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Amazing animal rights activist doing talks in schools to "take peoples blinders off" .... The Best Speech Ever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es6U00LMmC4&t=1914s

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Right now we're working on a group project in class, in which we study the black lives matter movement. Many stories are already written aon it. Here is one involving how BLM managed to organize politically to take the next step: try to effect policy! https://www.vox.com/2015/8/21/9188729/police-black-lives-matter-campaign-zero

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Black Lives Matter activists finally have an answer to critics demanding specific policy proposals.

This has been a central question posed to the movement, which aims to eliminate racial disparities in the criminal justice system, since it rose to national prominence following the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. A lot of groups - from supporters to media to Hillary Clinton - have challenged the movement to define its policy agenda.

"You're going to have to come together as a movement and say, 'Here's what we want done about it,'" Clinton said in a meeting with Black Lives Matter activists last week. "Because you can get lip service from as many as white people as you can pack into Yankee stadium and a million more like it, who are going to say, 'Oh, we get it, we get it. We're going to be nicer.' That's not enough - at least in my book. That's not how I see politics."

But now activists have an answer to Clinton's call with the launch of Campaign Zero. The website details several proposals to limit police use of force, particularly shootings against black people who are disproportionately likely to die at the hands of police. The proposals aren't particularly surprising for anyone who's closely followed the Black Lives Matter movement, but it's the most comprehensive set of ideas ever released by advocates.

What is Campaign Zero?

Campaign Zero, launched by We the Protesters, has a single - but ambitious - goal: reduce all police violence in the US to zero. To do this, the campaign laid out several policy proposals that it says were "informed by the demands of protesters nationwide, the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing, recommendations from research organizations, and comprehensive data on the causes and impact of police violence." (Note that the policies weren't put forward by the official Black Lives Matter group, which doesn't necessarily represent all activists who have adopted the "Black Lives Matter" cause.)

The campaign broke down its policy ideas to 10 categories:

1. End broken windows policing. This refers to a style of policing that goes after minor crimes and activities, based on the notion that letting minor crimes go unaddressed can foster and lead to even worse crimes in a community. In practice, this tactic has disproportionately impacted minority Americans - in New York City, the vast majority of stops in 2012 were of black or Hispanic people. Campaign Zero proposes ending this type of policing by decriminalizing or deprioritizing public alcohol consumption, marijuana possession, disorderly conduct, trespassing, loitering, disturbing the peace, and spitting, as well as ending racial profiling and establishing mental health response teams that are better equipped to deal with mental health crises (which can result in, for example, disorderly conduct) than police.

2. Community oversight. When a police officer engages in misconduct, the most likely organization to investigate the situation is the police department the officer comes from - creating an obvious conflict of interest. Campaign Zero proposes adding more community oversight over police by making it easier for citizens to file complaints and establishing civilian-run commissions that will help set policy at police departments and make recommendations for discipline following a civilian complaint.

3. Limit use of force. Police officers are currently allowed to use deadly force when they merely perceive - albeit reasonably, according to courts - a deadly threat, even if a threat isn't actually present. And police departments aren't required to report uses of force to the federal government. Campaign Zero proposes authorizing deadly force only when there is an imminent threat to the officer's life or the life of another person, and the use of force is strictly unavoidable to protect life. It also proposes changing police policies, including reporting and use of force standards.

4. Independently investigate and prosecute. Following a police shooting, investigations are typically headed by the police department and the local prosecutor's office, which has close ties to the police department - both of which create conflicts of interest. Campaign Zero wants governments to establish independent prosecutors at the state level for cases in which police seriously injure or kill someone, which would now require an investigation. The campaign also suggests reducing the standard of proof for federal civil rights investigations of police officers.

5. Community representation. In some communities, the racial demographics of the police force are wildly different from the community they represent. Ferguson, for example, is about two-thirds black, but only three of 53 commissioned police officers were black at the time of the Brown shooting. Campaign Zero says police departments should develop and publicly release plans to achieve representative proportion of women and people of color through outreach, recruitment, and changes to policies.

6. Body cameras and filming the police. Most police departments still don't fully equip officers with body cameras, and many don't have dashboard cameras for their cars. But recording devices have played a crucial role in holding police accountable - in Cincinnati, for instance, a body camera filmed a campus police officer's shooting of Samuel DuBose, leading the local prosecutor to conclude that the shooting was "asinine," "senseless," and "unwarranted" before he pressed charges. Campaign Zero suggests equipping all police officers with body cameras, as well as banning cops from taking people's cellphones or other recording devices without the person's consent or a warrant.

