Michael Nagler: "The Search for a Nonviolent Future" | Talks at Google

Michael. Is the founder, of the metacenter center it works on non-violence issues and also, was, a professor at Berkeley teaching, for how, many years was it Michael are you sure, 47, years, 47. Years teaching peace of non-violence, at Berkeley I was, able to lucky, to attend his class in 2005, and it had a extremely, big impact on my life and got me involved in working in non-violence, becoming a canoe organizer, starting. To meditate, and so Michael has been a huge teacher for me I'm really excited to for him to come to Google but, yeah without any other further ado I'd love to introduce you to Michael McClure. Thank. You very much Nathan, and I'm really, really pleased, to be here with you, today and. I'd. Like to start off by sharing with you the trailer of a. Documentary, film that. I've been working on for, more. Years than I would like to think about right now but it. Looks like we're kind of getting closer to completion. We started, this film for. A couple of reasons you. May have kind of got show of hands how, many of you have seen Richard, Attenborough's, film Gandhi. Okay. I would, highly, recommend it, for all of you it's mostly, accurate. What. It omits, are two things that omits any. Exploration. Of Gandhi's spirituality. And, it, omits, any of. Those big conversion. Moments, that happened when, a person, is, encounters. Non-violence. And changes. It in our workshop this afternoon Stephanie. Is going to share with us some very, dramatic episodes. Where. This happened but there are many many, episodes. In Gandhi's life where somebody was about to strike him and there, was even an episode, where somebody was choking, him he. Had sworn to kill Gandhi, so Gandhi went there right away knocked, on the door and said I'm here to help you fulfill. Your vow and. The. Man started choking him and Gandhi just looked him in the eye without a trace of fear, and after. About half a minute he dropped his hands fell. At his feet and said you were now, in charge of this whole village so, that was missing. Then. There's been some recent documentaries. Which. Touched. On one non violent, episode, or another so, there's an excellent, film on the. Come, on in on the, up or, revolution. That took place in Serbia in 2000. How many of you have heard of that, okay. Very good this, is Google yeah and. There's. A film's about the civil rights movement, of course those films about the Indian freedom. Struggle, but, I don't know of any film that steps, back and says what is non-violence, where. Does it stand right now where. Do we go with it from here and what can I do about it which is what we're going to be talking about here, today so without. Further ado and by the way we're also, in. Case you're not aware of it we're also exploiting. You, good. Labor practice, because, we would like to get your feedback on, the, film. Non-violence. To me, is, a source, of power and. The. Power is, actually. In. Each. Person. Toward. The end of the second day I was meditating, on, loving. Your enemy, and. I. Heard, a guy come up from behind me and he says if. You don't get out, of the store in two seconds I'm gonna stab this through your heart and. I. Had two seconds to decide well do I really. Believe in non-violence is there any. Other way I should. Relate. To this guy I learned. About non-violence, in the, backwards, way as in I really focused on a practical, use of non-violence, prior to learning the theory of non-violence, and it. Started, when I was working with peace, brigades international, in Indonesia. It. Doesn't mean that I'm. Weak, if I turn the other cheek it. Means that, I'm, not just. Distracted. By the, violent, nature of the other people, I look up to more. Deeper meaning to life, well. Like, many people when. I first, heard. About non-violence, and, became aware of what Gandhi was doing I said, I can't do that. There. Are disciplines, that a person can practice. That, helps you, deal. With strong. Emotions that. Are going to come up in, a serious conflict, so. We are. Continually, inviting people to to, really work with the two hands of non-violence, the two hands of non-violence, being on the one hand I will. Not cooperate with. Your. Injustice. But, I'm open to you as a human being. Venire, theory basically, says, that deep. Down we humans we are nasty, and selfish. And. If we are civil, and kind to each other it's just a veneer it's, a thin veneer of morality, and I've always protested, against that because I think it's a simplification of human nature I discovered.

