Violence is everywhere, but so are the people trying to stop it

I’m tired of the violence. Aren’t you?

Some days, it seems relentless. A mass shooting at a school. Another youth killed by gun violence. A family on the street after fleeing an abusive partner. A genocide halfway around the world. Brutal wars displacing millions.

When will the violence stop?

The answer is: when we take action to stop it, together.

It’s not impossible. Communities across the country and around the world are showing us how. Violence may be everywhere, but so are the people trying to stop it. And many of them have powerful antidotes to the violence we face.

During the 2024 Campaign Nonviolence Action Days, Sept. 21 through Oct. 2, tens of thousands of people will show everyone that another world is possible.

What does a nonviolent world look like? It’s not all roses. Conflict happens – but we have better ways to respond without resorting to violence. Many of these strategies will be on display during the upcoming Action Days: Neighborhood safety patrols to prevent gun violence. Unarmed peace teams de-escalating tension in hot conflict zones worldwide. Anti-bullying programs aimed at preventing the next school shooter. Centers that help mothers and families get back on their feet after leaving abusive situations. Protests pushing banks to divest from weapons.

More than 4,438 actions and events are planned across the United States and around the world to “build a culture of peace and active nonviolence, free from war, poverty, racism, and environmental destruction.”

An 11-year-old movement, Campaign Nonviolence aims to end violence in its many forms. This includes direct or physical violence (fights, bullying, war, gun violence) and it also includes systemic violence (houselessness, hunger, mass incarceration, the climate crisis etc.). Going even further, the effort seeks to transform cultural violence as well, the beliefs, attitudes, and values that lead to harm and destruction, such as militarism, racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, and more.

Instead, Campaign Nonviolence rallies hundreds of groups and organizations who use nonviolent action and promote nonviolent solutions. Sandy Hook Promise trains thousands of schoolchildren in how to counter social isolation – a factor in mass shootings – with Start With Hello Week. The Nobel Prize winning International Campaign Against Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) coordinates hundreds of actions to move money out of nukes. The Global Silent Minute synchronizes thousands of people for a moment of prayerful silence for peace on the International Day of Peace (Sept 21). Nonviolent Peaceforce and Cure Violence use de-escalation techniques in conflict zones worldwide to prevent attacks.

Local community groups take powerful action in their neighborhoods. Nonviolent Opelika, AL, (part of the nationwide Nonviolent Cities Project) offers trainings and talks on their neighborhood patrols to prevent gun violence. Groups in Honolulu, HI, reaffirm their Zone of Peace & Nonviolence in a low-income public housing complex. An elementary school in Little Rock, AR, holds a peace march with all the children. In Detroit, MI, Meta Peace Team trains an entire high school in de-escalation skills.

There are street theater protests at military bases and teach-ins on nonviolent history, such as M.K. Gandhi or Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers. There are peace art contests and concerts in public parks. There are marches for ceasefires in Gaza and Ukraine. There are actions to stop environmental destruction and the climate crisis.

Campaign Nonviolence is gearing up for its largest-ever Action Days stretching between the International Day of Peace (Sept 21) to the International Day of Nonviolence (Oct 2). In 2023, more than 5,000 actions were held. With weeks to go, there are already 4,438 actions planned for 2024, and hundreds more expected to be added. The campaign calls for a range of nonviolent actions to be used during the 12 days, including labor strike solidarity, divestment from fossil fuels and weapons, racial healing circles, nonviolence teach-ins, peace demonstrations, and violence de-escalation trainings.

When the violence of our world weighs on your heart, connect to the people working to change it. They bring practical solutions and real-life experience. They persist in showing that something else is possible. They invite you to be part of the solution.

For more information, visit paceebene.org/action-days

Rivera Sun, syndicated by PeaceVoice, has written numerous books, including “The Dandelion Insurrection,” and the award-winning, “Ari Ara Series.” She is the editor of Nonviolence News, program coordinator for Campaign Nonviolence, and a nationwide trainer in strategy for nonviolent campaigns.