7. Training. Many police departments only require training on an annual or one-time basis, and the training tends to focus on use of force, not on deescalation or racial bias. Campaign Zero suggests requiring officers to go undergo training on a quarterly basis, with greater focus on addressing subconscious racial biases and other prejudices against, for example, LGBTQ people.

8. End for-profit policing. In some jurisdictions, police are used by local governments as a revenue generator. One of the most damning findings from the Justice Department report on Ferguson is that the police department and courts issued fines and fees to help fill local budget gaps. Campaign Zero tries to eliminate these perverse incentives by ending police department quotas for tickets and arrests, limiting fines and fees on low-income people, and stopping police from taking money or property from innocent people, as they currently do through "civil forfeiture" laws.

9. Demilitarization. The Ferguson protests captured nationwide attention after police deployed militarized equipment - sniper rifles, riot gear, camouflage, armored trucks, and chemical agents such as tear gas - against largely peaceful demonstrators. But police have this type of gear in large part because the federal government subsidizes it or gives it away to local and state police. Campaign Zero proposes ending the 1033 program that provides militarized equipment to police, as well as limiting when local and state police can purchase and use this type of equipment.

10. Fair police contracts. Police unions have negotiated strong contracts for their officers over the past few decades, sometimes imposing big hurdles to investigations - such as the 48-hour rule, which prevents investigators from talking to an officer involved in a shooting until 48 hours pass. Campaign Zero aims to eliminate these types of barriers while requiring police departments keep officers' disciplinary history accessible to the public and ensuring officers don't get paid while they're being investigated for seriously injuring or killing a civilian.

In addition to these specific proposals, Campaign Zero also outlines different federal, state, and local plans that put these ideas into law. The campaign also put out a fact sheet on where different 2016 presidential candidates stand on their proposals, which should help supporters hold candidates accountable.

What do Campaign Zero's policy proposals hope to address?

The proposals are specifically aimed at eliminating police violence, particularly against minority communities that are disproportionately impacted by policing. The campaign points to police in other developed countries - such as Germany and Japan - that manage to go through a full year without killing more than a dozen people (although these countries also have fewer guns, which means much less gun violence overall). And it cites some of the many troubling statistics in the US.

According to the Washington Post's database, police have shot and killed 624 people so far in 2015. Nearly 22 percent of those shot and killed didn't have a deadly weapon, nearly 10 percent were completely unarmed, and more than 26 percent exhibited signs of mental illness.

Historically, these types of police killings have been racially skewed, as an analysis of the available (but incomplete) FBI data by Vox's Dara Lind found: Black people accounted for 31 percent of police shooting victims in 2012, even though they made up just 13 percent of the US population.

Black teens were 21 times as likely as white teens to be shot and killed by police between 2010 and 2012, according to a ProPublica analysis of the FBI data. ProPublica reported: "One way of appreciating that stark disparity, ProPublica's analysis shows, is to calculate how many more whites over those three years would have had to have been killed for them to have been at equal risk. The number is jarring - 185, more than one per week."

Subconscious racial biases, known as implicit biases, may explain the disparities. Studies show, for example, that officers are quicker to shoot black suspects in video game simulations. Josh Correll, a University of Colorado Boulder psychology professor who conducted the research, said it's possible the bias could lead to even more skewed outcomes in the field. "In the very situation in which [officers] most need their training," he said, "we have some reason to believe that their training will be most likely to fail them."

When police do use force, they're given wide legal latitude to do so - since they only have to reasonably perceive a threat, even if a threat isn't actually present. The two Supreme Court decisions - Tennessee v. Garner and Graham v. Connor - that established this standard give officers a lot of legal room to use force without fear of punishment, in the hopes that cops won't hesitate when they need to make split-second decisions to protect themselves and bystanders. Police officers say the loose standard is essential to their safety, although critics argue that these loose legal standards give law enforcement a license to kill innocent or unarmed people.

Campaign Zero's policy proposals aim to address all of these problems. Stronger standards for use of force will limit when cops can shoot and otherwise hurt people. Implicit bias training could help officers overcome their subconscious prejudices. Body cameras will help hold cops accountable when they use force. And so on. It's a comprehensive set of proposals for a very broad set of problems.

