Watch the recording of the Q&A Panel Discussion on
In Conversation: "Humanity in Gaza" Revisited

Recording

To create a more nonviolent planet, national leaders at the UN Summit of the Future on Sept 22., adopted a ground-breaking Pact for the Future that also includes a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations (See UN adopts ground-breaking Pact for the Future to transform global governance, UN press release, September 22).

Following an unsuccessful effort by Russia and its allies yesterday morning to render the PACT toothless in national jurisdictions, it was adopted without vote, i.e. by consensus.

This Pact is the culmination of an inclusive, years-long process to adapt international cooperation to the realities of today and the challenges of tomorrow.  As the Secretary-General has said, “we cannot create a future fit for our grandchildren with a system built by our grandparents.”

While innovative and ground-breaking, the PACT is not as ambitious as hoped by many like-minded governments and civil society networks who had advanced a range of even stronger proposals for better global governance to ensure peace, environmental protection, human rights, democracy and sustainability for current and future generations. See, for example, the Peoples Pact for the Future.

Join civil society leaders from World Federalist Movement-Institute for Global Policy (WFM) and Mobilizing an Earth Governance Alliance (MEGA) online today for an update on the Summit of the Future, the adoption of the PACT and where-to-from here. 

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

Freedom Flotilla is in Malta Ready to Sail for Gaza to Break the Siege

On Sunday, August 18, 1700 Jerusalem, 1600 Malta, 1000 ET.

 NVI meets with Freedom Flotilla sailors and activists.

 Freedom Flotilla activists have set sail from Malta to Gaza in a courageous effort to break the ongoing siege. Hosted by Sami Awad, with insights from Freedom Flotilla Steering Committee member Ann Wright, the discussion explores the mission's significance and the risks involved. The activists share their motivations and the challenges of this critical humanitarian mission. Their journey highlights the power of nonviolent action in confronting immense obstacles.

Watch full webinar here

Below you can view the webinar of Freedom Flotilla Activists in June in Istanbul

https://youtube.com/shorts/yD8V3kn-UKE?si=oORpFY-OOpSQvxpe

 As we witness the daily horrific attacks against the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip, we also see the global movement calling for a ceasefire and an end to Israeli genocide grow with protests taking place across every major city in the world today. Taking this activism a step further, many are also engaged in direct action to break the siege of Gaza that has lasted for over 17 years and intensified in the last 8 months. People that are ready to put their lives on the line to save others. These people represent us, the global nonviolence movement, coming together from different parts of the world and from different ethnic and religious backgrounds.These are the ones who said, in the face of the impossible, we want to do something.

This was hosted by Sami Awad. Our impressive speakers updated us and answered our questions!

Freedom Flotilla-Ann Wright

Rabbis for a Ceasefire- Ilana Sumka

Host- Co-Director of Nonviolence International, Sami Awad

Watch the Recording 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.)

Share this email with your friends, networks and social media.

BREAKING: They can arrest us but we will keep singing.

Hymns in four-part harmony echoed through the halls of the Hart Senate building this afternoon as Mennonites and allies engaged in a nonviolent action.

Mennonite Action’s 11-day, 141-mile “All God's Children March for a Ceasefire” concluded Tuesday in an act of nonviolent civil disobedience on Capitol Hill. More than 60 Mennonites and allies peacefully occupied the building, praying and singing for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Capitol police initiated arrests when we refused to leave—but even as zip ties were placed on wrists, those arrested continued to sing.

Since Sunday, we have joined an interfaith coalition countering the annual conference of Christians United for Israel (CUFI) and confronting US lawmakers who embrace CUFI’s agenda. CUFI is an extreme Christian nationalist organization that espouses a hateful and violent theology.

Along with our interfaith allies, we have been holding worship services and ritual-filed protests, showing that this extremist organization does not speak for all or most people of faith.

Today we step further into the long-flowing stream of our faith-centered peace witness, showing the world our deepest held values by putting them into action.

Thank you for holding us in your prayers as our march and action have unfolded. Together, we join a chorus of voices around the world who call for peace and justice in Palestine.

In love and solidarity,

Mennonite Action

It was an amazing sight, in these difficult times, to witness tens of thousands of protesters from all religions and no religion flooding the streets of Washington D.C. to declare their opposition to Netanyahu’s visit. However, one of the greatest signs of hope was seeing hundreds of Jewish protesters in the congressional rotunda standing against the visit and their willingness to be arrested in response. These protesters boldly called for an end to the fighting in Gaza, for an end to all military aid to Israel, and for the arrest of Netanyahu as a war criminal, risking much to send their message to the country. This is not just a powerful political statement nor a risky act of civil disobedience, but it displays a brave willingness to risk angering, alienating, or even severing relationships with family, friends and others in their community who support the immoral policies of Israel. They were also protesting, as Jews, out of the ethical and moral convictions of their faith. They were showing, by word and deed, that indeed Judaism and Zionism are not the same. They showed that they reject the claims of Netanyahu and the assertion that Zionism speaks on behalf of all Jews, that the oppression of Palestinians is a Jewish imperative.

