0
67 views
SIX PRINCIPLES OF NONVIOLENCE
(From The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Atlanta, USA)
1. Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people. It is active nonviolent resistance to evil.
2. Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding. The end result of nonviolence is redemption and reconciliation.
3. Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice, not people. Nonviolence recognizes that evildoers are also victims.
4. Nonviolence holds that suffering can educate and transform. Nonviolence willingly accepts the consequences to its acts.
5. Nonviolence chooses love instead of hate. Nonviolence resists violence to the spirit as well as the body. Nonviolence love is active, not passive. Nonviolence love does not sink to the level of the hater. Love restores community and resists injustice. Nonviolence recognizes the fact that all life is interrelated.
6. Nonviolence believes that the universe is on the side of justice. The nonviolent resister has deep faith that justice will eventually win.
And six more principles relevant for our time.
7. Nonviolence embraces empathy. It fosters a deep understanding of others’ perspectives, promoting compassion and dismantling the barriers that fuel violence.
8. Nonviolence champions dialogue. Instead of resorting to aggression, it encourages open communication and peaceful discourse as the means to resolve conflicts.
9. Nonviolence values equality. It strives for a world where all individuals are treated with fairness and respect, recognizing the inherent dignity in every human being.
10. Nonviolence builds bridges. Rather than erecting walls of hostility, it constructs pathways to reconciliation, fostering connections that transcend the divides that often lead to violence.
11. Nonviolence nurtures collective responsibility. It promotes a sense of shared accountability for creating a harmonious world, inspiring individuals to work collaboratively towards peace.
12. Nonviolence upholds environmental harmony. Recognizing the interconnectedness of all life, it advocates for sustainable practices and environmental stewardship as essential components of a peaceful existence.