Can Campaign Zero's ideas work?

The policies could certainly reduce police use of force. But it's unlikely - for reasons unrelated to policing policies - that they can eliminate all police violence, as the campaign hopes to do.

The policy proposals are fairly reasonable. As much as this is a wish list for the Black Lives Matter movement, it's also a list of proposals that I have personally heard and seen from criminal justice experts over the past year - including the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing. Nothing in the list stuck out as particularly surprising, shocking, or unfeasible to me - although police advocates will certainly argue that some of the ideas, such as a higher legal standard for allowing use of force, could endanger officers' lives.

Still, the goal to eliminate police violence altogether is unrealistic. There are always going to be situations in which police need to use deadly force. That's especially true in America, which is more violent - in part because it has way more guns - than its developed peers.

For example, a recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that police are much more likely to be killed in states with more firearms.

Applying this to the international level, it seems likely America will always have more police killed on duty than other developed countries. According to UN data compiled by Simon Rogers for the Guardian, the US had 88.8 guns per 100 people in 2007. That's almost one gun per person in the US, and nearly double the second-closest country, Yemen, which has 54.8 guns per 100 people.

For US police officers, this means they not only will encounter more guns and deadly violence, but they can expect to encounter more guns and deadly violence, making them more likely to anticipate and perceive a threat and use deadly force as a result.

But even if eliminating all police violence is unrealistic, it's certainly a laudable goal that most people can get behind. And now, with these clear proposals, advocates will be able to go back to presidential candidates like Hillary Clinton and ask what exactly they're going to do about this issue - without facing questions that may paint the movement as bumbling or unclear.

Watch: Why it's so important to film the police

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Campaign Zero: Black Lives Matter activists' new, comprehensive policy platform, explained

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Black Lives Matter activists finally have an answer to critics demanding specific policy proposals. This has been a central question posed to the movement, which aims to eliminate racial disparities in the criminal justice system, since it rose to national prominence following the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

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In reference to our previous class on artivism, an opinion article arguing how art may be ”the purest form of peaceful protest”.

”Art has the ability to bring forward issues in a non-violent and non-confrontational way and, because of its ability to connect, leave a powerful impact on its viewers.”

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In the wake of unrest and injustice, people grasp for ways to communicate their frustration. Discontent within society can ignite campaigns for change, some violent, some not. The frustrations of our nation have hit home in recent events and have sparked some of these campaigns in Sacramento.

As activists march in protest, block freeways and Sacramento Kings' games in 'peaceful' protests, Sacramento residents are left questioning the best way to create change. Is there a right way? How can we communicate our frustration, question our society and enact change within it?

While there may not be one true answer, art has always held loving hands with activism and may be the purest form of peaceful protest.

As a home to many activists and artists, American River College is working to create an environment that celebrates art as a tool for change through Artivism events and recognition of student art.

Art is a universal language. Whether it's music, performance or visual; art has a way of connecting to everyone in some way and is a powerful tool for communication and expression.

Art asks people to examine themselves as well as the world around them. It asks questions, conveys pain, illustrates history and can impact the future.

In literature satire has been used as a tool to examine societal norms for centuries.

Music in the 1960's reflected the unrest of the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement.

Anonymous graffiti artist Banksy has been the non-existent face of mainstream artivism since the 1990s.

Art has the ability to bring forward issues in a non-violent and non-confrontational way and, because of its ability to connect, leave a powerful impact on its viewers.

ARC's Universal Engaging Inclusive Transformative Education (UNITE) program celebrated this impact on April 17 and 18 with its first ever Artivism Celebration.

Illinois based rapper and activist Aurellius the Saint lectured the first day and performed the second day of the event.

With a strong history of activism, Aurellius advocates for the importance of words and the power that lyrics can have on an individual and society as a whole.

"Words create images. That's what they do. The subconscious is going to take it in regardless. It doesn't know better, it's going to take it in," he said during his lecture.

Aurellius has worked with an array of organizations, including Black Lives Matter, WEAVE and We the People. His work with We the People gave him the opportunity to teach the fundamentals of poetry to children in Ferguson, Missouri.

"When I got to teach and mentor children, I cried every time I left," he said. "Cried. All these tattoos, looking into these innocent eyes, knowing they looking at me like, 'Dang.' Because they know I represent self expression."

Aurellius saw the power of artivism firsthand, in a community in turmoil after the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by white police officer Darren Wilson in 2014.