To take such a position on moral grounds and the willingness to break with one’s community is the height of morality, a true prophetic stance. I salute those in Jewish Voice for Peace, Not in Our Name, If Not Now, Rabbis for Ceasefire, and other Jewish groups as a true beacon of light, genuine allies, and a true sign of hope for a future of coexistence and camaraderie between Palestinian Arabs and Jewish Israelis (and their friends) in the Holy Land and abroad. Together we can boldly stand against anti-Jewish bigotry, against Islamophobia, against anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian bigotry, and proclaim the possibility of a better future for all based on justice and equality.

This distinction between Jewishness and Zionism can sometimes be hard to make, even for Palestinians, when Israel proclaims by word and deed that it favors Jews, Jewish rights and Jewish lives over the rights and lives of non-Jews. When racist laws are passed that clearly favor Jews in Palestine/Israel over non-Jewish Palestinians—when even an Israeli Minister of Culture says, “I am proud of what we are doing in Gaza. I want a Palestinian child 80 years from now to remember what Jews did here in Gaza.” To keep in mind that she and Netanyahu and the state of Israel, in their Jewish supremacy, do not speak for Jews or for Judaism is a difficult but absolutely necessary step. The Jewish protesters help us and the rest of the world keep that distinction in mind, countering the noxious fires of anti-Jewish bigotry and antisemitism. 

By contrast, we witnessed this week the moral bankruptcy and cowardice of members of Congress, who showed sickening servility by loudly applauding and giving 52 standing ovations to a war criminal who is actively carrying out genocide, whose policies are wreaking havoc not only on the lives of Palestinians in Gaza but also on Israelis and the prospects of peace. The applause and standing ovations in response to tepid, patently false, and morally reprehensible statements can only be justified by the fact that they are selling their souls for the money and influence of AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee), CUFI (Christians United for Israel), and the ghoulish opportunism of the military-industrial machine. This is true, particularly since many of them privately detest Netanyahu and oppose his reckless policies. In the past, some have even publicly opposed him and expressed the desire that he be replaced. Yet, they spring up and down like yoyos in the hands of a puppeteer. This was particularly noticeable when Netanyahu chided them, ordering them not to applaud at one of his sentences when applause was clearly inappropriate, as if to tell them, “I am your master, and you will applaud when I tell you to do so.”

As I listened to the speech and observed the nauseating standing ovations, I could not recall such a display of servility even in authoritarian regimes. One tweet mentioned that even Kim Jong Un of Northern Korea, whose brutal regime actively promotes a personality cult around the leader, only receives one standing ovation every four minutes in his speeches before North Korean audiences. Perhaps hypocrisy, double standards, and a lack of moral integrity is part and parcel of the job of politicians, and I should not be surprised. But the level to which many of these politicians have descended is truly appalling. I need to constantly remind myself of those in public life who still maintain some semblance of integrity, like the many Democratic congresspersons who boycotted the speech, and the solitary and truly brave Republican, Thomas Massie (R-KY) who did so. I am amazed by the tens of thousands of protesters who shut down Washington D.C., but I am especially thankful for my Jewish siblings who restore my faith in humanity and keep my hope alive.

With Peace and Justice,

Jonathan Kuttab, Co-Founder

Nonviolence International

 

Join Mennonite Action's March for Ceasefire 

Starting today, July 18th, 2024, 50+ marchers from across North America—from Waterloo to NYC and Arizona to Maryland, South Dakota, and more—embark on an 11-day, 135-mile All God’s Children March for a Ceasefire.

The march starts in Harrisonburg, VA, and ends on Sunday, July 28th in Washington, DC. In DC, marchers and NVI affiliates will join counter-protests outside of the CUFI convention. 

Whether you’re participating in the march, joining in Washington, DC for the interfaith mobilization July 28-30th, or supporting from afar, here’s how you can follow along:

July 18 mass call—live from the march!

Mennonite Action’s next mass call will take place on Thursday, July 18 at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT. The call will focus on the theme “On the Way,” and will be broadcast directly from the march. This is your opportunity to hear updates from the first full day of marching and about where they're headed. Sign up here.

Mennonite Action social media accounts
Mennonite Action will update their social media accounts regularly with updates from the march. You can follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

Mennonite Action blog
They will be posting reflections, photos, and stories on the Mennonite Action blog here. Stay tuned for updates!