That There was a cycle, of maturation. Going. On in evolution, over and over the first great leap in evolution, was, competition. To cooperation, in nucleated. Cells, the, second leap was competition. To cooperation, into multi-celled, creatures. Killing. Tens to, make us mentally, ill it tends, to make us sick. Yeah. One of the big myths that's busted, through our data is that nonviolent. Resistance takes, longer, to achieve results, than violent insurgency, in fact, what we find is strikingly. The opposite. Humanity. As a whole is, becoming, aware of non-violence. And, that this is a tremendous. Potential. Break sir, you. Know there's a famous story about Emmett, Till's mother Emmett, Till was a, 14. Year old black boy from. Chicago. Area I believe who whistled at a white woman in the south while visiting his cousin and end up being lynched and thrown in the river years. Later when his actual, murderers, were put to trial. Someone. Asked him it tells mother would you would, you like them to see them get the death penalty and. She. Said no, if. I. Could, if, I, had a choice in this. Justice. System, I, would. Take their children, and raise them as, my own. So, they would learn to love. Not. Easy to to, do it but, this creative, tension between saying. No and saying yes this. Is the job description of the 21st century. So. I'd like to, when. You recovered. Ask. For, any comments you have any questions, you have at, the trailer but. It presents. Yes. We. Think. It's about the best comment, I think we can we're. Good here yeah that is the point you. Know the. The motto. Mantra. Miffy Willa the metacentre is helping. People practice, non-violence, more, safely, and more effectively. Fundamentally. An educational. Institution, because, we we. Feel that people, do. Not get a chance and to find out about this. Power. As Bernard. Lafayette calls it which is as he said I think some you may not have said it right here I think, it's the most important, power and. The most defining, power that we can draw upon as human. Beings okay. Now I wonder if how. Many of you are, familiar. With the term the news story. Right. You might call it Western. Civilization, 2.0. What's. Happening, is we are actually in. A very awkward, situation. This. Is why there is so much violence. And disruption going on in our world it's. Not because we have only a thin veneer of morality.

Stephanie. And I metacenter, up in smoke. Country, and the. North counties, and the outpouring, of support, and. Volunteers, has. Been absolutely, overwhelming. We got a call a couple of days ago from somebody wants to donate clothing. To us I. Said. Because she had tried to donate them to all the centers that had. Evacuees. In them, and they weren't taking anymore they had mountains, and mountains of clothing, fact. Lou, who's doing the film with. Us spent the whole day sorting, through mountains, of clothing so that evacuees, could or, anybody else could come and get them so it was this huge outpouring, of. Compassion. That was immediately. When our community, our neighborhood was. In crisis. But. There was a study or, an article recently, about, the, fact that we are experiencing. An, epidemic, of depression. You know we got our share of epidemics, going on we got an opioid epidemic, there's. An epidemic of suicides, among military, personnel might. Get back to that in a little bit and there's. An epidemic of depression, all of those things are symptom of this great awkwardness, and, I'm gonna say of a word about in a minute and. This. Author. Said. That that is a misdiagnosis. It's. Not really. Depression. That, we're dealing with what. We're dealing with is demoralization. Demoralisation. Because. And. Here's this, is where the new story comes in. We. Are operating, with, a model, of reality in, our mind, which. Is. The. Three things to be said about it, so I four in fact it's been, there for a couple of hundred years now it. Is. Demoralizing. It is extremely, harmful and, it's dead wrong and, that. Model which, is I'm going to show you some, examples of how it's shared everywhere is, that. We're. All material, beings and, we're. Determined by, mindless. Forces. Everything. From genes to. Cosmic. Rays to. Hormones. So forth we have no control over, our, destiny right. So we have to respond, to every. Advertisement. Signal, that comes down the line and. We. Basically, have no meaning on. This planet now you may not believe that and I congratulate you for seeing, through the fog but. The fact is that this is the model. That which is operational. For. Most people, you. Do not have to prove. It if you. Do. If you assume it you can simply refer back to it and people supposed. To follow along with you so. The next thing I'd like to show you which. May need some help Maria not sure is. An. Animation. That we've done to. Illustrate. This shift that's, going on to the new story and so, in order to not keep you in suspense, I can, almost sense the rising, tension in the room the, new story as hinted, at by those scientists, that you just saw in the, trailer and. We have several of them in, the finished film is, that in fact we. Are body, mind and spirit -. To paraphrase. The. New Testament we are body mind and spirit all three of these but spirit, is, the most important, and. We. Are deeply, interconnected. With. One another such. That if. I were to do something, to, injure, Ziggy. Let's say it is absolutely, unthinkable, though let's say I were to do something like that the fact is I'd be hurting myself more, than, I'd be hurting you and that's. Why all. Of our military personnel there's. This huge drumbeat, or telling them oh you're, so wonderful, or so great you're saving, our country well the president, doesn't say that but, the. Culture. As a whole is saying that kook. There's lots of seats if you'd like to come. There's. Enough violence in the world without you having to eat real lunch standing, up. You. Know they're being told officially. That. What they're doing is an honorific and, glorious and helpful and wonderful but, inside they know that it's a damn lie and. They. If you ask them they will say I felt, like I lost, my soul in Iraq or, you know I don't like myself anymore, twenty, people a day committing, suicide, for this reason, by. Stark, contrast. People. Who've been practicing non-violence. Have a very different story. To tell and, there was a person. In, Iraqi. Kurdistan, actually. Who, said - a person, who was there from this country from a group called Christian. Peacemaker teams. Which. Is part of this new. Institution. That sprung up called unarmed, civilian, peacekeeping. Protection. And, I'm civilian, protection. This. Kurdish. Gentleman, said well we're going to try and do it from here out with non-violence, and the person. From Christian peacemaker teams, said. You. Know you can do that if you want to but, it's. Very difficult which. Is true. It. Can be dangerous which, is an exaggeration, and, it. Takes more, time which, is not true at all we, just found out and he said I know all of those things but, you don't lose your soul in the process you. Don't lose your humanity in the process so I'd like to present this as a stark, contrast which. Illustrates. The impact, of, operating. On the wrong story, and letting, it draw you into action and operating.

