September 2025

NVI staff and friends continue to vigil twice weekly at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum to end the genocides in Palestine, Sudan and Burma. Currently we focus on Palestine and ask visitor to remember its great purpose: “Never Again for Anyone.”  We remind them that Palestinians are being starved and bombed to death in Gaza by Israel with US weapons and tens of billions of dollars of financial support. We ask them to speak up and not be silent as the world was 85 years ago in Europe when millions of Jews and Roma and others were abused and slaughtered. 

And yes, we use the words holocaust and genocide because of the many parallels to the abuses recorded in the museum. Besides the technical definitions of genocide, there are other similarities that include:

1)Racist language by leaders towards the targeted groups.

2)Forced displacement and starvation of millions of civilians.

3)Concentration camps (there are now 4 in Gaza run by a US non-profit called the GHF).

4)Sadistic security guards (the current camps are run by the Infidel Motorcycle Gang).

5)Systematic destruction of schools, museums, hospitals, agriculture, utilities, homes, mosques and churches.

7)Widespread civilian torture, disappearance, rape, executions, shootings and bombings.

The visitors to the museum are quite diverse: We see every ethnicity, religion, and nationality, Republican and Democrat. Interestingly we see a lot of inter-racial couples and families. We see more sports paraphernalia than religious iconography. We have been generally well received and the museum guards and staff have been supportive and greet us by name.

There are a few Israelis and others who ask: Who is paying you? And why protest here at the museum?

Others skeptics assert: It is not a holocaust or genocide! It is complicated, Hamas is to blame, It’s all a fabrication and lies. You are controlled by satanic forces. There are more Gazans today than before October 7th 2023, We can’t trust that atrocities are happening because no international journalists are in Gaza.

We pass out leaflets that inform visitors that every major human rights group in the world is calling Israel’s atrocities genocide, including the United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Physicians for Social Responsibility, B’Tselem, and International Association of Genocide Scholars.

Some people believe the word holocaust only belongs to the Nazi genocide of the Jews implying that Jews are exceptional and that no comparisons can or should be made. However despite the Holocaust Museum’s support for Israel and silence on the horrific treatment of Palestinians, it also appropriately includes the genocide story of the Roma and the disabled in Europe by the Nazis. Given the latest authoritative finding by the UN, it is now “confirming that all states must use all means within their ability to prevent and punish Israel’s crime of genocide.”

To those who say there is no holocaust in Gaza, “we say don’t be a holocaust denier.” Finally, people in Israel and the US have and US have a special responsibility to act now and stop the atrocities. We ask people leaving the museum, "What are we going to tell our grandchildren when they ask us “what we did to stop the holocaust in Gaza?”

 July 2025

NVI Co-Director Michael Beer at yet another vigil at the Holocaust Museum to raise the question: 

“What did Americans know? What more could have been done?”
Gaza is being starved, bombed, and erased.

See the Instagram video of July 2025 here. 

April 2025

NVI Co-Director Michael Beer, vigiling to remind Holocaust Museum visitors to learn the Museum's lesson: Never Again for Anyone and therefore to stop US support for the genocide in Gaza.

See our Youtube video of April 2025 vigil here.

https://youtube.com/shorts/cyXPR7qXDP8?si=Bq_V_qcYRwkpxzVG

January 2024 US Holocaust Memorial Museum Supporters Project “Stop the Genocide In Gaza” on Exterior

Check out this two minute video!

(Jonathan Kuttab in front of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum) 

(Michael Beer calling for a ceasefire now)

(Marianne Ehrlich Ross, Holocaust survivor and Museum Supporter)

Michael Beer talked about this event on this podcast. 

Timestamp 13:10

Nonviolence International Media Release

Date: January 4, 2024
Spokesperson: Michael Beer, 202 244 0951, [email protected]

US Holocaust Museum Supporters Show “Stop the Genocide In Gaza” on Exterior

Washington DC: Wednesday evening, supporters of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum projected photographs and slides on the exterior walls calling on the world to “Never Again” tolerate genocide for anyone. The photographs showed scenes of atrocities in Gaza with words saying “Stop the Genocide in Gaza” “Ceasefire Now” and “Silence=Death.”

“We are here to help fulfill the mission of the Holocaust Museum which is to ensure that ethnic cleansing and genocide never happens again for all people not just Jews” said organizer, Michael Beer, Director of Nonviolence International, himself a descendent of Holocaust victims. “As a an institution created by Congress”, he said, “the Museum has a special responsibility to speak up against genocide in Gaza, in part, because US weapons and support are involved.”

The projection on two western walls of the Museum follows a tradition of anti-genocide images on the Museum with regards to Darfur and internal exhibits regarding the Rohingya.

Helping with the projection was Marianne Ehrlich Ross, a Holocaust survivor, and long time supporter of the Museum, who spoke about her experience being expelled from Vienna, then Prague, and then being stranded in England during the war. She is shocked that Israel, with US support, is engaging in ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, and asked the Museum to not be silent on the present war on the Palestinian people - or anyone else.

Explaining the pictures of destruction and suffering in Gaza, Jonathan Kuttab, Director of Friends of Sabeel North America, spoke about his experience of Palestinians suffering from expulsion, occupation and murder on a vast scale. He spoke to the horrors of the Holocaust in Europe and said that “it is tragic that the Jewish state is perpetrating ethnic cleansing, war crimes and genocide.” Kuttab, a renowned International human rights lawyer, said “the Genocide Convention is clearly being openly violated by Israel and the US. I call on the Museum to live up to its stated mission which is to prevent and oppose genocide across the whole world.”