"It was a terrible tragedy, out in Ferguson ... It took something like this, it took artivists, it took consciousness, it took passion. These are the words that we need to be using a lot more," he said. "When we were in Ferguson, you know who created that movement? It was conscious artists. It was artivism ... Support that substance. Music has a lot to do with the revolutionary. A lot."

ARC has its own examples of artivism, which are proudly displayed in the James Kaneko Gallery on campus.

Renee Marie is a retired Army veteran and an art student at ARC. On April 25, Marie's mixed media piece, "In Free Will We Trust," won first place at the ARC Annual Student Exhibition.

Marie's work brings into question many issues surrounding gun laws and violence in society today. Her other piece on display, "The Painted Lady," addresses today's beauty standards and pressures on women.

Marie's pieces are textbook examples of how art can bring forward ideas and frustrations in a nonviolent way.

"I think art is a way of almost crying out. It's a nonviolent call to action," Marie said. "It's asking people to consider empathy. I feel like almost all art is universal."

Artivism uses that universal connection to instill a message in people. It asks viewers to turn their perspective inward and find something within themselves.

"Once you know the artist background and you know the viewers' background, you find out that there's something that connects you," Marie said. "In all of this work, we're called to look deeper or ask questions because we find a bit of ourselves in the story. We find forgiveness, we find meaning, we find the political angst."

Marie said she allows her work to speak for itself. She observes the objects she finds and searches for the message within them, then creates her pieces around that message.

"I like it when artists use their time and their talent to create that visual stage where we all can be invited in and consider what is being said. And if that brings someone to a state of apology or curiosity that, for me, is what art is about," she said.

In times of unrest, people have always taken different paths in order to express injustice and frustration. While there is debate over how aggressive that expression should be in order to enact change, there is no debate over a truer form of expression.

Art in activism is often underestimated but always necessary and the purest form of peaceful protest.

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In the wake of unrest and injustice, people grasp for ways to communicate their frustration. Discontent within society can ignite campaigns for change, some violent, some not. The frustrations of our nation have hit home in recent events and have sparked some of these campaigns in Sacramento.

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The role of education in peaceful activism

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The role of education in peaceful activism

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Following in the footsteps of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, the organization Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival wants to create large scale change by changing the perception of poverty, raising awareness to the fact that poverty is a social issue and not a choice through educational programs.

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The New Poor People's Campaign Wants to Change How We Think About Poverty

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Rev. Liz Theoharis talks about the first day of action, sustaining a movement, and finishing what MLK started.

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The following is from David Hartsough's book, Waging Peace: Global Adventures of a Lifelong Activist to be published by PM Press in September 2014.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
1. Practice nonviolence in all areas of your life-thoughts, conversations, family and work relationships, and with challenging people and situations. Read Gandhi and King to gain a deeper understanding of nonviolence, and how to integrate nonviolence into your life as you work for change. One valuable resource is: ( http://www.godblessthewholeworld.org)

2. Explore nonviolent ways of relating and communicating where compassion and active listening guide your interactions with others. Alternatives to Violence Project ( www.avpusa.org) and Nonviolent Communications trainings ( www.cnvc.org) are excellent and fun ways to practice these invaluable skills.

3. Watch or listen to Democracy Now, Bill Moyers' Journal on PBS, and public news stations which are independently operated, non-commercial, and listener-supported. They provide a more progressive political orientation, and counter-balance what is promoted by the mainstream media. ( http://www.democracynow.org/), ( http:// www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/index.html), ( http://www.pbs.org/)

4. Participate in a Global Exchange "Reality Tour." These socially responsible educational tours develop a deeper understanding of the poverty, injustice and violence facing so many around the world. Frequently, long lasting personal relationships are made as you empower local communities, and learn how to work for change in American polices, which are often the direct cause for these adverse conditions. ( www.globalexchange.org).

