New thinking is leading to new actions.
Transforming Violence has found hundreds of stories
and examples of people using new thinking and taking
new forms of action. They are transforming violence
from the ground up.
For stories about how people are using gardens and earth stewardship to transform violence, see Cultivating Community at the Eden Project.
Stories of other ways that people are taking
creative action can be found in the social intelligence
database. Here are just a few. Tell
us stories about actions you are taking or have
come across so that they can be added to the Social
Intelligence Database.
Eye to Eye England/Lebanon/Gaza This program enables Palestinian children isolated
in refugee camps to communicate with children and schools
around the world by means of a web site. They write
accounts of their life and take photographs and video
which are posted on the web site. People send responses
and questions to the children after seeing their writing
and photographs. A school curriculum adapted to the
requirements of the National Curriculum in the UK has
also been developed covering History, English (media
literacy), and Citizenship (human rights).
Peaceful Tomorrows
September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
was founded by relatives of victims of the September
11th attack who wish to put their grief into action
for peace. Its mission is to seek effective nonviolent
responses to terrorism, and identify a commonality with
all people similarly affected by violence throughout
the world. In January 2002 and June 2002 Peaceful Tomorrows
delegations visited Afghanistan and met with relatives
of victims of the US military action, in order to share
grief, and highlight the effects of war. In 2002 they
lobbied congress asking for an assessment of the number
of victims of this US actions and compensation for innocent
victims. In January 2003 a delegation visited Iraq making
people-to- people contacts at schools, hospitals and
universities. On their return they challenged world
leaders to find alternatives to military action in that
nation. Members of Peaceful Tomorrows have spoken at
public meetings at over 200 events throughout the U.S.
to educate people about the need to understand how non-
military responses can create more security and more
justice.
The White Ribbon
Campaign There is a nationwide campaign by men in Canada
to stop violence against women. Men publicly sign a
pledge not to commit, condone nor remain silent about
violence against women. They also train boys and men
to be peer mentors and teach a curriculum on violence
against women to children of all ages in hundreds of
schools throughout the country.
Truth and Reconciliation
Commission, South Africa The Truth and Reconciliation Commission came
about through a political compromise in the negotiations
to end white rule in South Africa. It was an agreement
to give amnesty for human rights abuses in return for
telling the truth about what happened under apartheid
and during the civil war. The Truth and Reconciliation
Commission has established a precedent that has since
been followed in over twenty countries with histories
of human rights abuses.
Global Children’s organization Bosnia, South Africa, N.
Ireland, Israel, USA
Since 1993 Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian children have
travelled to the Adriatic coast to summer camps where
they form friendships with children from other countries
and ethnicities, including those who have been involved
in violence towards their own families. The camps include
conflict resolution through role-play and peer mediation
as well as art, music, swimming, storytelling, games
and other forms of play therapy. There are also summer
camps for Protestant and Catholic children in Northern
Ireland, for Israeli and Palestinian children, black
and white children in South Africa, and Latino and African-American
youth in Los Angeles.
