~You Should Be~ Yesterday, Rex Tillerson, USA Secretary of State, told us that we should all sleep well. We are under no nuclear threat. The US President is just saber rattling when he talks about delivering “fire and fury” if the US is threatened. If only we could trust him. But this week was […]
Book Review – Nonviolence: The History of a Dangerous Idea
Solving Conflicts through Nonviolence Nonviolence seems like a harmless idea rooted in compassionate and peaceful interests. Why is it then that practitioners of nonviolence are often seen as enemies of the state? Mark Kurlansky’s book Nonviolence: The History of a Dangerous Idea illuminates that dark corner where economic, religious and state power often collude to […]
What Does Peace Feel Like?
What Does Peace Feel Like to You? The United Nations has defined war as any conflict in which there are more than 1000 battlefield dead. It is estimated that currently there are eleven wars going on around the world and many, many more “conflicts.” However, as the following quote tells us, war is not limited […]
Resources & Activities for International Peace Day
What is International Peace Day? The International Day of Peace, or as it is often titled, World Peace Day occurs on September 21st every year. This day is officially dedicated to world peace, and the elimination of war and violence. The day was established in 1981 by the United Nations as a way to bring world attention […]
Remembering Hiroshima
The Nuclear Threat Initiative sent me the following e-mail this morning: “Seventy-one years ago tomorrow, the city of Hiroshima was leveled by an awesome and gruesome new weapon: the atomic bomb. Three days later, Nagasaki faced the same fate. Today, the world has entered a new and potentially more dangerous era of nuclear risks. Consider […]
Muhammad Ali: A Man of Peace
Designated by the United Nations in 1998 as a UN Messenger for Peace, Muhammad Ali (1942-2016) is best remembered in his passing as a man dedicated to justice. Six themes guided his life: respect, confidence, conviction, dedication, giving and spirituality. Combined they produced a man who wasn’t afraid to stand up for what he believed in […]
Nonviolent Resistance: Twice as Effective as War
Post by Tim Wolcott I financially support and post pieces on independent media, because I believe mainstream media is part of how militarism remains entrenched in our society. So when I learned from a recent presentation by Kevin Martin, President of Peace Action National, that The Washington Post published January 18, 2016 an article by […]
Martin Luther King on Injustice
Martin Luther KIng tells us… Injustice is…a threat to justice Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Injustice is…poverty & homelessness & starvation The rich must not ignore the poor because […]
The Predator: A Play about War and Peace
The two act play The Predator by Jack Gilroy was first presented at Georgetown University in 2011. Since then it has been performed in many venues from New York to Georgia. The play presents four women each with a different viewpoint on the role of the military, on the military conflicts our country is currently engaged […]
International Day for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
September 26th is International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. With Nuclear War only a hair trigger away, the Union for Concerned Scientists calls on us to do something about this threat that could destroy the world. How big a threat is it? According to www.Ploughshares.org, nine countries in the world control 15,695 […]
International Day of Peace
September 21st is the International Day of Peace. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981, this day is supposed to be a day of non-violence and cease-fire. Combatants everywhere in the world are asked to put down their weapons. The first Peace Day was celebrated in September 1982. That’s thirty-three years ago. A […]
Another Song for Christmas
By Joan Koster You may be familiar with Stevie Wonder’s Song Someday at Christmas. Here is version you may not have seen. The war in East Congo has been going on for over twenty years and is being fought over copper, tin, and coltane (tantalite) – over 24 trillion dollars worth – all important components of your smartphones […]