Scott Weinstein, a health care provider, spoke in French and English as a Canadian Jew, saying that the Israeli government’s genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians is causing more anti-Semitism. “The October 7th attacks against Israel came about partially as a response to generations of Israeli abuse and that this should be a wake up call for the need for justice for Palestinians, not revenge.”

In 1993, Beer and Starhawk organized a large alternative opening ceremony for the Museum urging the inclusion of the persecution and extermination of homosexual and bisexual men which the Museum promptly did. Beer and Starhawk sent an open letter in November, 2023 calling on the Museum replicate its 1993 inclusive response and to again fulfill its mission to end genocide against all people. Beer said “we stated on this Museum plaza then and today, “Silence=Death”.

This action was endorsed by Nonviolence International, Jewish Voice for Peace-DC Metro, and Friends of Sabeel North America. A video of the event can be found here.

###

November 10, 2023

Letter to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum: Silence = Death

Dear US Holocaust Memorial Council Chair, Stuart E. Eizenstat,

The huge pogrom attack on Jewish communities near Gaza, and revenge attack on 2.2 million Palestinian Gazan residents raises the painful question – What can and should the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) do now? The Holocaust Museum has shown years of leadership as it seeks to inspire “citizens and leaders worldwide to confront hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity.”  The Museum also memorializes the experience of Jews and the cancer of anti-Semitism and humanizes other victim communities of the Holocaust. 

The Museum has come a long way.  We organized an alternative opening ceremony of the Holocaust Museum in 1993 because the official ceremony explicitly excluded Gay/Bi/Lesbian people (homosexuals). Within the year, the Museum embraced the pink triangle Holocaust story and doubled down on its inclusion of other victim groups such as the Roma, people with disabilities, Slavs and others. To ensure that the Museum maintains its contemporary relevance, it created the Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide whose purpose is genocide prevention, crisis response, justice and accountability. Recently, the Museum’s exhibition on the genocide of the Rohingya was a strong political statement and superbly presented. 

Last month, the museum (on the Press Room webpage) condemned the horrific attacks on Israel and Jews by Hamas on October 7th and then released a statement in defense of the State of Israel. Yet, when it comes to genocidal threats and the attack on 2.2 million Palestinian people, (not to mention scores of Jewish pogroms on many communities in the West Bank), the Holocaust Museum website appears to be silent. Setting the bombing (and 10,000 deaths) aside, halting water, food, medicine and fuel to an entire population is barbaric and genocidal. The fact that this is being done by a Jewish state is doubly tragic and ironic.

Attacks on Palestinian civilians and the death of thousands of children will not make Israel safe; it will only foster more anger and resentment.  Only a just resolution of the conflict can assure true peace for Israel and Palestine alike. 

At the alternative opening ceremony in 1993, we laid a pink triangle flower arrangement on the Museum Plaza with a black and white sign that read “Silence = Death.” This referenced the silence of the Museum toward Gay & Bisexual men as well as the silence of policy makers and society towards a generation of Gay & Bisexual men who died unnecessarily from AIDS. 

Will the Museum speak up for a Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire and humanitarian assistance for all? Will it help decision-makers, the military, and the public work to prevent genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians now and in the longer term? 

The mission of the Holocaust Museum should be universal, not one primarily based in the exceptionalism of Jews.  There is an urgent and dramatic opportunity for the Holocaust Museum to elevate its mission of Never Again. Silence in this case means death for countless Palestinian people.Shalom,

Michael Beer & Starhawk

Michael Beer serves as the Director of Nonviolence International and author of Civil Resistance Tactics of the 21st Century.
Starhawk is an author, activist, permaculture designer and teacher, and a prominent voice in modern earth-based spirituality and ecofeminism. 

The letter contents are the personal views of the Director of NVI and co-author Starhawk, and not necessarily the views of the Organization.
Downloadable PDF Version

Philipos Melaku-Bello and Michael Beer with Egyptian tourists at the Prop1 Vigil in Washington DC

Trump dismantled shelter at Proposition1 Anti Nuclear Weapons Vigil in front of the White House

On Sunday,  September 7, 2025, in front of the White House, US park police dismantled a shelter of the 44-year vigil for peace, human rights, and anti-nuclear weapons.  For decades NVI has long supported the vigilers who intend to persevere.

Nuclear war is as dangerous and plausible now as it was in 1981 when it was started. Millions of tourists have seen the vigil, which has survived lightning strikes, hurricanes, blizzards, and numerous attacks by opponents.

Philipos Melaku-Bello has led the Proposition 1 vigil for many years. He says, “The shelter is legal and that President Trump violated the law by removing it.” “Trump doesn’t like our demands for nuclear disarmament, human rights, and peace.” 

The White House confirmed the removal, telling AP in a statement that the vigil was a “hazard to those visiting the White House and the surrounding areas.”

NVI Co-Director, Michael Beer, visits the vigil often. “The nonviolent vigil may be unsightly to some, but war and nuclear weapons are an abomination that must be abolished before humanity destroys itself.”

It is believed to be the longest continuous protest in U.S. history. The Proposition 1 vigil will fight this attack in the courts on First Amendment/Article 19 grounds. We must all see this as another sign of the many signs of breaching our most basic right and freedom of speech and expression.

We must not and cannot remain silent.  

Amidst the Nakba of 1948, my grandfather was shot dead on his doorstep in Jerusalem. Since that year, Israel has continued its quest to assert total control over all land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, aiming to fragment, weaken, and ultimately erase Palestinian presence. In 1988, my uncle Mubarak Awad, a popular nonviolent leader, was expelled for life from Jerusalem, where he was born and grew up. My uncle Emil and aunt Mai and their family fled Gaza in 2024 to escape the current genocide. Israel must be stopped.

