 16, 1967  “Where Do We Go From Here?” when he spoke out against poverty:  Continue reading Power of Nonviolence Buddhist Anger: Peace Book Chapter 1 of the Week 9/19/11 →

Music, Nonviolence, Peace, Royal Song of The Day

No arguing: Peace Song of the Day 9/17/2011

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(This is a catch-up post. It is being written on Sunday morning, to announce Saturday’s song…)

Sometimes, peace starts with reflecting on our own shortcomings, and acknowledging them to ourselves. I have found that this process can be aided with music and art that portrays the part of us we want to improve. It is a way to study ourselves, and, hopefully, to laugh at our shortcomings.

“We Can Work It Out” is/was the Royal Peace Song of the Day for Saturday, September 17, 2011. The song was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. You can find the lyrics, and sing this favorite Beatles song with friends, by going to page 105 in the Rise Up Singing songbook.

More about this song and NVC/Nonviolent Communication… Continue reading No arguing: Peace Song of the Day 9/17/2011 →

Nonviolence, Peace

Will your Rep Join @BruceBraley on #AfghanistanTuesday ?

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Joe Scarry posts about our first #AfghanistanTuesday suceess in Scarry Thoughts: AfghanistanHour: Speak Now Or ….:

This is what it looks like when a member of Congress states his position on getting out of Afghanistan:

Bruce Braley represents Iowas 1st congressional district and this is a tweet he sent August 26 in response to our query, “Where do you stand on bringing #troops #home from #Afghanistan?”

There is now a movement for #AfghanistanHour for Tuesday at Noon to be reserved for our elected officials to tweet their question about bringing the troops home:  Continue reading Will your Rep Join @BruceBraley on #AfghanistanTuesday ? →

Nonviolence, Peace, Royal Book of the Week

Power of Nonviolence Zinn-troduction: Peace Book Chapter of the Week 9/12/11

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The Power of Nonviolence Writings by Advocates of PeaceThe Power of Nonviolence: Writings by Advocates of Peace provides us with the Peace Book Chapter of the Week. You might have noticed this a slightly different concept. Duke Augustus is paring down the Book of the Week to just a chapter to make it more interactive.  We hope that you will join in a discussion of the book as we move through it together chapter-by-chapter.  Please post your thoughts, reactions, comments, corrections and additions to the comment section of each of these posts.

War is terrorism,
magnified a hundred times.

Normally, Duke Augustus would give an introduction a cursory discussion, and begin the first discussion of the book, but when the Introduction is written by the late Howard Zinn attention must be paid.  Zinn is primarily know as a historian whose best selling A People’s History of the United States is an antidote to the sanitized grade school history.  Duke Augustus is particularly partial to the graphic novel adaption, A People’s History of American Empire.  Zinn’s Introduction to The Power of Nonviolence is even more important to discuss considering that the opening lines are so amazingly timely:  Continue reading Power of Nonviolence Zinn-troduction: Peace Book Chapter of the Week 9/12/11 →

Music, Nonviolence, Peace, Royal Song of The Day

Masters of War: Peace Song of the Day 9/10/11

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Masters of War by Bob Dylan is the Peace Song of the Day for Saturday, September 10, 2011.   When Duchess Susanna heard Duke Augustus playing this song this morning, she requested he post it as it the Peace Song of the Day because she had to leave to go bring music into the world.  Duke Augustus find these to be some of Dylan’s most straight-forward lyrics, but there still seems to be room for disagreement.  The song was released in the spring of 1963 album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan.  Wikipedia claims that Nat Hentoff‘s liner notes frame the song as a protest against Cold War arms build-up.The liner note themselves seem to give the song a broader context:

“Masters of War” startles Dylan himself. “I’ve never really written anything like that before,” he recalls. “I don’t sing songs which hope people will die, but I couldn’t help it in this one. The song is a sort of striking out, a reaction to the last straw, a feeling of what can you do?” The rage (which is as much anguish as it is anger) is a away of catharsis, a way of getting temporary relief from the heavy feeling of impotence that affects many who cannot understand a civilization which juggles it’s own means for oblivion and calls that performance an act toward peace.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpMEq1vmgpI]  Continue reading Masters of War: Peace Song of the Day 9/10/11 →

Nonviolence, Peace, Royal Book of the Week

Thich Nhat Hanh Royal Comic Book of the Week: Monday 9/5/11

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This weeks Royal (Comic) Book of the Week for Monday September 5, 2011 is Walking With Alfred Hassler, Thich Nhat Hanh and Sister Chan Khong by Peace is the Way. This comic book does not exist yet.   The plan is for a “feature documentary film and 3D animated comic book about normal people who became Nonviolent Super Heroes.” Peace is the Way is currently raising funds for this project through IndieGoGo.

[vimeo 27653813]

Peace is the Way describes the overall project:  Continue reading Thich Nhat Hanh Royal Comic Book of the Week: Monday 9/5/11 →