On The new story despite the fact that nobody. Knows what the heck you're. Trying to do so. We feel that. The. Development, of the new story, and the. Development, of non-violence, go hand in hand like. Opposite. Sides of the same coin the. New story will never be complete, we. Feel we. Being basically, me and Stephanie. We. Feel at meta that. The, new story will never be complete until it makes this discovery, that. This film is driving, at that. Non-violence. The capacity, to be nonviolent, is. The core of our human, identity, so. When you are nonviolent, you feel that you are closer. To fulfilling yourself. As a human being that's why the subtitle. Of the, working title of the, film is non-violence. And human, destiny. And. On the other hand, non-violence. As I'm going to be shown in a bit is, very difficult. To grasp if. You've got that old story that old. Paradigm. Or, model in your mind, okay. So here, is the animation that, we created. Are. You looking for happiness. Who. Isn't in order. To be happy we need to feel safe too but. How do we find peace and happiness. Everyday, we're flooded by messages, telling us who we are and what makes us secure and happy it, sounds a bit like this happiness. Equals buying. Things, and. Security. Equals, punishing, crime. Let's. Call this the old story, it shows, a rather uninspiring picture. Of humankind. But. Does it work does, buying stuff actually make, us happy our, punishment and revenge really. Making us secure, the. Answer's no, studies. Show that once people have the basics, wealth as an ad to a penis but even reduces, it also huge. Incarceration. Rates, eventually. Lead to more crime and as, a military commander in Iraq once, said we're, making terrorists. Faster, than we can kill them, the. Good news is that for the last 30 years science. Has been telling us an entirely different and much better story, for example. Our brains reward us, powerfully. When, we do something selfless for others it. Gives us a strong sense of meaning and fulfillment, key, elements, of true happiness in fact. We're, wired for empathy our. Mirror. Neurons respond. Sensitively to, what others do think, and feel we're, more connected to each other than we think this. Positive, view on humankind, is the new story and if, you listen well you can hear it everywhere, under, many means it's. The story where ancient wisdom, and modern research, come together. This. Story says that much happiness, is within us after all so, we don't need to consume our planet, trying to get it from the outside. It. Also says that real security, doesn't come from violence, and punishment, but, from ensuring, that everyone has what they need including, love, and respect. The. New story isn't that new at all it looks like the wisest among us were right all along as Martin, Luther King, said in his famous Nobel, Prize acceptance speech, man. Must, evolve, for, all human. Conflict a, method. Which rejects. Revenge, aggression. And retaliation. The. Foundation. Of such a method is, love, okay. That's, all very touching but what, about crime and violence how do we deal with that well. In lots, of ways for example. Have you heard of restorative, justice this.