Gaza: Siege, Displacement, and Genocide

Since 1967 but more visible for nearly two decades, Gaza has faced a land, sea, and air blockade that blatantly contravenes international law. Presently, it endures relentless bombardment, mass displacement, and deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure. This was never about “Hamas.” Israel seeks to render Gaza uninhabitable and force Palestinians to either leave or lose their ability to survive.

This week, in a landmark resolution adopted by 86% of its voting members, the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS)—the world’s largest academic body dedicated to genocide studies, declared that Israel’s actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide, citing mass civilian casualties, starvation, blockaded aid, and collective displacement.

The West Bank: Annexation, Separation, and Fragmentation

In the West Bank, the pattern of dispossession is equally strategic. Israel is moving to annex Area C, which encompasses over 60% of the territory. Meanwhile, settlements proliferate—most significantly in the E1 corridor—destined to sever Palestinian lands physically and create more modern Ghettos for Palestinians to live in. Cities and villages are wholly isolated from each other by roads lined with gates, checkpoint-controlled entry and exit points, and military roadblocks. What was once daily life—access to schools, mosques, hospitals, jobs—has become a controlled maze (and frequent humiliation at check-points), dismantling any hope for a unified Palestinian homeland.

Photo: Megan Hanna

Water, Land, and Control

Israel controls and diverts the majority of West Bank water resources, leaving Palestinian communities with only a fraction of the supply available to nearby Israeli settlements. The systematic destruction of wells and pipelines has left entire villages without access to water, while in Gaza, residents are forced to rely on contaminated or insufficient sources. These policies, coupled with ongoing land confiscations and home demolitions, function as deliberate tools of displacement and deepen the humanitarian crisis.

Palestinians Inside the 1948 Territories (Israel)

Palestinians who remain within the 1948 borders—today citizens of Israel—also live under a system of discrimination that treats them as second-class citizens.. They face unequal access to housing, education, and services, alongside restrictive planning laws that deny building permits and facilitate land confiscation. Entire villages, particularly in the Naqab (Negev), remain “unrecognized,” denied water, electricity, and basic infrastructure.

Recent years have seen intensified surveillance, policing, and political repression of Palestinian citizens, particularly during protest movements in solidarity with Gaza and Jerusalem. The goal mirrors what is happening in the West Bank and Gaza: to weaken Palestinian identity, fragment communities, encourage emigration, and reduce political resistance while tightening control over all land from the river to the sea.

Jerusalem: Erasure of Presence

Within Jerusalem, evictions, restrictive planning laws, and creeping settlement expansion all serve the goal of erasing Palestinian presence and solidifying an exclusive Israeli identity for the city. Palestinians living in Jerusalem are living daily terror from violent settlers roaming the streets, insulting and physically attacking them. 

Palestinian and Jewish Safety

Israel’s project is clear: to dominate from the river to the sea and beyond. Israel is building a permanent occupation of areas in Syria and Lebanon. Besides greed, Israelis are motivated by the myth that only an Israeli state can ensure Jewish safety. In fact, Jewish safety is endangered by the apartheid state that will never be accepted by Palestinians nor much of the world. NVI strongly believes in nonviolent resistance because we know that we must protect everyone in this wonderful homeland and ensure that Never Again means Never Again for ANYONE. 

Sumud: Political Resistance through Steadfastness

Amid this onslaught, Palestinians maintain Sumud—steadfastness. In Gaza, families cultivate gardens amid rubble. Our partner, Dignity 4 Palestinians is doing amazing work providing food, water and medical aid to the most needy in Gaza. In the West Bank, NVI projects and programs such as  HIRN, CJNV, Villages Group, and HLT help people resist expulsion while replanting olive trees destroyed by settler attacks. In Jerusalem and 1948 Israel, Lebanon, Syria and in the diaspora, parents preserve identity, language, and history through storytelling, education, and community—even when every system around them seeks to erase those very foundations. 

The Global Sumud Flotilla: A Mirror to State Inaction

Building on the 17 year campaign of the Freedom Flotilla, the Global Sumud Flotilla—loading aid and spirits alike—has taken to the seas to do what states refuse: uphold humanitarian corridors, enforce international law, and challenge siege policies. The flotilla is both an act of nonviolent solidarity and a pointed reminder of government failures—a showcase of what should be happening, but isn’t.

What the International Community Must Do

This is not a tragedy—it is a political catastrophe born of deliberate policy choices.  Governments and international bodies must act and international law must be upheld:

• Hold Israel accountable—through enforcement of international law, sanctions, and diplomatic pressure.
  
• Interrupt genocide—by securing safe passage for aid and protecting civilians, not leaving it to civilians on unarmed vessels.
  
• Impose sanctions on officials, corporations and anyone responsible for war crimes and genocide.

Here is what you can do now!

• Support those working on the ground— Here is a list of our partner organizations. These are some of many who are working relentlessly to address the injustices in Palestine and the world.
  
• Join one of the largest protests in world history on Sept 18, the 1-year deadline for Israel to abide by the International Court of Justice order to withdraw from the West Bank and Gaza.
• Call on your governments to recognize Palestine and to vote at the UN to intervene with the on-going genocide in Gaza.
• Boycott, Boycott Boycott. Download the app!
  
  

Keep the pressure on your governments, raise your voices in protest, support the movement to end oppression and violence worldwide. Please consider becoming a monthly donor to Nonviolence International to support these actions worldwide. 