March to DC Bible study guide
Throughout the march, they will explore the idea of being “On the Way” that comes up throughout the book of Mark. Each day of the march, they will post reflections, prayers, and passages from Mark compiled by the pastoral team for your congregations to stay connected throughout the programming. Find the guide here.

Interested in the march or DC mobilization?
The march and DC mobilization are quickly approaching but it’s not too late to join for a day or in-full! For the march, consult Mennonite Action's toolkit and fill out the registration form. For the DC mobilization, consult the toolkit and fill out the registration form.

As I lay in bed on the night of June 12th, 2024, scrolling through X, I stumbled upon a tweet by a user named Amerix. The tweet sharply criticized the government for the taxes it was already imposing on citizens. Being new to the job market, I felt an immediate connection to the sentiment and liked the tweet, resonating with its frustration. Little did I know that this single tweet by Amerix would mark the beginning of a revolution led by the Kenyan youth.

In the days that followed, Amerix flooded X with tweets that further fanned the flames of discontent. He posted phone numbers of various Members of Parliament, urging Kenyans to call and text them, demanding they reject the Finance Bill 2024. Though I had heard about the bill in passing, I hadn't paid much attention to it until now. The leak of the MPs' phone numbers piqued my curiosity, driving me to learn more about the bill that was causing such an uproar.

Knowing the struggle of coping with the existing taxes and being new to the workforce, I understood that Finance Bill 2024 would add even more burden and this pushed me to take immediate action. I searched for a copy of the bill and read it, determined to understand the full extent of its implications. Unfortunately, I realized that the window for public comment had already closed on June 10th at 5 pm.

Nevertheless, my curiosity had been sparked, and I knew I couldn't ignore the issue. This was no longer just a series of tweets; it was the beginning of a movement, and I found myself swept up in its momentum.

Users of X began posting their respective MPs' responses to texts urging them to reject the bill. As expected, most responses dismissed our concerns with condescension. This sparked a deep frustration within me. "Who do these MPs think they are?" I asked myself. The anger bubbling inside me fueled my determination. "I will show them," I resolved.

Without hesitation, I searched for my MP's phone number and sent a text, voicing my opposition to Finance Bill 2024. I gathered phone numbers of other MPs, texting them as well, pretending to be a member of their constituencies. Each message was a small act of defiance, a way to make my voice and the voices of many other heard.

The feeling of taking action, even in such a small way, was empowering. It wasn't just about a single bill anymore; it was about standing up to a system that seemed to have forgotten the people it was supposed to represent and serve. And so, with each text, I felt a growing sense of solidarity with my fellow Kenyans. The arrogance that came with some of the MPs' responses led to a turning point. On the evening of June 16th, 2024, an X user tweeted, "Why can't we all show up in town on the 18th of June and have a peaceful protest so that these MPs see we mean business in rejecting this bill?" The tweet resonated deeply, garnering countless impressions and agreement from others. Soon, the idea of a peaceful protest took on a life of its own.

What began as a single suggestion quickly became a movement. The X timeline was soon flooded with posters detailing the peaceful demonstration. Users tweeted about dress codes, meet-up points, and volunteered to print T-shirts with messages rejecting the bill. Others offered to create placards and distribute water. As I watched these plans unfold, a realization hit me: "Holy shit! It's actually happening. People are actually angry enough to take to the streets." Despite this, I told myself I would wait until the protest day to see if people were truly as fired up as they seemed online.

Like wildfire, the call for protest spread across other social media platforms. A day before the scheduled protest, content about the Finance Bill and the upcoming demonstration was shared to millions of people. The momentum was unstoppable, and it was clear that this might be more than just an online outcry—it was a collective movement ready to take to the streets. What I did not know was that this first demonstration would spark a string of demonstrations that would bring about fear, joy and sadness collectively to many in the country. 

I remember waking up at 8:10 am on that fateful Tuesday. I hurriedly said my morning prayers, asking God for protection for everyone going to the protest. I grabbed my phone and opened the X app, shouting to my mom in the other room, “I am off chicken duty today!” My timeline was flooded with tweets about people heading to town and amplifying the #RejectFinanceBill2024 hashtag with content related to the finance bill.

True to what had been discussed online, protesters carried banners, wore black shirts with messages rejecting the finance bill, and had vuvuzelas, water, and whistles, all while exercising peaceful protesting. The protest was soon dubbed the “Gen Z” protest.

As people started gathering in the Central Business District, the police began arresting anyone who had carried banners or had worn a black shirt with the #RejectFinanceBill slogan on it. These events were broadcast live on TV and shared across social media. Yet, the more people were arrested, the more determined they became to show up for the protest. "Because I did not borrow permission from work, I will just become a keyboard warrior today, but the Thursday demonstration I must attend," I told myself. I continued to follow the protest’s progress on various platforms, tweeting about the protest and its main agenda on my X account.