Method Involves victim, offender and the whole community it's, effective, cheap, and builds, community, in the process and did, you know that ordinary, citizens with, non-violence, training are solving, conflicts, all over the world it shows, we can do things so much differently, and better if, we, change the narrative. The. New story has new heroes, here. We're not consumers, but contributors, what. Really makes us happy, is finding, our unique gifts and giving, them to the world at, the. Metacenter we believe in the new story we, all have a role to play in making it come true if. You are up to the task we can help you our. Website, offers lots of free resources to help you learn the new story we've. Even built a road map to get you started, want. To be a part of this story share. It with others. So. I hope that serves. As, an introduction, to this, new paradigm, and, our. Feeling, of late. Is that the shift from. The old story which isn't working, to a new one which, is not yet adopted is, kind. Of stuck, it. Hasn't been moving very much I first got exposed. To this when. I was beginning. My career at the University, in 1970. Handed. Around these little mimeograph, you. Don't remember those. Sheets. Talking. About the prevailing. Paradigm the, dominant, paradigm. Aka. The old story and the, emerging, paradigm, aka. The new story but it still hasn't emerged, despite. The fact that we have this great wisdom tradition, which. Is now available, to all of us and, despite. The fact that science, is now confirming, this. Dramatically. So. For example we, mentioned. Briefly in, the animation, the concept of mirror neurons have. You heard of those. Okay. So, do, you want to tell. Us okay. Yes. Well, there's, controversy, about everything, but. One. Aspect, of it is that for. Example. If okay. Somebody's writing the. Motor. Neurons, that would make me write are fired just. By observing that even though I'm not writing myself at. The last minute, there's. Another set of neurons which. Intersects. That, process. And says you're. Not Ziggy, so you don't have to go like this. Now. That's of course critically, important for non-violence. Because in non-violence. The power comes, from being able to as we call it nowadays, flip. The switch, somebody. Comes at you with a threat the. Script is you're supposed to be going, into fear and, compliance. But. As Ken, but, again showed, you. In the trailer, you, say. Instead I refuse, to go along with your coercion. But. I accept, I'm open to you as a human being and you flip that, script now so when I completely. Change my, mental, state your. Mirror neurons resonate, with that it. Doesn't a hundred percent of the time mean that you're going to change your behavior but it, does, mean that more. Often. And more safely, than if, you try to get a person, to change through threat of. Violence. So. Any. I'm. Your honor you know this is my whole career I'm condensing, into one hour so I know, I'm going kind of fast but. If you have any questions, let me pause here briefly. Yeah. I'm. Curious, about that last point about Darwin, you're. Saying flipping the switch changing. That dynamics is gripped. Flipping, the script sorry yeah. You. Know we also in in, psychology, there's lots of discussion about sociopaths. Mm-hm, you, know are, like. I would receive the emotions of others but don't experience, that kind of impact response, how do you how, do you account for that or, I'm, right what do you do with a, real, sociopath. Well that's gonna be hard and it's. Gonna be a lot harder than with, a normally, empathic, person. But. It turns out that even there it's not impossible, and, when we do workshop, right, after this we'll show you some examples, of that because. What. You're doing is actually, appealing, to something even deeper than, that so, sociopathology. Which. Has been conditioned, into the, person something. Inside. Of them which they are not even consciously aware of. In. Fact that's one of the reasons that non-violence. Is such a powerful contributor, to. Positive, social change that. It elicits, things from people that, they're not even, aware is there I I. Have a very dear friend whose, parents were in. The. Underground. In. Warsaw. During. The Nazi, occupation. And Gestapo. Came to their apartment, and family, sacrament incriminated, papers. Was. About to arrest. Them, needless to say here you know Jewish. In the underground, but. This couple had a four-year-old boy, and he. Was fascinated by, the buttons, on their, Gestapo, captain's, uniform, so. To the horror of the parents, here he's playing with these buttons because. The captain looked down and suddenly, he just completely, changed, he. Said I have, a little boy at home was just his age. And. You said I miss him excuse. Me I miss, him very much and. Then, he said he. Then he ordered, his men to leave, the, apartment and then, the couple, survived, the war and actually, became the parents, of a very good friend of mine as in the peace movement so.

What. We do in non-violence. Is we learn the techniques, to elicit. That change. Deliberately. We. All go into that in the workshop. Good. Any other comments, before I roll, along I had. A quick question about the trailer that you just showed us and. General. Questions about affirmative justice, I'm happy to wait if that's something that's gonna be featured in your talk but otherwise I'll go ahead and ask I, mean. Is refa, made of justice. Restorative. Justice restorative. Justice yes is that something that you're gonna touch upon during, the course of the talk, now. That you brought it up sure yes. No I'd be happy to yeah, restorative, justice is. Based. On the idea that when, there's been. What. Is otherwise called a crime. What's. Actually at, issue is, harm, not. A crime, in law but, harm to human relationships and you, want to restore that relationship you. Don't do that by locking, the the person who offended, you away, you, make it impossible to, restore, that relationship so. You bring them back in and, set. Up a safe zone where, they can say, two. Things I can say here's why I did, it you know and sometimes these people. Horrendous. Stories, of abuse in their, background, which changes, the Y atmosphere a little bit and then. They take responsibility I. Say. What can I do when. A lot of this restorative. Behavior, has been practiced, in indigenous, cultures. For a long time and, in. One case that I find really dramatic, there is a large. Community in. Sub-saharan. Africa, Golda. Bemba and when. Somebody offends. In that community, they, are made to sit in a circle with the whole village, around them and they. Go around that circle and, everyone. In the village is, required to say something good about that person and when. They get about halfway around the circle usually. The person the guy is almost always a guy, breaks. Down and has. A complete, change of heart and then. They work out a, restitution. For. The harm that's been done and they, rebuild the, community. So. We were in a meeting, in the Santa Rosa school, system, not long ago where. They had introduced, restorative. Justice in, the schools and. The. Expulsion. And, suspension. Rate. Went. From. 60. Cases to, two in, the. First year was on its way to, being zero. There was one educator, down south San Diego who. Was, completely against this and never work in my school is way too tough, and. He's now one of the biggest supporters and they, said I asked her what was a big change and he said every. Time I did the normal system, I lost, a relationship. That's. Because that's what you know the normal guy. Quote system, does every, time I do restorative, justice I, gain, a relationship.