5. Be the change you want to see in the world. People seeking a caring, compassionate, just, environmentally sustainable and peaceful world can begin by living their own lives by the values they would like to see in the world.
PERSONAL WITNESS-SPEAKING OUT
6. Write Letters to the Editor of your local newspaper, and to Members of Congress, about issues which concern you. By contacting local, State and Federal elected Officials and government agencies, you are "speaking truth to power"

7. Participate in a short-term international delegation to get to know people living in conflict areas, and to experience their reality. Meet locals who are working for peace and justice, and learn how you can become their ally. Witness for Peace, Christian Peacemaker Teams, Meta Peace Teams, and Interfaith Peace Builders, all offer these valuable opportunities. ( http://witnessforpeace.org), ( http://www.cpt.org), www.MPTpeaceteams.org,(www.interfaithpeacebuilders.org)

8. Volunteer to work on a peace team in a conflict area to help support local human rights defenders, protect civilian populations (an estimated 80% of the people killed in wars are now civilians) and support local peacekeepers working for nonviolent resolution of conflicts. Ask a local church, religious community, or civic organization to support you in volunteering for three months to a year doing this work.

9. Counter Recruitment - Educate young people who are considering the military (frequently to get financial assistance for a college education) about the reality of that choice, and the horrors of war. The War Resisters League and The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) both offer good educational resources for these efforts. ( https://afsc.org/resource/counter-recruitment) and ( www.warresisters.org//counterrecruitment)

Assist those who are considering the military with viable, peaceful alternatives and introduce them to Veterans who have witnessed war directly such as Vets for Peace (VFP.org). Where appropriate, help them to apply for Conscientiousness Objector status. The GI Rights Hotline offers good information regarding that process ( http://girightshotline.org)
DISCUSSION AND STUDY GROUPS
10. Together with others who have read this book, share insights and stories which touched you, or empowered you to address the problems of war, injustice, racism and violence in our society. Which accounts motivated you to help create a more just, peaceful, nonviolent and environmentally sustainable world? What would you like to do differently as a result of reading this book?

11. Watch the DVD "A Force More Powerful," with others in your church, community, school or university; it documents the history of six powerful nonviolent movements around the world. Discuss each featured episode which explores some of the 20th centuries' major struggles in which nonviolent people-powered movements have overcome oppression, dictatorship and authoritarian rule. Downloadable study guides, and comprehensive lesson plans for high school students, are available on the website. The DVD is available in more than a dozen languages. ( www.aforcemorepowerful.org)

12. Read articles in Waging Nonviolence: People Powered News and Analysis by authors like George Lakey, Ken Butigan, Kathy Kelly, John Dear, and Frida Berrigan. These articles are filled with stories of ordinary people facing conflicts, using nonviolent strategies and tactics, even under the most difficult of circumstances, Discuss your responses with others, and decide what you would like to do to create nonviolent change. (wagingnonviolence.org)

13. Create a study/discussion group to read or view DVDs and books in the Resources Section of this book. Discuss your feelings, responses, insights on how nonviolent struggle works, and what you might like to do together to put your "Beliefs Into Action".

14. To honor Martin Luther King's birthday on January 20th (or any other day), organize a showing of one of the excellent films on Dr. King such as King: From Montgomery to Memphis, or KING: Go beyond the dream to discover the man (by the History Channel). Afterward, talk about what relevance King and the Civil Rights Movement have for your lives, and for our nation today. A Study Guide for this film is available for download. ( http://www.history.com/images/media/pdf/08-0420_King_Study_Guide.pdf )

15. In addition, large public libraries often have good collections of DVDs on MLK and on the Civil Rights Movement, like: Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years 1954-1965). Listen to some of the amazing talks on (Godblessthewholeworld.org) website and discuss them with friends. This free online educational resource features hundreds of videos, audio files, articles and courses on social justice, spiritual activism, counter oppression, environmentalism, plus many other topics on personal and global transformation.

16. Organize a study group using Pace e Bene's workbook entitled, Engage: Exploring Nonviolent Living. This twelve-part study and action program offers participants a wide variety of principles, stories, exercises, and readings for learning, practicing, and experimenting with the power of creative nonviolence for personal and social change. ( http://paceebene.org).
NONVIOLENT, LOW AND NO RISK ACTIONS
17. Identify a problem in your community, the nation or the world, and find others who share your concern. Join together and organize to address that problem, using Martin Luther King's Six Principles of Nonviolence, and his steps in organizing nonviolent campaigns, (see below). Working together we can create what King called the "Beloved Community."

18. Participate in peaceful demonstrations that focus on your area of concern (anti-war, national priorities, banking reform, immigration, education, healthcare, Social Security, etc.). They are a good way to expand your contacts and energize your spirit for the longer campaigns.

