"Over the past hundred years, non-violent action by ordinary people has accomplished massive social change, toppling dictators, overthrowing colonial governments, ending participation in unjust wars, rewriting oppressive laws, reconciling victims and perpetrators, and healing families and communities. Non-violent action requires leadership, intelligence, creativity, moral and physical courage, self discipline, and brilliant strategy. Why then, do so many people believe that a non-violent response to injustice or attack is unworkable, or “too idealistic”? Every major religion: Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and Judaism, councils its followers to sanctify human life and treat all human beings as family. Why, then, do we continue to train young people to kill, maim, and terrorize others? Why do we support a military budget that is three times that of our major adversaries combined? Why do we call our country’s aggression “just” and “noble,” and our enemies’ aggression “unjust,” “mindless,” and “evil”? Why do we caricature and dehumanize people of other races as a prelude to our aggression against them? Why are we so reluctant to investigate the root causes of violence: poverty,oppression, ignorance, and fear." ~Helen Fox
More at; http://www.h-net.org/~peace/hpsyll-fox.pdf
and; http://www-personal.umich.edu/~hfox/index.html
No comments:
Post a Comment