So. We have a long. Range program. At the meta Center to try to get restorative, justice into. The schools and then. When it's really established, in the schools get. It into the prisons and when, it's established, there we could get it anywhere you. Get rid of the whole war system. That's my new they came and say I may not get there with you but. But. It is it, is a very good trajectory. To. Work on. Okay. So let, me now take. Us a little bit deeper. Into, what non-violence, is and, these. Have been very good questions, so, please. Keep them come in, so. This is just our kind. Of introductory, slide you yeah helping people practice, non-violence, or safely. And more effectively, I think. You know that gentleman with, the spinning. Wheel. So. I wanted, to illustrate what. The, old story is doing, to us this is a billboard, that was not far from our, office, in Petaluma, and I, wanted to emphasize, the. Motto in, red at the top of this billboard our. Pain, is your gain in. Other words if you can make us suffer you win you. Know you'll be advancing. Yourself by putting. Us down, now. Let me project, this, against. A model, that was developed by. One. Of the greatest piece researchers, that. We had in the English language, Kenneth. Boulding and. Toward. The end of his life Kevin, a kenneth wrote a book called the. Three phases, of power, he. Said we have three ways of, getting, a person to do something otherwise. Known as power. There's. Threat power. Where. Essentially. You're, saying do. What I want or I'll do something you don't want. There's. Exchange, power where. Essentially, you're, saying give. Me something, I want and I'll give you something you want and. Finally. But the most important, and least studied. Is, one called integrative, power where. You say I am going to be authentic, and we, will end up closer. Now. In. Exchange. Power, is kind of in a middle zone between threat, power which is clearly violence. And, integrative. Power which. Is non-violence, and you, can run exchange, power in. Both ways here. We have an example. Exchange power being used to create violence, on a subtle, level, while. It's selling, you some real estate, it. Is also selling, you on the old story idea, that. In order for you to be happy somebody else probably has to suffer. Okay. I, promise. You the tour of the old story is not going to be too long we'll get to. Non-violence. Soon but here's another. Subtle. Example. Of it. The. Reason this offends. Me so much may. Not offend you is, that you know inner peace is, very. Important. Concept and to, trivialize, it with the idea of outer purchasing. And. You know and we've gotten into this it, goes on and on but you know my PhD, was in a subject called comparative literature so I'm very sensitive to, what people are being told under the surface, it's. Subtler, and more powerful. Than, what they're being told on the surface so, on the surface you're being told by a dull. Harddrive. Dimension. Brand names here. Under. The surface they're saying as, we said it's showed in the animation the.

Way To happiness, is through purchases, in. Other words there is no happiness within you which, is a youth why. Okay. So this, is probably, a stark, statement, of the new story when, you want real wisdom in this. World where. Do you go you go to bumper, stickers right so this, was there, was a bumper sticker in, my, part of town. A while back said, my. Wife says I don't listen to her, at, least I think that's what she said, and. This one says we. Are not human beings having, a spiritual experience which. You'll hear every other day in Marin County we. Are spiritual. Beings having human, experiments, there. Were fundamentally. Spirit. Who have entered a human context. Again. I'm moving very fast so please feel free to, stick. Your hand up or jot down a question for later, now. In. The trailer, you saw an interview with a woman named Eric chenoweth. To. Back up a second, back in the 70s. There was a book by a couple, called Lind Staunton. And Alice Lind called. Non-violence. In America. That's. An arresting, title, to, be sure and yes, it was a full book believe, it or not with actual content, in a table, of contents. And in index and, all of those good things that get a PhD on this stuff and. One. Of the things that they said in their introduction, to the book is the. Way that social science, has. Ignored, this. Story, and let, it disappear. Is a, disgrace. So. Fortunately. In just the last few years just the last few years this, has changed and. Erica. Chenoweth and, Maria Stephan have written a very compelling, book called. Why civil, resistance works, they're. Using the word civil resistance, for non-violence, and just, to summarize some, of the discoveries. They. Explored, almost, 300, cases of what we call insurrectionary. Movements. Regime. Change through, uprisings. And, if. They were violent. They were successful. 26%. Of the time, if. They were nonviolent, meaning. Weapon-free. So. Forth depending. On strikes, and non-cooperation. That techniques, things, of that kind they, were successful, 56%. Of the time, if. They were violent. They took nine, to ten years to. Run their course. Usually. Ending up in a battle of attrition kind, of a civil war if. They were nonviolent, took, from two to three years and. They. Were more likely to lead to democratic. Conditions, five years down the road even, if they quote failed. Failed. That is to say to, overthrow, a dictator or, whatever, it was they were aiming at so. You overthrow, a dictator through, violence, you, don't get a free. Civilization. As Gandhi, said that. You know he kept coming to Gandhi and saying when, are you gonna stop with us know violent stuff and get to the real revolution and, he. Said violent. Revolution, will, lead to violent, Swaraj a violent. Regime only. Non fight non violent revolution, will, lead to a non-violent regime, even, if it fails quote-unquote, to, do what you were trying to do I. Can. Expand, on any. Of these points, but, I think for now I'm just trying to kind of introduce you to the, scope of things, so. This. Gives us an idea of what, non-violence. Looked like in the old story. And we. Usually. Today, call that strategic, non-violence. And what. It looks like in the new story and that's. Called principle, of non-violence. So.