After two weeks of intense negotiations in Geneva, the United Nations’ attempt to secure the world’s first legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution collapsed in the early hours of August 15.

The talks were expected to be a historic step toward addressing one of the most urgent environmental crises of our time. Instead, the process ended without agreement, highlighting deep political divisions and the outsized influence of the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries.

What Went Wrong

At the heart of the breakdown were irreconcilable positions on three critical issues:

• Capping plastic production: Countries including the EU and small-island states pressed for mandatory limits on the production of virgin plastics. Fossil-fuel producing nations, led by the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, firmly opposed such measures.
  
• Regulating hazardous chemicals: Disagreements emerged over how to manage toxic additives linked to plastics, with industry-aligned states resisting strong controls.
  
• Financing: Developing countries demanded robust support to manage plastic waste and implement alternatives, while wealthier states were reluctant to commit sufficient funding.

The Power of Global Citizens

It is important to remember that these negotiations would not even be happening without sustained pressure from global civil society.

Grassroots campaigns — led by indigenous groups, environmental NGOs, youth movements, and frontline communities — have been calling for a binding treaty on plastics for over a decade. From organizing global climate strikes, to petitions signed by millions, to direct advocacy at UN meetings, ordinary people have forced governments to acknowledge that plastic pollution is a crisis requiring urgent, coordinated action.  

This global citizen pressure has:

• Kept the plastics issue on the UN agenda despite industry lobbying.
  
• Exposed the links between plastic production, fossil fuels, and climate collapse.
  
• Reminded negotiators that behind every statistic are real people suffering from toxic pollution, unsafe water, and destroyed livelihoods.
  

The breakdown in Geneva underscores how far governments are from consensus — but it also highlights the essential role of popular pressure in pushing them to even gather at the negotiation table. 

Why It Matters for Nonviolence

Civil society organizations and frontline communities reacted with anger but also determination. For many, no treaty is better than a weak one that legitimizes ongoing environmental destruction.

At Nonviolence International, we see this struggle as part of a broader fight against systems of exploitation and violence. Plastic pollution is not only an environmental issue — it is a justice issue.

• The plastic crisis is driven by the same fossil fuel economy that fuels wars, authoritarianism, and climate collapse.
  
• Communities in the Global South bear the heaviest burden of waste and pollution while having the least power in decision-making spaces.
  
• Young people, indigenous movements, and grassroots organizations worldwide continue to show that nonviolent resistance is essential in confronting the corporate and political interests blocking urgent change.
  

Where Do We Go From Here?

The collapse of the Geneva talks is a setback, but it is also a reminder that global systems will not shift without persistent pressure from below. Governments may stall, but movements cannot.

Now is the time to:

• Support grassroots campaigns against plastic production and fossil fuel expansion, such as:
• Break Free From Plastic – a global movement uniting over 3,000 organizations working to end plastic pollution.
• GAIA (Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives) – an international network promoting zero waste and challenging false solutions to the waste and plastic crises.
  
• 350.org – a global climate justice campaign targeting fossil fuel extraction and financing.
  
• Fridays for Future – the youth-led climate strike movement pressing governments to take bold climate and plastic action.
  
• Extinction Rebellion (XR) – an international movement using nonviolent direct action to demand governments address the climate and ecological emergency.
• Amplify frontline voices from the Global South demanding justice and accountability.
  
• Insist on nonviolent, people-centered alternatives that prioritize ecological balance over profit.

The struggle for a world free from plastic pollution continues — and it is inseparable from the broader movement for peace, justice, and nonviolent transformation.

Palestinian activist and community leader killed documenting settler violence in Umm al-Khair

On July 28, 2025, Awdah Hathaleen, a respected Palestinian young elder and nonviolent activist from the village of Umm al-Khair, was shot and killed by an Israeli settler while peacefully documenting settler activity near his home in the South Hebron Hills.

He was unarmed. He posed no threat. He was simply doing what he had always done—bearing witness.

Awdah was one of the kindest, gentlest, and most dedicated men I’ve had the privilege to know, his smile comforted without him speaking a word. He lived a life of service to his community and carried a deep strength rooted in principle. For years, his small village faced repeated home demolitions, land seizures, and settler intimidation.

And yet, Awdah responded not with fear or retaliation—but with quiet, consistent nonviolent resistance.

He welcomed visitors, documented abuses, and helped educate others about the daily realities of life under occupation. He believed in the power of presence—showing up with integrity, even in the face of systemic violence.

On the day he was killed, Awdah was filming Israeli settlers damaging olive trees and water infrastructure. One settler, Yinon Levi, drew his weapon and fatally shot Awdah at close range.

The moment was captured on video, including from Awdah’s own phone. He was pronounced dead shortly afterward.

This was not a clash. It was not a misunderstanding. It was the killing of a man whose only weapon was a camera and a commitment to truth.

A group of us visited his family and community a few days later—only once the Israeli occupation forces finally released the body and permitted the burial to take place. Usually, funerals in Palestine for those killed by the occupation are a moment of communal expression: flags are raised, slogans chanted, banners hung, and the life of the martyr is honored loudly and with pride.

But not this time. The army had explicitly forbidden all forms of public mourning. They threatened to raid or attack if anything was done that they did not approve.

And yet—we were there. Many came. Quietly. Steadily.

As I sat among the mourners, I thought of Awdah. The silence of that gathering was not a void, it was a mirror of who he was. He was never about the show. He was about presence. He was about quiet strength.

Awdah’s death highlights a painful reality: nonviolent Palestinian activists are not protected by their peaceful approach. Too often, their presence alone is treated as a provocation.

