Every Life, A Universe

End the Suffering: Global Days of Remembrance and Action

October 6, 7, and 8

#EveryLifeAUniverse

Nonviolence International invites you—communities, congregations, institutions, and individuals throughout the world—to commemorate the one-year mark of October 7th in a way that renews our resolve for justice and peace. Let us remember and honor the sacredness of every life, grief for those lost over decades of violence and oppression, and acknowledge those who are in pain today: those who have lost loved ones, are injured, abducted, displaced, whose homes have been destroyed, and who suffer from hunger and illness.

Through our grief and remembrance, let us renew our commitment to never give up on justice and peace between Palestinians and Israelis

We invite you for three days of remembrance and action by doing the following:   

1. Wear a black ribbon or armband during these days. We want to see people all around the world, in our cities and towns, workplaces, and educational institutions, wear black ribbons or armbands in order to create the collective consciousness of grief for lives that haven been lost. You are also welcomed to write "Every life, a Universe" on your ribbons or armbands. 

2. Organizing community vigils, sit-ins, sharing circles, walks, events, fundraisers, days of fasting, and humanitarian efforts for each of the days;

   On October 6th, you are invited to remember the decades of the past and decry the mistreatment and suffering of Palestinians caused by Israeli policies of expulsion, imprisonment, apartheid, siege, and occupation.

   On October 7th, you are invited to remember and decry the violent attacks by Hamas and others, including the hostage-taking, and the death of over 1,000 Israelis in a single day.

   On October 8th, you are invited to remember and decry the launch and continuation of Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, the killing of over 40,000 individuals, the injury of over 80,000, the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians and the abduction of thousands from their homes and families. 

3. Use the hashtag: #EveryLifeAUniverse on your social media and share your activities on the following Facebook page so others can join you and for all of us to know what you are doing Facebook Page.

Join us in your own way to say that violence, whether in defense or for liberation, is not the answer. Only nonviolence, which dismantles systems of oppression and violence and calls for collective justice and equality, will ensure that Israelis and Palestinians can live together in safety, peace, and justice.

Goals:

• To create global momentum that transcends the dichotomy of right versus wrong and unites us in a collective call to end all suffering. Our aim is to move forward toward achieving peace and justice for everyone.
• We seek to establish a unified ritual space where we can come together to acknowledge and process the past. This includes confronting grief, grievances, and the structures and systems of oppression that have perpetuated suffering across decades.
• Our objective is to reframe the Israeli-Palestinian crisis in a way that fosters a shared vision of equality, justice, and reconciliation. By doing so, we hope to encourage and mobilize collective actions to end the suffering.
• We want to remind everyone that we are the change-makers we have been waiting for. If we don't act now, the suffering will continue and intensify.

Explore our Tool Kit on how to participate in the Global Days of Remembrance and Action, filled with actionable steps and resources: Tool Kit

"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." —Rumi 

The Flotilla ships currently being prevented from leaving port by the Turkish Port Authorities

on September 12 Freedom Flotilla has announced that the demonstration to release the Flotilla ships currently being prevented from leaving port by the Turkish Port Authorities, continues in Istanbul. and they are calling for help;

We need your help in getting international media to cover this historic protest and help put pressure on the government to release the ships, ensuring we can sail towards Gaza.

HOW TO HELP:

1. Call, email and/or demonstrate at Turkish embassies and consulates and demand that the Freedom Flotilla ships be released and allowed to deliver aid to Gaza immediately.

2. Tag mainstream accounts in this post or when you share our photos to your stories.

3. Message the social media page of the Ministry of Transport and Foreign Affairs @tcdisisleri & @uabakanligi on IG and on X

4. Share our videos using the hashtags #WeWillSail and #LetThemSail tagging @tcdisisleri and @uabakanligi

#WeWillSail #LetThemSail #TheFreedomFlotilla #FFC #Istanbul #Turkiye #Turkey #mavimarmara

Aysenur Ezgi Eygi Killed While Peacefully Protecting Palestinians

Nonviolence International has long supported third-party nonviolent action around the world and in Palestine/Israel through training, research, fiscal sponsorship, and advocacy.  NVI strongly encourages well-meaning visitors, delegations, and organized solidarity accompaniment and co-resistance to go to Palestine/Israel. This page highlights some of the many activities by courageous international people and groups in Palestine/Israel who seek to protect civilians and human rights.

On September 3, 2024, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi traveled to the occupied West Bank to join the unarmed civilian protection (UCP) group, the International Solidarity Movement (ISM)/Faz3a. According to her family, she felt a deep responsibility to stand with Palestinian civilians facing ongoing repression and violence, particularly from settlers. On September 6, 2024, while attending a peaceful protest in Beita, Eygi was tragically shot in the head by an Israeli soldier. Source.