We'll Take this one episode this is an uprising in Yemen and. You can see those people are pretty agitated, and. They. Had a slogan, which. Was they, can't defeat us because we left our weapons at home, now. That is basically true. It. Turns. Out that if you use weapons, you're actually, producing, violence. Something. Like. 70%. Of, homicides, these. Days are what's called victim. Precipitated. Homicides. You pull out a weapon to defend yourself, you get blown. Away so I'm not disputing the truth of that but. In strategic non-violence. You. Look at a person, as a rational. Cost-benefit. Calculator, and. Try. To, more. Or less force, that person to do what you want by. Changing, conditions. Whereas. In principle, of non-violence, you might have said we, will win them over, instead. Of they can't defeat us we will win them over because. We left our hatred at home and that's. Why it is difficult to. Understand, real, non-violence. In the old story, because. We do not acknowledge, the. Power of Interstates. Okay. So. Here's. Someone who acknowledged, them and this, is one of the most important, statements. In. The, history of non-violence. I have learnt the one supreme, lesson, to. Conserve my anger and, as. Heat conserved, as transmuted, into energy, our. Anger control, can be transmuted, into a power that. Can move the world. When. Other little complaint, that I have about Richard Attenborough's, film as it does not show, you how angry Gandhi, was oh my. Gosh was yeah great but. He had something to do with it and not, just let. It out which is a huge, mistake that's. Done with many movements today a lot. Of people think that all they need to do is show. Others how angry, they are and. They will have made their point well, given. The mirror neurons if you show people how angry they are they'll get that much more angry at you and you know where do you go, so. Because this is so important. I like to dwell on it just a little bit more civil. Disobedience, a, part. Of one of the nonviolent, strategies is. A. Sovereign, method, of transforming, undisciplined, life. Destroying, latent, energy into. Disciplined, life saving, energy. So. Again this capacity. To talk about our inner, energies. Is. Made. Much more possible, when you see that we our body, mind and spirit and not just, molecules. Being knocked, around by other molecules for, no, particular, reason and.

Martin. Luther King enlarged. On this, when. He said they're almost exactly, the same thing we caused no outbursts, of anger we. Expressed, anger, under discipline, for maximum, effect, and. This. Is, what Gandhi did I mean my meditation. Teacher claims, that Gandhi was one of the angriest people, in. The twentieth century but. He expressed, it under discipline, meaning, I am, NOT going to put up with this I'm going to make this situation change, so. He's thrown off a train you. Know in 1893. March and Pietermaritzburg, he. Is. Volcanic. Li angry. But. Instead of saying they did this to me they can't get away with it well you know he, said this is man's inhumanity, to man and we, must do something about it, and, you see that in the Attenborough film and when you choose a constructive. Path the. Anger, is converted. Into, creative, energy. You. Don't have to actually know how it's happening and do it and you just make that right choice that, you are not going to yield to anger you're, going to do something constructive all, the, power of that anger which is considerable, which. Is just playing, upon that power as somebody, recently said which, got us the president that we have. Now in this country no names please. So. That power, is there in all of us and for those of us who are sensitive to injustice, that. Power can be very powerful it can be extreme but if, we know how to deal with it it. Enlarges. Us it. Advances. Us spiritually, and it changes the situation for the better that's. Non-violence. In a nutshell. One. Of the things that it's useful, to know, about. Any, conflict. Is, how. Far along you are in that conflict, so we've. Created this, kind of pseudo-scientific. Graph. You. Will that. Plots. The level of dehumanization. Which, is what makes conflicts, extreme. And. The. Amount of violence it leads to and, generally. Speaking the escalation, of conflict, goes in. A, kind, of it can shoot up very rapidly. Especially. In the presence of a weapon or, so forth now. What we want to do in non-violence. Is de-escalate. Go. Back in the other direction that is, simple enough, but. It's, helpful. We, find two. Segments. That curve into three sections. And, know which section your conflict, is that they're. Partly will be. Run. Doing some exercises, on this in, the workshop. In. The first level you see the level of dehumanization. Is very low. You. Can communicate. Verbally or, through, petitions, or whatnot with, your opponent, tell. Your opponent, you know we don't like this we want you to change it and they. Can conceivably, respond. So. The. Big question is yeah. But. What. If they don't well. That's when you have to go into satyagraha. You, have to resist through nonviolent action, and the. Point of that again. To fall, back on Gandhian, terminology. Is when, you really want something important, to be done it's, not enough to appeal to the head you, have to be able to move the heart also, and, that. Is that empathetic, response, that, we've been talking about when. You conquer, and convert, your own anger it. Has a powerful. Effect on everyone looking on and. What. If you get to a place where even that doesn't work and it's something that you really really care about, well. You have an ultimate weapon. Yes. I have used that term advisedly, you. Have an ultimate weapon in non-violence, and we hope you don't have to use it but, that weapon is if you are willing to risk your life it. Can have a tremendous impact. Okay. I don't. Like this idea any, more than you do so what we try to do is, intervene, more out. Of lower, level an earlier stage of the conflict but. It's critically, important to know what stage you're at the.

