Nonviolence in Action: Good News from Mel Duncan

Press Clip Source: The Raven Foundation
Written By: Suzanne Ross
Date: March 31, 2015
Read Original Article: Here - Listen to the interview: Here

We often hear from readers about the difficulties they face advocating for the power of nonviolence in places where faith in violence runs deep. It's especially difficult – and all the more necessary – when the airwaves echo with faith in American firepower to restore peace in places like Syria, Iraq, or Ukraine. Faith in the goodness of America's violence is matched by an equal faith in the wickedness of the violence directed against us.

What's a nonviolent advocate to do?

I suggest that you get the help you need to build your case for nonviolence from Mel Duncan, the founder of Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP). Listen to his interview with Stephanie Van Hook and Michael Nagler of the Metta Center for Nonviolence, two incredible peacemakers in their own right. Beginning at about 16:45 minutes into the recording, you can listen as Mel brings good news straight from conflict zones like South Sudan where unarmed peacekeepers are creating safety for civilians and changing the hearts and minds of combatants. Hear his stories of hope from Syria where NP is supporting the work already being done by women and men leading peace building, human rights and reconciliation work that doesn't make the news. And attached to the end of this article is a report about NP's newest initiative in Ukraine where Raven Foundation is supporting the training of local leaders to operate in conflict zones to provide civilian protection, monitor human rights violations, develop early warning and response systems, and much more.

Mel Duncan and NP are part of the emerging phenomenon taking place around the globe in which unarmed responses to violence are being demonstrated to be more effective and sustainable than any military response. Even the United Nations is getting on board, working with NP to develop online training for unarmed peacekeepers that will enable anyone anywhere to be trained in nonviolent responses in their own communities. This good news is rooted in experience, objectively verifiable, and undeniably powerful. We hope that the good news from NP will help you challenge the persistent depictions of violence as divisible into two types – ours as the good kind and the bad kind wielded by our enemies. There is only one kind of violence because violence can do only one thing: destroy. The power to resolve conflict, to end hatred, and build sustainable peace belongs to nonviolent action. NP is doing the work that proves it for all to see.

If you'd like to be part of the Nonviolent Peaceforce movement, do what you can to spread the word by sharing this post with others. Find out how you can support NPs work directly at their website. And please let us know if this evidence for the power of nonviolence persuaded you or anyone you know.