English | Español | August 15, 2018 | Issue #64 | |||
Rev. James Lawson Discusses Nonviolent Resistance Strategies at the School of Authentic Journalism“The 20th Century’s Extraordinary Revolutions Were Initiated Through Nonviolence,” He Said in the Opening Session in Mérida, YucatánBy Edwin Alvarez
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Methodist Reverend James Lawson D.R. 2010 Edwin Alvarez |
The Reverend said that throughout his life he has promoted political resistance, peaceful resistance, and everything related to that theme, which is so important to him. He said:
“It was in Nashville that I could experiment for the first time with the ideas and principles of Mahatma Gandhi and put them into action. I believe I practice nonviolence for two specific reasons.
“Nonviolent action takes human wisdom and strongly enunciates that it is in this way that we humans behave. The power of human life is the most powerful force that we have in our reach. Gandhi invented the concept of nonviolence in order to discover the power that he had discovered in South Africa—the passion and respect for the human race’s tremendous value. There are many examples of people throughout human history who have understood this power and practiced it. I am also nonviolent because it is practical. Try to imagine for a moment: my country has spent three trillion dollars in Afghanistan, and we’ve spent almost the same amount in Iraq. We have spent more time in those wars than we have in any other war in history. Think about what we could do with a trillion dollars.”
Participants of the session. D.R. 2010 Edwin Alvarez |
“What the powerful do is they intimidate us and make us think that we don’t have power and that we don’t have the possibility to change the situation that has us oppressed. The power of nonviolent action comes from recognizing the individual’s possibility to do what he or she wants to do. I argue that nonviolent action is the social science that blesses change, but that it blesses those who are opposed to change as much as it blesses those who truly want it. Just like Albert Einstein is the father of modern physics, Mahatma Gandhi is the father of nonviolence. The concept of nonviolence, which is very strongly rooted in the 20th century, is redeeming one of the great tendencies of the human family.
“The 20th century’s extraordinary revolutions were initiated through nonviolence. I urge you to do the exercise, to practice, and to remember the teachings of our ancestors, so that you can carry out these types of activities, respecting and recognizing the knowledge that embraces us all.”
Despite the fact that nonviolent action is not something new and that it has been practiced for years, it can’t be ruled out that social movements, civilians, and organizations have successfully employed this knowledge as strategies when they are making demands and taking action against human rights violations.
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- The Fund for Authentic Journalism