Classic, Example, that I like, to use is in 2003. They. Were, getting. Ready to. Wage. War on Iraq. Twelve. Million, people worldwide. Protested. And said we don't want this and the. Then President, of the United States said. I don't have to pay attention to those people they. Are just, a focus, group, terms. That you're familiar with. Here. So, what was he saying in our terms he was saying, sorry. People, we're in Phase two not. In phase one, you're, petitioning, me is not, going to work you now have to go into satyagraha. Even. If we understood, that which. Few of us did we didn't know how to do it I didn't, have anything really. Prepared. The. Famous episode, where Gandhi is getting off a train and people come at him with lofty. As they want to beat. Him up he. Said you know it's not going to help you any to break this head and they said well we want the sand so and. What. Should we do then we said well you, must petition me and then if I don't respond, to your petition, you. Must, undertake. A hunger strike against. Me and if, I don't respond, to that hunger strike you have to fast unto death and they said well we're not prepared, to do that I said well then you know you're not going to change, my mind on this issue. So. In the first stage, you can negotiate and. The techniques, of conflict, resolution are. What. You use in the, second, phase you must go into such a graha and in. The third phase you must be ready to make. The ultimate sacrifice. All. Along, you can also be doing constructive, program question. So. In your Iraq example, it. Was too late to negotiate, so resistance, at that point would have been like the soldiers just refused. To go if. You were a soldier refusing. To go would be very dramatic and, pricked. An appropriate, way to do it and some, of them did but, few if you're an ordinary citizen you had other methods, open. To you you. Can you. Know I've had friends who we've got in the way of troop trains you, know blockaded. Army I have there, are many people right now who. Are going to Creech Air Force Base and, protesting.

Against The drones and not just holding up sides but. Blocking traffic, in, and, out of the base and. There. Are a couple of, hundred techniques. That are available to, us if you are not now all of them involve. Risk the risk of arrest. For. Example, so but. If you care enough on, the one hand if this, thing really has to stop I'm, not going to live with this and on, the other hand you have faith that. Non-violence. Is a powerful technique that's. What you do and. There, have been some the. Book that Nathan, was kind enough to mention. With, a little prompting I searched, for a non-violent, future, we, have maybe. 6070. Examples, of, how such Iago has worked there's, an 8 year satyagraha. That's been carried on in, British Columbia, against. An oil company that, wanted to frack their, land and you come in and they. Have like 10 projects. And they've, now had to give up seven of them because. They just made it too. Uncomfortable for them and show them how much they cared that. They did not want this to happen and. That's. One of the big changes that's taking place in non-violence, actually, that the way indigenous, communities, have been becoming. Conscious of their power. Organizing. Okay. So, those are the three conflict, resolution, technique such anger ha and finally, the ultimate sacrifice, if, you have, to go that far now. I wanted to quickly share, with you a scientific. Study. That Front's do all have, you heard from carried, on they. Have this colony. Of rhesus monkeys, rhesus. Monkeys are pretty bad hombres, as you can tell from, this picture which of course I've chosen before, the, purpose that, here's. Another one I had to think in this guy, in. New York. Some. Kind of problem with that so. In, this colony, of rhesus monkeys, they, introduced. A, colony. Of stumped tales aren't. They cute now stem, cells, are, a little bit bigger than rhesus monkeys but they're also much, much. Less, aggressive, so. The experiment. Was to see how, long is it going to take for, the rhesus monkeys to wipe up the cage with these less, aggressive, guys. So. A stump. Tail would be sitting on a branch and a rhesus would come over say get off of my branch and, the, stem tail was saying I refuse, to put up with your injustice but I'm open to you as a primate, and. Sometimes. There had actually offer a finger, to be bitten the. Reasons would bite the finger which hurts I mean these guys are draw muscles, it's, a Hanuman. But. They. Wouldn't back down and. To. The astonishment. Of the, scientists. Within. A short period of time, this. Stump, tail culture. So. To call it had, been adopted by the rhesus, monkeys, so. Here's these animals. You, know they never took my non-violence, class and. Yet. They. Could be reached by. Basic, nonviolent. Techniques which. Required, sacrifice and, cost but. They're little primate brains were. Changed, and the. So that was a the second. Big surprise of the nonviolent resistance, was, working the, amazing, things that the rhesus adopted, it and now, comes the third. Third as a winner, right. They took, these stump tails out after. A while and watched, to see how long is it going to take for the Reese's to, go back to their bad old New. York subway, ways, and.