But that is precisely why their work matters.

At Nonviolence International, we believe nonviolence is not passive. It is active, courageous, and deeply strategic. Awdah embodied that truth. He lived it quietly, without fanfare—and paid the ultimate price for it.

We share Awdah’s story not only to honor his life but to renew our commitment to the values he upheld:

• Rooted resistance in the face of displacement
• Dignity without retaliation
• Service over ego
• Truth-telling under pressure

Awdah’s leadership was local, humble, and real. It’s exactly the kind of leadership we need more of—especially now.

Take Action:

📌 Help us honor Awdah’s legacy by supporting nonviolent resistance in Palestine.
👉Donate to his family’s fundraiser here or to Nonviolence International here.
👉 Get Involved with Unarmed Civilian Protection in Palestine here.

Even in his absence, Awdah’s example remains—a quiet but powerful reminder of what it means to resist with courage, humanity, and hope.

The Syrian Arab Republic, with its ancient civilization and rich mosaic of cultures, stands as a symbol of endurance. Through decades of turmoil, Syria has remained defined not just by its struggles, but by the unbreakable spirit of its people. War, displacement, and the destruction of entire cities have tested the nation to its core - but the Syrian people have not yielded.

Now, as the dust of authoritarianism begins to settle, Syria faces a defining moment. The future of the country lies not in the hands of fragmented groups or foreign interests, but in the unity of Syrians themselves. To move forward, the people must come together as one nation with a shared vision - one rooted in peace, justice, and mutual respect. Sectarianism and political division have long fractured Syria; the time has come to heal. 

The roots of this transformation trace back to 2011, when Syrians took to the streets in peaceful protest, calling for reform, freedom, and an end to decades of oppression. Their demands were clear: justice, jobs, and an economy that served everyone - not just the elite. These nonviolent demonstrators, however, were met with a brutal crackdown. Mass detentions, torture, chemical attacks, and siege warfare followed, leaving more than 500,000 dead and over 13 million displaced. A generation came of age amid the horrors of war, trauma, and fear.

But even in the darkest times, a different kind of resistance was quietly taking root. During the height of the conflict, a group of dedicated local activists came together with a shared belief in nonviolence. From this vision, Sullam was born - an organization devoted to promoting a culture of peace and social justice in Syria.

Sullam: Building a Nonviolent Future for Syria 

In a country long marked by conflict, repression, and authoritarianism, the emergence of nonviolent resistance is not only a bold act–it is a revolutionary one. Sullam, a newly founded Syrian organization, is doing just that: promoting a culture of nonviolence, civic education, and social justice as the foundation for a democratic Syria. 

A Mission Rooted in Action and Education

Sullam’s short-term goals for its first year are both ambitious and strategic. The organization aims to train 300 individuals across Syria in nonviolence–empowering a new wave of young activists with the skills, knowledge, and ethical foundation to resist oppression without resorting to violence. 

In addition to training, Sullams is undertaking four theoretical research projects, exploring the intersection of nonviolence with: 

• Gender and nonviolent action 
• Media and messaging 
• Education and civic transformation 
• Nonviolence theory in the Syrian context

Through this research, Sullam hopes to enrich its methodology and produce context-specific strategies that reflect Syria’s diverse realities. 

Furthermore, Sullam plans to produce 150 educational materials, including articles, podcasts, posters, and other media tools, to spread awareness and deepen public understanding of nonviolence resistance. 

From Personal Conviction to National Movement

Ibrahim Alfawal, a project coordinator in Sullam studied nonviolence in Beirut. Moved by the power of words and peaceful resistance, he is determined to plant these ideas in Syrian soil “I wanted to tell the new Syria that words are more powerful than weapons” he says. “There are many alternatives to violent struggles” 

Co-founder Ribal Al-Ali from Jableh in the Latakia Governorate, had long dreamed of bringing nonviolence to Syria. Through Sullam, that dream became a reality. He has led numerous trainings in his hometown, encouraging youth to adopt peaceful activism in a society historically shaped by force and violence. 

Sullam’s presence is especially powerful given Syria’s deeply entrenched legacy of authoritarianism and state violence. “It's inspiring to see nonviolence take root in a country where violence was instilled into the very fabric of society” says Ibrahim. “Sullam exists to challenge and transform that belief–to prove that Syrians are fully capable of building their own future without bloodshed”. 

Bottom-Up Democracy and People Power

At the heart of Sullam’s mission is the belief in the power of ordinary people to create change. The organization promotes a bottom-up model of democracy, grounded in community resilience and awareness. “We must build a democratic culture that can withstand any future dictatorship,” Ibrahim states. “This starts with education and a strong sense of alertness in the nonviolent community.”

Sullam’s training includes civic rights, legal awareness, and strategies for peaceful resistance–tools that prepare Syrians to defend themselves against future authoritarian attempts. By building a nonviolent culture from the grassroots, Sullam is investing in Syria’s long-term democratic health.

Tackling Sectarianism Through Shared Humanity

One of Sullam’s key goals is to address sectarianism. The organization acknowledges Syria’s religious, ethnic, and ideological diversity but emphasizes that unity can emerge from understanding, not conformity.

“What binds us is far greater than what divides us,” says one trainer. Sullam runs identity-focused workshops, helping participants explore their own backgrounds, challenge prejudices, and accept difference as a strength, not a threat. In fact, Sullam sees this diversity as an asset, enriching the mission of nonviolence through multiple perspectives and cultural lenses.

