Starhawk's Response to Current Events:
A cop murders a man in cold blood, in an icon of humiliation, knee on neck, a man who is bound and pleading for his life, and all this happens not just in front of other cops who do not intervene, not just in front of a live crowd, but is videoed and shown to the world.
It’s a public murder, a lynching, a display of brute power.
And this murder is one in a long string of murders, black life after black life, and in the majority of cases, the perpetrators have walked free.
And we wonder why our cities are in flames?
We are surprised when a cigarette butt sparks a raging fire in a tinder-dry forest?
I am a life-long advocate and practitioner of nonviolence, but I’m not going to preach it to those who have the knee on their neck. Not until I first send out a larger call:
I call for nonviolence from the cops, whom we as a society entrust with the right to carry weapons and to use force, and who therefore must be accountable and responsible when they abuse that trust.
I call for nonviolence from the president, who has condoned and advocated violence on every level, stoked racial fear and hatred, supported white supremacists, egged on armed, white protestors, and so much more that I can work myself up into a froth just trying to list it. And from all the other power-holders who aid and abet him, who ignore their duty to govern fairly and accountably.
I call for nonviolence from the media that focus on and glorify violence and too often ignore peaceful protest, from the media outlets that spread misinformation and outright lie, from the social media that provide platforms for lies and hate to spread.
I call for nonviolence from any folks of privilege, whether that’s vanguardist leftists or, far more prevalent, organized white supremacist groups, who are using the protests to advance their own agendas instead of taking the lead from those whose lives are most directly impacted.
I call upon us all to acknowledge that racism is violence, continual and nonstop, like a low-level inflammation that saps your energy and occasionally erupts into agonizing pain. And occasionally sets the world on fire.
We live steeped in and surrounded by violence, shaped by it, entertained by it. Violence is outright force but it is also neglect, appropriation of resources, lies, stereotypes, devaluation, unwillingness to acknowledge and reward the beauty and creativity and gifts of those who are deemed not to matter. It’s our reluctance to let someone else determine the norms, set the rules, be the center of the story.
So if we are shocked, shocked by broken glass and burned-out cop cars, then we have a responsibility to change the climate that is stoking the fires.
Nonviolence isn’t something to preach. It’s best put into practice, by actively working against the inherent violence that pervades our system.
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Join Nonviolence International for a webinar on March 16, Monday, at 11:30am CT and 6:30pm Jerusalem time, entitled Solidarity in Action: Resisting Occupation in Palestine and Minnesota. This will be a conversation among Palestinian and Minnesota activists about nonviolent resistance to occupation and state violence. This webinar brings together organizers from two contexts where communities are confronting intensified state control, displacement and militarized enforcement: one new, in Minnesota, where federal immigration enforcement actions, characterized by a large deployment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents and have been resisted by community protests, grassroots defense and community building efforts have deeply impacted families and organizers, and veterans in the West Bank, where decades of military occupation shape everyday life and resistance, and have seen an increase of violence in the last months.
While there is no equivalency in duration or depth of violence and impunity, we have an opportunity to learn from people who have resisted occupation their entire lives and from those who may or may not have experienced it comparatively recently. Speakers will share their lived experiences, contrast strategies of resistance, shared learning and explore opportunities for solidarity and collective action. Through this exchange, we aim to center community agency, hope, and shared learning, and uplifting practices of resilience and organizing.
The webinar will be hosted by Mel Duncan, from Minnesota, co-founder of the Nonviolent Peaceforce and organizer of the Unarmed Civilian Protection in Palestine (UCPiP). And speakers include Amira Musallam, Head of Mission of UCPiP, Maddie Moon, Minnesota community organizer, and Emilia Gonzalez Avalos, Executive Director for UNIDOS MN.
Join us for this important conversation by registering here.
Goals:
- Share lessons learned from grassroots resistance in both contexts
- Build and invite compassion and mutual understanding
- Identify opportunities for solidarity and collaboration between movements fighting occupation, displacement, and state violence
Dear friends,
Nonviolence International warmly invites you to join us for two special evenings in Washington DC with Sami Awad, Palestinian activist, author, and NVI Co-Director.
For activists, Palestine has become a powerful lens for understanding injustice in the world. But today it reveals something deeper: the United States is not simply supporting Israel, it sits at the heart of a global system of empire. The same forces shaping domination abroad are also shaping power, repression, and inequality within the United States itself. This means the struggle is not just about changing policy. In these talks and based on his own journey, Sami invites us to expand our resistance, from a liberation struggle focused on one place to confronting the empire itself.
Event 1 - March 12, Thursday
From Occupation to Empire: Rethinking Resistance
All Souls Church Unitarian
Hosted by Souls 4 Palestine
6:30 – 8:30 PM (with Iftar observance)
1500 Harvard Street NW
RSVP here!