A photo of Aysenur Eygi during her graduation.

Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was born on July 27, 1998, in Turkey and raised in Seattle, Washington. She graduated from Seattle Central College in 2022 with an Associate’s degree in Art and completed her Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Psychology with a minor in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures at the University of Washington in June 2024. She was actively involved in pro-Palestinian activism and was considering pursuing graduate studies in Near Eastern archaeology.

Nonviolence International, an organization dedicated to promoting nonviolent resistance and human rights, strongly condemns the killing of Eygi. We express deep outrage at the violent suppression of peaceful protests towards both Palestinians and internationals. This tragic incident underscores the dangers faced by activists advocating for basic human and civil rights in the occupied territories. Nonviolence International reaffirms its commitment to supporting peaceful activism and standing in solidarity with those resisting oppression.

Please call on the United Nations, Turkey, and the United States of America to launch independent investigations and to take measures to protect everyone.

To support our partners involved in UCP in Palestine, please visit the following:

https://www.nonviolenceinternational.net/ucpnp_partner

https://www.nonviolenceinternational.net/ffc_freedom_flotilla_coalition

https://www.nonviolenceinternational.net/cjnv_partner

ISM Palestine

Faz3a

Uganda nonviolent protests against pipeline meet with more repression

On August 26, 2024, communities in Hoima Town and Kampala held peaceful protests against the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). The demonstrators, including project-affected people and activists, voiced concerns over the environmental and human rights violations caused by EACOP, which is spearheaded by TotalEnergies and the Chinese National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC). Despite their peaceful intentions, the protests were met with police violence and arrests. In Hoima, police prevented most demonstrators from delivering a letter of demands, while in Kampala, 21 activists were violently arrested.

 NVI Director, Michael Beer met with Ugandan officials in Washington DC and also protested along side climate activists.

The protestors are calling for an immediate halt to the EACOP project, reparations for the damage caused, an end to the violence against activists, and a shift toward decentralized, renewable energy solutions that benefit Ugandans. This situation highlights the ongoing repression of environmental and human rights defenders in Uganda. The international community is urged to stand against these injustices and support the affected communities in their fight for justice and sustainable development.

We invite you to contact the Ugandan government directly to express your concern and demand the immediate halt of EACOP. Together, we can make a difference.

WATCH HERE

The excruciating need for UCP in Palestine has just become very personal.  Our friend and colleague Amira Musallam is a member of the assessment team that is just completing their context analysis and recommendations on how to deploy a large scale UCP action in Palestine.

Amira and her family AT THIS MOMENT have been thrown off their land in the West Bank!  On Wednesday, armed settlers backed by the police (a.k.a. Israeli Defense Force) tried to evict them from their land in Beit Jaia.  Amira and her family refused to leave. A few activists joined them in nonviolent resistance.   When the Israeli soldiers arrived, the family presented their land deed, but the soldiers ignored it and sided with the settlers. The soldiers claimed they had a court order for eviction but could not produce it. The soldiers then used violent force to remove her family and the activists providing unarmed civilian protection (UCP).

Since then, Amira, her family and more volunteers providing UCP have arrived each day.  On Friday the Israeli Army used stun grenades to clear them and started arresting members of Amira’s family.   Dan Boneh, a 74-year-old veteran of the Israeli army who was providing UCP on Friday, reported:

They removed the protestors by force to the joy and laughter of the settlers who remained inside, and locked the gate.  Now we are outside the so-called closed military zone but they still decided to throw shock grenades at us, for no apparent reason…I fought in Israel’s war as a soldier in the IDF.  I am ashamed to see how the IDF and the Israeli police have become so politicized clearly supporting the settlers agenda to displace the Palestinians.

Amira’s family holds a deep connection to their land and its necessity for their livelihood. In 2012, they built a home and restaurant on their property. However, in 2019, the Israeli army arbitrarily demolished both. In 2023, settlers challenged the family’s ownership, and the family overcame them by obtaining their land deed through the Israeli court. The family has remained steadfast since and continues to farm their fields. AND NOW THIS!

Amira, her family and the unarmed civilian protectors will not leave.  They need your support. And this is just one of thousands of examples of how the war is escalating in the West Bank as well as Gaza.

What can you do?

Contact your Representatives, Senators, Members of Parliament, or any relevant governmental authority.   Share Amira’s story, and demand that they:

• Call their State Department or Foreign Ministry about Amira's situation and demand that their Embassy in Israel intervene immediately.  
• Sponsor or support legislation designed to:
  • Stop Israeli expansion on the West Bank
  • Ensure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza
  • Stop any further arms shipments to Israel (if you are from the US, UK, Germany or Italy.)

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