Tag Archives: nonviolent social change

A whole year of Peace Songs: Finale to “Peace Song of the Day” project

Susanna, The Duchess of Peace writes:

On July 9th of last year, I began a project to find, and blog about, a peace song for every day of the year. The Peace Song of the Day archive is: here.

The idea of the project was to create interesting content, to create a daily ritual of peace culture, to bring people to the blog, and to nurture some self-discipline in myself as a writer.

I believe I succeeded a little bit on the first three counts. Though, since there are many days with no peace song announced, I guess I failed on the self-discipline score. And, I failed even though I had some nurturing help from the Duke, who sometimes provided inspiration, and sometimes just wrote the post for me. My missed days have taught me that I cannot count on myself to be both creative and ambitious each day. So, my next daily project will involve less of a need for inspiration. Though, I hope it will still be fruitful to the peace community.

Other lessons learned: Continue reading A whole year of Peace Songs: Finale to “Peace Song of the Day” project

Peace, justice, and food: Peace Song for 12/27

Common Thread by Pat Humphries is the Peace Song of the Day for 12/27. You can find the lyrics and chords to this song in The Rise Up Singing songbook on page 238.


More about this song… Continue reading Peace, justice, and food: Peace Song for 12/27

Volumes of law written by scoundrels and fools: Peace Song for 12/6/2011

Rules” by Sonny Meadows, on his album, How Does A Patriot Act, is the Peace Song of the Day for December 6th.

In the liner notes to How Does A Patriot Act, Sonny Meadows says, “Wrote this for my son, Jake, an anarchist and pirate after my own heart.”.

You can find a sample mp3 from this song at CD Baby: here. (Track Eight) Continue reading Volumes of law written by scoundrels and fools: Peace Song for 12/6/2011

Philip Glass at Lincoln Center with the occupation: Three videos and the full text

Composer and musician Philip Glass made a statement at Lincoln Center. His opera, Satyagraha, about Gandhi and nonviolent social change, had just been performed. Glass used The People’s Mic (Mic Check) to make comments to the assembled Occupy Wall Street activists and opera goers. Below are three videos from different perspectives, and the full text.

Philip Glass at Lincoln Center Video
An activist perspective. Trying to get the folks who watched the opera about Gandhi to “cross the line” and join the people:



Philip Glass at Lincoln Center Video

Close up of Philip Glass, so you can hear him read his own words: Continue reading Philip Glass at Lincoln Center with the occupation: Three videos and the full text

Stand in the place where you are: Peace Song for 11/15/2011

“Stand” by R.E.M. is the Peace Song of the Day for November 15th. The Duke and Duchess of Peace would like to dedicate this song to the folks occupying Liberty Square in NYC. Last night, they lost a lot of supplies, and thousands of books, because the city and the police tried to stop them from redressing their government.

Support and strength to Occupy Wall Street to stand firm at Liberty Square. Support and strength to all the occupiers, who are nobly using nonviolent action to promote democracy and social justice.

Thursday, November 17th is an International Day of Action. Folks in New York City will be trying to occupy the whole city and the subways.

Continue reading Stand in the place where you are: Peace Song for 11/15/2011

The ultimate song about nonviolence: Peace Song for 11/12

“Take It From Dr. King”, by Pete Seeger, is The Peace Song of the Day for November 12th. This song is the ultimate celebration of nonviolent activism for social change. It tells the story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, the bus boycott, and The Civil Rights movement. It also has the somewhat tense, but poignantly necessary line, “Drop the gun.”

Continue reading The ultimate song about nonviolence: Peace Song for 11/12

Danny Glover at Occupy Oakland: Re-imagining democracy and humanity

Danny Glover made the speech of a lifetime — the speech of our lifetime — at Occupy Oakland on October 15th. Listening to the speech has sent Duchess Susanna into a fit of hopeful tears, such as one experiences during the happy ending of a momentous film.

The entire video, and all of Danny Glover’s words, are worth experiencing and absorbing. Please watch it! Below, The Duchess has inscribed in text some of the quotes that she was able to capture and type out this morning.

Continue reading Danny Glover at Occupy Oakland: Re-imagining democracy and humanity