Challenges and Hope

Sullam is under no illusion about the difficulties ahead. Syria has inherited a deeply rooted culture of violence—one that won’t be undone overnight. Changing mindsets, especially in a society transitioning from authoritarian rule, is one of the organization’s most significant challenges.

“Many participants are surprised by the idea of nonviolence,” notes Ibrahim. “It’s unfamiliar, even counterintuitive to some. But through our workshops, dialogues, and educational campaigns, we’re showing people there’s another way.”

In a volatile environment where governance is still evolving and violence remains a threat, nonviolence training becomes not just idealistic, but essential. As Syria moves forward, vulnerable to internal instability and external pressures, organizations like Sullam provide a much-needed moral and strategic compass.

Through research, education, and courageous grassroots work, Sullam is planting the seeds of a peaceful revolution - one conversation, one workshop, and one act of courage at a time.

Please consider donating to this project here.
To learn more about past trainings, read here. To follow up on their work and learn more, visit their facebook and instagram pages.

Here is an article by NVI Co-Founder Jonathan Kuttab on the recent Israeli War on Iran.

With all the attention on Iran and Israel and the real fears of devastating wars, the situation in Palestine deteriorates with forced marches, humiliation, bombings, and deliberate starvation. The diabolical scheme of “food distribution centers-cum death traps” are the main if not only way Gazans can get food, yielding around 70 deaths among the food seekers at the distribution centers every single day. On the West Bank, assaults by settlers and land grabs accelerate as the Palestinians hunker down in fear for their lives   And regardless of the outcome of the Israeli-Iran war, the situation in Palestine still needs to be addressed.  We cannot let the War on Iran be a distraction by Prime Minister Netanyahu from the situation in Gaza and from having him face the really serious questions that are threatening his coalition and his own hold on power.

None the less, it is incumbent on us to address the Iran war, particularly since the US is on the verge of some drastic steps leading to a major escalation.  In this regard we need to point out  a few things particularly as Americans consider this Iran situation:

1. The attack by Israel on Iran is an act of aggression and a direct violation of its sovereignty and of international law.  Starting a war illegally is known as the crime of aggression, and it is one of the worst crimes under international law as it leads to untold suffering and destruction and invites retaliation and revenge.  It is never allowed under international law except  as an act of self defense.
2. “Pre-emptive self defense” which was claimed by Israel clearly does not apply in this case, and would render the whole of international law meaningless if it were to be accepted.  Self defense applies to defending against actual not anticipated threats.  Also , Preemptive action, if it is considered at all,  can only be arguably claimed if there was an imminent prospect of an attack by another country which could not be forestalled by any other means.  It does not mean that a country can “preemptively” attack an enemy on the theoretical possibility that that enemy may  consider attacking it in the future, or to deprive the enemy of having weapons that are potentially harmful.  Israel has actually already attacked and destroyed the navy and  airforce of Syria and other military installations, and invaded its territory and set up its own military bases further inside Syrian territory  without even claiming that the new Syrian regime was about to attack it, but only in order to ensure that any future regime in Syria would not have the ability to attack ( or defend?) against Israel’s military.  Regime change for hostile enemies is also not a legitimate war objective. 
3. Preventing other countries from obtaining nuclear weapons is definitely a worthy objective.  That is why the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty was created.  Israel never signed it, while Iran not only signed but accepted the most rigorous inspection regime, and was in the process of negotiating even more restrictions to its enrichment ( one element in a nuclear weapons program) when Israel attacked it.  Tulsi Gabbard, National Security Advisor recently issued a statement that the CIA believes Iran is "NOT building a nuclear bomb," and that the decision not to do so by Khamenei has not been changed.
4. Most analysts , including Israeli ones, agree that the objectives of Israel were to safeguard its own nuclear monopoly and aspiring hegemony, and prevent the deterrence that comes from Mutual Assured Destruction ( appropriately called MAD) rather than to forestall any existential threat.  All the bluster about Iran posing an "existential threat” and that Iran should never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon hides the fact that such a weapon, were Iran ever to develop it, would be meant primarily as a deterrent and not intended in any way to attack or obliterate Israel as Netanyahu would have us believe. 
5. The United States has no legitimate reason to attack or to harm Iran. The US is still engaging in a foreign policy of revenge for the fall of the Shah and the taking of US hostages 46 years ago.  US sanctions must end. The US policy of regime change because Iran is a theocracy and violates human rights means that Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and all other countries in the region should also be targets. In fact, Iran and the US have many similar national interests in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.  Israel is a dominant military power and does not need nor deserve US military support to protect it from its enemies. Every US President,for all their unquestioning support of Israel, has resisted constant Israeli pleas for the U S to attack Iran.  It is certainly not in America’s interest to do so.  Joining the fight against Iran only benefits Israel at the expense of American interests.   
6. Whatever the arguments for Israel to attack Iran or seek to weaken it, we need to say that war is never a good option.  It is an evil thing that must be avoided at all costs.  Even those who are not pacifist and who believe in a “just war theory” must admit that the criteria and conditions for a just war do not exist here, and that all diplomatic efforts must be exhausted first, and even then, war needs to be purely defensive and the lesser of two evils.  A lot of lies will need to be promulgated ( as in the Iraq war) to justify a US attack on Iran.  The recent forays of America in the area, from Afghanistan to Iraq and Libya should have taught us this lesson. 
7. We cannot support war in any case regardless of which side is right or wrong. We must particularly resist the temptation to be sucked into supporting or glorifying the attacks and the destruction by either side.  We grieve over every life lost, and over the trillions that are being spent on weapons which we hope will never be used, and which are now being daily used.   Weapons, war and violence will never buy us long-term security. Resources should be employed to improve the lives of many, battle poverty, homelessness, mental health issues, climate change and health and education rather than being squandered on the military.   