19. Work at the grass roots level. You don't need to go to Washington to create change. Start where you are, as Martin Luther King did with the bus boycott in Montgomery (1955), and with the Voting Rights Campaign in Selma, Alabama (1965). "Think globally. Act locally."

20. Whatever your spiritual or faith path, live by the values and beliefs you profess. Beliefs don't have much meaning without action. If you are part of a faith-based community, work to help make your church or spiritual community a beacon of justice, peace and love in the world.

21. All the struggles - justice, peace, environmental sustainability, women's rights, etc. are interconnected; you don't need to do everything. Pick an issue you feel passionately about, and focus your efforts on that. Find ways to support others who are working on different issues, especially at critical times when a major effort is needed.

DIRECT ACTION:

22. Participate in Nonviolence Trainings which create opportunities for participants to learn more about the history and power of nonviolence, share fears and feelings, build solidarity with one another, and form affinity groups. NV Trainings are often used as preparation for actions, and give people a chance to learn specifics about that action, its tone, and legal ramifications; to role play interactions with police, officials, and others in the action; and to practice applying nonviolence in challenging situations. ( www.trainingforchange.org), ( www.trainersalliance.org), ( www.organizingforpower.org)

23. Speak "Truth to Power" with others. Develop a nonviolent campaign aimed at a specific injustice or issue- for example: gun violence, the environment, war and occupation of Afghanistan, use of drones, or redefining our national priorities. Pick an achievable goal, focus on that for some months or even longer. "A campaign is a focused mobilization of energy with a clear objective, over a time period that can realistically be sustained by those who identify with the cause." George Lakey, History as a Weapon, Strategizing for a Living Revolution. Use King's "Four Basic Steps in Any Nonviolent Campaign." (Letter From the Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963) (see below)

One example of a nonviolent campaign is the National Priorities Project: Bringing the Federal Budget Home. They seek to, "End the wars and military bases around the world, and bring our tax dollars home - for schools, health care for all, parks, job training, care for the elderly, head start, etc. (Nationalprioritiesproject.org)

24. In the Spirit of Henry David Thoreau, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, consider engaging in acts of nonviolent civil resistance to challenge unjust laws or policies which you consider immoral, or illegal under international law. These might include the use of Drones, the use of torture, or nuclear weapons development. It is highly recommended that you do this with others so you can support one another, and that you go through Nonviolence Training first. (see #22 above)

25. Consider refusing to pay some or all of your taxes that pay for war. War Tax Resistance is an important way to withdraw your cooperation from participation in U.S. wars. In order to sustain their war efforts, governments need young men and women willing to fight and kill, and they need the rest of us to pay our taxes to cover the cost of the soldiers, the bombs, the guns, the ammunition, the planes and the aircraft carriers that enable them to continue going to war.

Alexander Haig, President Nixon's chief of staff, as he looked out the White House window and saw over two hundred thousand anti-war demonstrators marching by, said "Let them march all they want to as long as they pay their taxes." Contact the

National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC) for assistance and additional information.. ( www.nwtrcc.org/contacts_counselors.php)

26. Imagine what might happen of our country put even 10 percent of the money we presently spend on wars and military expenditures into building a world where every person has enough to eat, shelter, an opportunity for education and access to medical care. We might become the most loved country in the world, - and the most secure. See the website for the Global Marshall Plan. ( www.spiritualprogressives.org/GMP)

If you would like to work actively to support nonviolent movements around the world, contact PEACEWORKERS@igc.org

Whatever you do, thank you. TOGETHER WE SHALL OVERCOME!
TEN LESSONS LEARNED FROM MY LIFE OF ACTIVISM
1. Vision. It is important that we take the time to envision the community, nation, and

world we would like to live in, and create for our children and grandchildren. This long- term view, or vision statement, will be a continual source of inspiration. Then we can explore practical ways we can work with others who share our vision to create that kind of world. I personally envision, "A world without war - where there is justice for all, love for one another, peaceful resolution of conflicts, and environmental sustainability."

2. The oneness of all life. We are one human family. We need to understand that deep in our souls, and act on that conviction. I believe that through compassion, love, forgiveness, recognition of our oneness as a global community, and our willingness to struggle for that kind of world, we WILL realize world-wide justice and peace.

3. Nonviolence, a powerful force. As Gandhi said, Nonviolence is the most powerful force in the world, and it is "an idea whose time has come". People all over the world are organizing nonviolent movements to bring about change. In Why Civil Resistance Works, Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan have documented that over the past 110 years nonviolent movements have been twice as likely to succeed as violent movements, and much more likely to help create democratic societies, without reverting to dictatorships and/or civil war.