Event 2 - March 13, Friday
From Palestine to Empire: Reframing Resistance
Busboys & Poets
7:00 – 9:00 PM
450 K St NW, Mount Vernon Square
RSVP here!
These gatherings are an opportunity for community members, advocates, and anyone interested in nonviolent change to hear directly from a leading voice in Palestinian civil resistance and to explore pathways toward a more just and peaceful future.
We hope you can join us and help spread the word.
With appreciation,
Michael Beer, Co-Director
P.S. These are free events. If you want, please make a donation to Souls 4 Palestine and generously order food and drinks at Busboys and Poets to help them thrive.
Nonviolence International
https://www.nonviolenceinternational.net/
Are you passionate about active nonviolence, social justice, and global movements for change? Do you want hands-on experience in nonprofit management, digital organizing, and international event coordination?
As a small but globally engaged organization, NVI relies on interns as integral members of our work. You will gain meaningful experience supporting programs, communications, digital outreach, and nonprofit operations while contributing directly to global nonviolent movements.
What You’ll Gain
- Direct exposure to global nonviolent activism and movement-building
- Experience in virtual event coordination and webinar production
- Hands-on nonprofit management and operations training
- Opportunity to shape and invest in projects aligned with your interests
Interns work closely with staff while also exercising independence, creativity, and initiative.
With guidance from staff, each intern will split their time between programmatic support, organizational outreach, and administrative tasks. Interns will also have the opportunity to invest significant time and work within their preferred projects of choice.
Internship Structure
- Remote position, from anywhere in the world
- From June to December 2026
- Must be able to commit to 2-3 team meetings per week at 9:30AM ET
- Minimum of 15 hours per week
- $500 USD monthly stipend
- Available to students and non-students
- Can be arranged for academic credit
- Possibility of extension by mutual agreement
Our Commitment to Equity
As nonviolent activists committed to social justice, we recognize that systems of violence disproportionately impact marginalized communities. We are committed to centering these communities in our work and strongly encourage applications from individuals who identify as members of marginalized communities.
Responsibilities
Event Management
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Support organizing and delivering global webinars
- Assist with technical management of live virtual events
- Engage diverse international audiences
Communications & Outreach
- Create website updates and blog posts
- Develop content for YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook
- Monitor and engage with online supporters
- Assist with digital storytelling and movement visibility
Data Management
- Update and expand the Nonviolent Tactics database (MySQL)
- Support maintenance of the nonviolence training archive (Omeka)
Website Maintenance
- Update and manage content using Nation Builder
Operations Support
- Learn internal donation workflows and how to use Zapier
- Understand nonprofit compliance and responsibilities
- Support organizational systems and administrative tasks
Qualifications
We take a holistic approach to applications. We understand that your talents and lived experiences extend far beyond a one-page resume. While educational background and professional experience are considered, we equally value passion, curiosity, initiative, and commitment to nonviolent social change.
How to Apply
Please apply through our Idealist ad and send us the requested information and documents until April 23, 2026.
If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us at [email protected].
Dear Friends,
The Middle East (West Asia), and the world, are facing deeply dangerous moments.
The recent war by the United States and Israel on Iran has pushed an already fragile region closer to a wider and potentially devastating war. In moments like this, it can feel as though the machinery of violence moves unchecked, while ordinary people and civil society are left watching helplessly.
But history reminds us that this is precisely when our voices matter most.
Civil society has always carried a sacred responsibility in times of crisis: to speak when others are silent, to insist on humanity when violence dominates the headlines, and to remind the world that another path, embedded in nonviolence, is still possible.
A coalition of organizations is therefore launching an urgent international petition calling for immediate de-escalation, restraint, ceasefire and diplomacy instead of further militarization.
In the midst of despair, this is our moment to act together.
We invite NGOs, human rights organizations, faith communities, peace networks, and civil society groups to add their voices, to affirm that the expansion of the war is not inevitable.
Please sign your organization’s name to the appeal here by Tuesday, 10 March 2026.
This petition recognizes and encourages governments that have shown restraint, while urging all parties to step back from the brink and pursue diplomacy, accountability, and international law. But signing the petition is only the beginning.
At this critical time, we also encourage you to:
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Contact your government representatives and urge them to support immediate de-escalation and ceasefire efforts.
• Share this appeal with partner organizations and networks so that more civil society groups can join.
• Speak publicly for peace and for the protection of civilians across the region.
There are moments in history when the future feels uncertain and dark. Yet those same moments have often become the turning points when ordinary people and courageous organizations refused to accept that violence was inevitable.
We cannot control the decisions of governments or armies. But we can ensure that the voice of humanity, justice, and nonviolence is heard clearly across the world. Hope is not passive. It is something we practice together.
Let us take up that responsibility now.
Feel free to reach us at [email protected] or +1-202-244-0951.
In solidarity,