The scale and nonviolent discipline of the protests may mark a change in Kenya's history of demonstrations. The turnout of that first protest motivated many to come out for the next one on Thursday, June 20th. As I woke up on that fateful Thursday of the protest I told myself "I am doing this for my dad and many more who cannot afford cancer treatment," as I got out of bed. After my usual morning routine, I left for the CBD, coordinating with my friend who was also attending the protest. Upon arrival, the air was filled with a tingling smell that made me sneeze. I alighted the bus and saw a crowd gathering, so I joined them while waiting for my friend. The crowd was fiery, charged, and invigorated, ready for the day. My friend arrived within 20 minutes, and the running began.

We marched towards the police officers, chanting “We come in peace,” trying to head towards Parliament. Each advance was met with tear gas, scattering us in different directions. After the effects of the gas subsided, we regrouped and tried again. I remember one protestor telling a police officer, “We are here not only to fight for our rights but also yours. You are one of the civil servants who take home the lowest of salaries, and you still defend this government that pays you peanuts by tear-gassing us.” 

Despite our repeated attempts, we couldn't reach Parliament, but our spirits remained unbroken. We even helped police who thirsted for water and conversed with them, an act never seen before in Kenya. We gathered along Kenyatta Avenue, awaiting the first vote on the bill. Protesters followed the live proceedings from Parliament, hoping their presence would influence their MPs. When a protester announced, “Guys, the vote was 204-Yes and 115-No,” my heart sank. I felt despair. "All this for nothing," I thought. However, as I scrolled through X, I learned that the bill could still be rejected in the second reading, restoring a bit of hope.

The bill passing the first reading did not kill our spirit. Protesters decided to party in the streets, singing and dancing before going home. Little did we know that night would see a mother and father robbed of their son, marking the beginning of protestors getting killed. Rex Maasai was the young man that was shot dead by the police and when I got home I got to learn about this sad news. The video of his shooting spread across social media platforms, igniting further outrage

The days following the protest were marked by demands for accountability from the government regarding Rex Maasai's death. This incident galvanized even larger numbers to come out on Tuesday, June 25th, a day now petitioned to be named Mashujaa Day. Close to 30 people lost their lives on this day alone, shocking the nation. Parliament was accessed by citizens, a section burned, the mace (symbol of power) stolen, snipers deployed, and protests erupted in 35 out of 47 counties. What made the situation escalate to this point is because unethical politicians hired goons to pose as protesters who smeared the reputation of the peaceful protest and caused chaos. These hired goons looted, destroyed property and caused havoc jeopardizing the demonstration's main goal which was peaceful protesting. Even with all these happenings, the MPs still decided to pass the bill during the second reading.

One remarkable event was when a group of protesters entering Parliament, saw a differently-abled MP who had voted yes and was trying to flee the chaos, helped the MP by carrying him across the street to safety. This act of kindness amplified our peaceful mantra, yet the police remained violently relentless. Many went home injured and disappointed by the government's response. That evening the president had a brief address where he announced that he was not going to sign the Finance Bill into law and that he would return it back to parliament. Even with the Finance bill being brought back to parliament, people still decided to protest on Thursday. The protest was characterized by the same brutality as seen on Tuesday.

The president's addresses to the youth and the nation have only alienated him further from the people who once supported him. Each address shows he still isn't fully listening to the youth. As I write this, Kenyan youth have vowed to protest every Tuesday and Thursday with a new agenda and the hashtag #RutoMustGo, demanding accountability for police brutality, auditing the national debt, tackling corruption, and most importantly, the president's resignation. Citizens are demanding his resignation due to his failure to uphold the Kenyan Constitution, particularly the right to demonstrate and picket. They accuse him of deploying the police force against peaceful protesters. But the big question remains: will the peaceful protests be free of police brutality as the president has promised?

In conclusion, there has been a historical shift in protests in Kenya. A country once characterized by violent demonstrations, marked by stone-throwing and tire-burning, has seen a new dawn ushered in by Gen Z. This new generation of activists, armed not with weapons but with phones, water bottles, and hearts full of dreams and aspirations for a better Kenya, has embraced non-violence as their strategy. Civil disobedience has been portrayed in a planned and methodical approach. The non-violence approach in the protests has showcased the power of solidarity and peaceful resistance. Personally, the demonstrations have reinforced the teaching of how powerful social media can be and the impact it has if used correctly. Kenyan youth have also learned and are still learning the power of civic engagement and collective action. The demonstrations have proven that active participation in democracy goes beyond voting and that more civic actions need to be done post-voting.