4. Nurture your spirit. Through nature, music, friends, meditation, reading, and other practices of personal and spiritual development, I have learned the importance of nurturing our spirits and pacing ourselves for the long haul. When we confront violence and injustice it is our spiritual practices that help us discover our inner resources, and enable us to move forward with the courage of our deepest convictions. "Only from the heart can you touch the sky." (Rumi)

5. Small, committed groups can create change. Margaret Mead once said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." In times of doubt and discouragement about the current situation, those words, and my own life experiences, have re-inspired me with the certainty that we can make a difference!

Even a few committed students can make substantial change, as we did during our lunch counter sit-ins (Arlington, VA, 1960). We had been inspired by four African American freshmen who sat down at Woolworth's "White's Only" lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina (February, 1960). Their action sparked many sit-ins like ours, and led to the desegregation of lunch counters throughout the South.

"Ordinary people," can make change. The most successful campaigns I have participated in were with friends who shared concerns, and organized together to make changes in the larger society. Our schools, churches, and community organizations are excellent places to develop such support groups. Although one person can make a difference, it can be very challenging working alone. However, together, we can overcome!

6. Sustained struggle. Every major movement that I have studied, or been a part of, required sustained struggle over months, and even years, to bring about fundamental changes in our society. Examples include the Abolitionist Movement, the movement for women's suffrage, the Civil Rights Movement, the Anti-Vietnam war movement, the United Farm Workers movement, the Sanctuary Movement, and many others. All had the common thread of sustained resistance, energy, and vision.

7. Good Strategy. Yes, holding a sign and putting a bumper sticker on our car is important, but if we want to bring about fundamental change in our society we need to create long- range goals that build toward our vision for the future, and then develop good strategy and sustained campaigns to achieve those goals. (See George Lakey's, Toward a Living Revolution: A five-stage framework for creating radical social change.

8. Overcome our fear. Do everything you can to avoid being ruled by fear. Governments and other systems try to instill fear in us to control and immobilize us. Claiming that Iraq had concealed weapons of mass destruction scared people and gave the Bush Administration justification to invade Iraq, even though no such weapons were found.

We must not fall into the traps of disinformation set by the authorities. Fear is a major impediment to speaking truth to power; to acting to stop wars and injustice; and to whistle blowing. The more we overcome it, the more powerful and united we become. A supportive community is very important in overcoming our fears.

9. Truth. As Gandhi said, "Let your lives be 'Experiments with Truth'". We must experiment with Active Nonviolence, and keep hope alive. I share Gandhi's conviction that, "Things undreamt of are daily being seen; the impossible is ever becoming possible. We are constantly being astonished these days at the amazing discoveries in the field of violence. But I maintain that far more undreamt of and seemingly impossible discoveries will be made in the field of nonviolence."

10. Telling our stories. Sharing our stories and experiments with truth is critically important. We can empower one another with our stories. There are many inspiring accounts of active nonviolent movements, such as those portrayed in A Force More Powerful (Peter Ackerman and Jack DuVall, 2000).

Archbishop Desmond Tutu said, "When people decide they want to be free....there is nothing that can stop them." I invite you to share your stories of experiments with active nonviolence on the website for this book ( ...-.org), and help challenge others to join in making a difference

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Together, we can make peaceful change possible! - World Beyond War . . .

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The following is from David Hartsough's book, Waging Peace: Global Adventures of a Lifelong Activist to be published by PM Press in September 2014. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT 1. Practice nonviolence in all areas of your life-thoughts, conversations, family and work relationships, ...

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All the latest breaking news on Malala Yousafzai. Browse The Independent's complete collection of articles and commentary on Malala Yousafzai.

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The youth have been urged to use social media platforms to promote peace and harmony rather than violence.

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"If social media is well-utilised, it can change one's perception on ethnicity, attitude and promote tolerance and mutual understanding. This can bridge the divisions between ethnic groups," AMYU director said.

"If social media is well-utilised, it can change one's perception on ethnicity, attitude and promote tolerance and mutual understanding. This can bridge the divisions between ethnic groups," AMYU director said.

PIC: Makerere University students matching during the annual national inter-faith harmony walk held at Makerere University Freedom Square on Thursday, February 22, 2018. (Credit: Shamim Saad)

KAMPALA - The youth have been urged to use social media platforms to promote peace and harmony rather than violence.