Guess. What they still, haven't done that so. That, conversion. To non-violence is a rout a robust, change, I wanted to introduce you to these two guys because you're going to be using their story in, the. Workshop. These. Two gentlemen were part of this new institution, called unarmed, civilian, peacekeeping. Or a non civilian, protection, they. Were in a UN, IDP. Camp you know internally, displaced person, camp in. South, Sudan one, of the most violent places in the world, right. Now and suddenly. That camp was attacked by a militia, these. Two guys ran into a little Hut to protect, their. Save themselves they, found 13, women and children, in. That Hut and a. Couple minutes later the militia burst in. Ak-47s. Axes, sharpened, sticks, and they, saw these two two who are obviously not Sudanese. And said. To them yeah, you get out now, you know exactly what's going to happen when. They get out outside, the hut they're listening to gunfire, and. But. These two showed, their badges, and. Said I'm sorry, we're, international. Protection officers, and we're, not leaving so. There's, flipping. The script right intense. Moment, of confrontation and, the. Militia turned around and left, not. Only that but in the 20 minutes that this raid went, on this happened three times, militia. Came in said. You know we're gonna kill you get out of here threatened them with weapons and, the. Lease to back down we refused to back down and, the. Militia left outside. That, little Hut. 60. People were massacred in. 20, minutes inside. The hut nobody, was hurt there's. A very dramatic illustration. Of. The power non-violence. Okay. So, that's the background we may be using this story, later so what, can we do about it I'm just going to have to go over this very quickly. We. Have a scheme called road map which divides up the problem, into three and. Guides. You from personal empowerment to. Against through constructive, program to. Resistance. You, can find this much. Supportive. Material, on our website, but, what I wanted to share with you and if, this works by the way this next. Move. Of mine is. Going to be the greatest, technological, triumph, of this. Slideshow so wish, me luck here we go. Thank. You Marie. So. This is the inner circle, edge. We just enlarged. And, we have these five six five suggestions. You. Want to be very careful, about your exposure, to violence, in the mass media, I'm. Really. Particularly. Glad to be sharing with you this. Idea, because I think here you can have some influence over, how. The mass media works. Learn, everything you can about non-violence. You'll. Never guess where I will direct you if you want, to do more of that metacenter. Org. Take. Up a spiritual practice, I know mangas, and year anymore but but. We do have mindfulness. That's. Going on here we. Recommend, one called passage, meditation. For most of us do at, the meta Center and the website, there is be, MCM. Org. Stands, for Blue Mountain Center of meditation, org. Reaper. Sinhalese ation just be more personal, with all your human interactions, and finally, it's. Quite, helpful if you learn, the. Basic, outlines of the new story and be, ready to share it than. Any occasion, because that's how paradigms, change, Nandu. Oh, right. Right, yes that's, one of the real delusions. About, thank, you man do one, of the reals illusions, about the old. Story, is that it's safe to, use violence, and so. You have Superman, and this is very embarrassing because, I actually. Wrote. Some. Of the scripts for some Superboy comics, when I was very very young, I just. Plain didn't know any better no, no it's growing up in Brooklyn anyway, never mind the. Idea is if you use, non-violence. People. Are immediately overcome. The problem. Is solved, and you don't get hurt whereas. The reality is, that if you incarcerate. People they. Will recommit. Crimes when they get out of prison at a rate of 76%. Nationwide. If you're in restorative, justice the. Rate will be more like two or three percent thank. You thank you very much. You.

2017-11-27 06:26

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