In the meantime, the horrors of Gaza continue, and the genocide is ongoing, and God’s children are being starved and slaughtered.  I hope you will consider joining me and over 700 others who are fasting with Veterans for Peace and their allies in fasting for Gaza and calling on the US government to make peace, not war with Palestinians and with Iran. 

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Some notes from Michael Beer, NVI's Co-Director

Nuclear weapons cannot be used to achieve military goals any more than biological weapons can. They simply will poison everyone and likely lead to global nuclear exchange. For example, Iran could never use nuclear weapons on Israel because in addition to killing 7.5 million Jews it would kill 7 million Muslims, destroy 2 of the holiest sites in Islam, and contaminate the region full of millions of Shiites and possibly Iran itself with lethal radiation!

Language Matters: When Israel compares Hamas to the nation of Amalek and Iran uses "Death to Israel and America" this violent language is unacceptable and promotes mutual hatred and mistrust. They all need training in nonviolent communication!

The best way forward to save humanity from massive suffering and extermination is to strengthen global democratic governance under the rule of law as well as a commitment to nonviolent approaches and action. This means reformed global governance, adherence to all international treaties such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Treaty to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons, a strengthen World Court of Justice, a nuclear free middle east and planet, and the abolition of armies and many weapons such as killer robots. Nonviolent action  by religions, businesses, trade unions, civic and cultural groups, universities and local governments are essential to challenge our current suicidal direction and make these changes.

NVI has long supported the Humanitarian Disarmament Movement whose various actors have won the Nobel Peace Prize. We need to ban or limit weapons and war because they cause immeasurable human suffering. This is where nonviolent people power is needed to challenge the military-spy-industrial complex around the world. You can see some of this in the work of NVI's Isaiah Project in which hundreds of citizens have engaged in direct action against nuclear weapons. You can also see this in our fiscally sponsoring Control Arms and the International Action Network on Small Arms.

The Righteous Jews

by Jonathan Kuttab

One thing that gives me hope in these terrible times is thinking about Righteous Jews: 

After the Holocaust, Jews recognized the courage and sacrifice of the very few gentiles who risked much to help Jews escape from the Nazi monsters who were rounding them up and shipping them off to concentration camps. These persons came to be known as the “Righteous Gentiles.” I, too, want to recognize Jewish individuals and organizations who are willing, often at great personal risk, to stand against the ongoing genocide, save Palestinian lives, and put an end to the atrocities perpetuated against them. This description includes organizations like Jewish Voice for Peace, If Not Now, and Rabbis for Human Rights in the US, and those like Breaking the Silence, the Israeli Committee against House Demolitions, Rabbis for Human Rights, and others in the Middle East. Individuals are even more impressive. These include Israelis who refuse to serve in the Israeli Army, who risk arrest and vilifications as they try to bring food into Gaza or defend Palestinian communities in the West Bank from settler violence. The term also refers to US Jews who are leading protests and direct actions, calling for an end to the genocide and an embargo on arms to Israel. Some are religious Jews, like Peter Beinart or Rabbis Brant Rosen and Lynn Gottlieb. Others, like Jeff Halper and Amira Hass, are secular. They often take these positions, not despite being Jewish, but precisely because they are Jewish and are acting on their deepest convictions. They view the ongoing policies of the State of Israel and its barbaric actions as a betrayal and violation of Jewish values and ethics.

The list includes many Jews, most of whom are unknown, who have overcome much indoctrination and popular opinion within their communities to arrive at the conclusion that the State of Israel, the Zionist movement, and the organized Jewish community leadership do not speak for them or in their name. They have individually determined that they must stand up, distinguish themselves, and do all they can to put an end to the ongoing genocide. They see Palestinians as equal human beings, finding their own liberation as being tied with the liberation of the Palestinian people.

In this country, such Righteous Jews are usually at the very forefront of demonstrations, sit-ins, and nonviolent protests calling for a ceasefire and an arms embargo on Israel. They reject the demonization of Palestinians, especially all in Gaza, insisting on universal standards to be applied to all. They include Jewish students at Harvard, who bravely confronted their own administration, risking decertification or even losing their diplomas and graduation. They insist, NOT IN OUR NAME, giving lie to the Zionist claim that Zionism and the State of Israel speaks for all Jews or that the Jewish Community is somehow endangered by calls for a ceasefire or for Palestinian rights.

Their position is made harder because there exists real anti-Jewish bigotry in this country, as well as a powerful campaign to paint all anti-Israeli and anti-Zionist actions as being antisemitic. They are often labelled “self-hating Jews” and accused of being traitors or at best naive fools.

These Jewish individuals often face serious risks and even ostracism from their friends and families who see them as traitors endangering the collective security of Jews. They remember how Justice Goldstone, the South African judge who authored the Goldstone report about Israeli atrocities in Gaza in 2009, was ostracized by his family and denied the ability to see his grandchildren until he recanted and withdrew his signature from his UN report on Gaza. Among my own Jewish acquaintances, every single one who has taken a moral position on Palestine has reported tensions and even an outright break in relationships with family members. Israelis who refuse to serve in Gaza are actually imprisoned for their refusal. I stand in awe of their courage and proudly claim them as allies and friends.  

To be considered a “Righteous Jew,” it is not enough to call for a ceasefire or to decry Netanyahu’s policies. Many of the Israeli protesters, for example, are only concerned with the Israeli hostages, and they openly say that they call for a ceasefire deal only to continue the genocide once they get their  hostages back. Others have no problem demonizing Hamas or calling for its destruction, but only want to limit Israeli casualties or to replace Netanyahu with a more subtle and tolerable Israeli leader. Most US Jews I know feel uncomfortable with Israeli policies but refuse to call this policy genocidal, or to call for an arms embargo, but instead they withdraw into silence rather than actively opposing such policies. As such, the established leadership of the Jewish community is left in firm control, supporting Israel and claiming to speak for all Jews.

Righteous Jews not only reaffirm my faith in humanity, but also my hope for a better future for both Palestinians and Israelis. While many despair of such a future, insisting that after both October 7 and the Gaza Genocide Jews and Arabs cannot live together as neighbors and fellow-citizens, I still believe otherwise. Even in the midst of this horrible genocide, I maintain hope for a better future and for genuine coexistence in dignity and equality between Palestinian Arabs and Israeli Jews in a new pluralistic, peaceful, and free Palestine.

To learn more about the great work that NVI's Jewish Partners are doing, check out Center for Jewish Nonviolence and Villages Group. 

You can also follow CJNV on Instagram @cjnvgram 

June 11th Update

As of June 10th, 2025, the activists onboard the Madleen were forcibly detained in international waters. Four activists onboard the Madleen have been deported and removed from Israel. The other eight activists have refused deportation and are currently being held in Israeli custody. 

The Israeli government has framed the boat's voyage as a publicity stunt and has continued to enforce the illegal blockade placed on Gaza. 

At this time, it's important to recognize the success of the Madleen voyage in raising awareness and fighting against the siege of Gaza. The raid of the Madleen on international waters and the blockade of Gaza are illegal and immoral. Efforts toward stopping these humanitarian violations must continue. 

In the early hours of June 9, Israeli forces surrounded the Madleen carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza and raided it as it approached Gaza. All 12 members on board were abducted and the boat has been seized.

This raid is illegal and immoral. The blockade of Gaza must halt now.

May 2nd Attack News!

In the early hours of May 2nd, at approximately 12:30 AM, the Freedom Flotilla boat named Conscience was attacked by drones while sailing 14 nautical miles off the coast of Malta—over 1,000 miles from Gaza. The vessel was on a confidential humanitarian mission, carrying vital aid to Gaza, where civilians have now endured 58 days without access to food or clean water.

On board were over 30 individuals committed to a nonviolent mission, fully aware of the risks they were taking. Among them were healthcare professionals, grassroots organizers, and members of parliament representing more than 15 countries. The boat was scheduled to depart the following day directly for Gaza to deliver life-saving assistance to Palestinians as quickly as possible when it was targeted. 

This mission was one of many organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition since the blockade on Gaza began in 2007. Of those, three have been attacked. In 2010, a convoy of six ships carrying humanitarian aid and over 700 activists from around the world, was intercepted by Israeli commandos while attempting to break the naval blockade of Gaza. These missions have always been peaceful, civilian-led efforts to challenge the ongoing siege and bring urgently needed aid to those suffering under it.

What Can You Do?

• Raise awareness. Share the stories and speak out. Let the world know what happened.
• Amplify voices. Support those on the front lines of nonviolent resistance.
• Refuse normalization. These attacks on humanitarian workers and peaceful activists must not become acceptable.

Donate. Support the Freedom Flotilla Coalition so future missions can continue in defiance of injustice.

Donate to our various Palestinian Humanitarian Effort groups, including: HIRN, and Dignity for Palestinians.

Donate to our Unarmed Civilian Protection groups, including: Holy Land Trust, Palestinian Unarmed Civilian Protection, Villages Project, and Center for Jewish Nonviolence.

Nonviolence International is honored to announce our co-sponsorship of the 40 Days and Escalate: Veterans & Allies Fast for Gaza, a worldwide fasting campaign organized by Veterans For Peace, with coordination support from Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA). This powerful act of nonviolent resistance aims to draw urgent attention to the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza and to demand immediate action from the U.S. and all governments.

On May 22, we begin our 40 day fasting while demanding: a resumption of humanitarian aid, under UN authority, to Gaza and that the U.S. and other governments stop arming Israel NOW! 

Please join the solidarity fast that will take place from May 22nd until June 30th.

• A 250-calorie-per-day regimen—mirroring the caloric intake of many Gazans under the ongoing blockade.
  
• Fasting can be done in an individual or in a relay (chain) fast, where groups of individuals commit to fasting in succession to cover the 40-day period.
• Do as little as 1 day (even if you can’t recruit a chain replacement) or as many as 40.

A Community Fast at the United Nations in New York City.

• Some fasters will reside in community housing near the United Nations headquarters. This group will serve as a public face of the campaign, engaging in daily visibility actions and media outreach.

Escalation Plans

Should the campaign's demands remain unmet by June 30, organizers plan to escalate actions, including:

• In-person demonstrations in New York City alongside centralized fasters.
• Potential coordinated actions in other places around the world

How to Get Involved

Nonviolence International invites individuals and organizations to join this vital campaign:

• Sign Up to Fast: Visit FOSNA's official campaign page for more information and to register your participation.
  
  
• Become a Co-Sponsor: Organizations can express their support by co-sponsoring the campaign.
  
  
• Spread the Word: Utilize social media and community networks to raise awareness. All participants are expected to amplify their involvement through social media, community events, and other forms of public engagement.

By standing in solidarity with the people of Gaza through this fast, we reaffirm our commitment to nonviolent action and the pursuit of justice. To gain a further understanding of how your individual fasting can make a difference, read NVI’s booklet on hunger strikes and fasts as types of nonviolent action here.