The executive director Allied Muslim Youth Uganda (AMYU), Muhsin Nuwagaba Kaduyu, said social media can be used to promote peace and encourage dialogue among people from different ethnic and religious background.

"If social media is well-utilised, it can change one's perception on ethnicity, attitude and promote tolerance and mutual understanding. This can bridge the divisions between ethnic groups," he said.

Nuwagaba made the call during the annual national inter-faith harmony walk at Makerere University freedom square on Thursday.

The walk was aimed at creating platform for interaction and mutual understanding between youth of different religious denominations and universities in central, eastern and northern Uganda to improve understanding of violent extremism and the role of religion and youth leaders in promoting peace.

Nuwagaba stressed that the majority of the youth, especially university students misuse social media and end up getting recruited by Alshabab terrorists and other extremists via a Whatsapp and other platforms. He noted that it is the reason why many youth end up terrorism activities.

"Extremist activities are on the rise across East Africa. The growth in terrorism and radicalism has the potential to disrupt key development, resulting in unstable livelihoods and deaths," he noted.

Nuwagaba urged religious leaders to be creative in the way they preach to the youth.

The head of department of religion and peace at Makerere University, Prof. Hassan Tugume, said through social media, young people should run peace programmes and intercultural activities such as organising multiethnic youth festivals to promote peace and tolerance, as well as monitoring and discouraging hate speech.

Tugume also called on teachers in secondary schools to come up with peace studies and topics through which to instill discipline and peace among their students.

The spokesperson at the US Embassy in Kampala, Phil Dimon, said Uganda's youth should work together towards promoting inter-faith dialogue and peace.

"We are proud to partner with the AMYU in promoting inter-faith dialogue and peace. Ugandan youth should come together to support the initiative," Dimon noted

A total of 500 youth participated in the harmony walk under the theme, Walk together for the love and good of all.

The walk started at Freedom Square, through Wandegeya, to Makerere University Hospital.

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Youth urged use social media to promote peace

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"If social media is well-utilised, it can change one's perception on ethnicity, attitude and promote tolerance and mutual understanding. This can bridge the divisions between ethnic groups," AMYU director said. "If social media is well-utilised, it can change one's perception on ethnicity, attitude and promote tolerance and mutual understanding.

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Senegal: Amnesty International warns against use of force

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Senegal: Amnesty International warns against use of force

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Amnesty International on Thursday in a statement called on the Senegalese authorities to prevent excessive use of force by security agents against protesters as the National Assembly is voting a bill on the Sponsorship of presidential candidates.

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To get charge is not a easy way. Sometime it needs peaceful protests as well.

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To get charge is not a easy way. Sometime it needs peaceful protests as well.

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A bit of silver lining at the onset of the Trump administration has been the groundswell of activism by hundreds of thousands of Americans taking to the streets to face off against a president, and a Republican establishment, they see as reckless, divisive and destructive.

But Republican lawmakers have been so alarmed by the size and intensity of the demonstrations - for women's rights, immigrants and the environment - and by protests around the country before the election, that they have introduced measures in at least 10 states to intimidate free speech by criminalizing it.

While their proponents say the bills and initiatives are needed to protect public safety and ensure civility, these efforts would crush the right of free protest at a time when key American principles and institutions are under attack.

In North Dakota, where activists have fought the construction of an oil pipeline that threatens to pollute a neighboring Indian reservation's drinking water as well as deface sacred lands, lawmakers have proposed punishing protesters who demonstrate on private property with up to 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine. Another state measure would make wearing a mask in a public setting a crime punishable by up to a year in prison.

A bill in Colorado seeks to intimidate environmental activists who oppose an expansion of oil and gas drilling in the state by making it a felony, punishable by up to 18 months in prison, to "interfere with the action of any equipment used" for oil and gas extraction and distribution. In Indiana and Iowa, lawmakers have proposed stiff punishments for demonstrators who block roadways. One lawmaker in North Carolina recently sought to make heckling elected officials a crime.

Lee Rowland, an attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union who specializes in free speech issues, called these measures "an absolute travesty."

"In my dozen years of monitoring state legislation, I've certainly not seen a wave of anti-protest bills this large," Ms. Rowland said.

None of these bills appear to have enough support to pass and, if enacted, most would face strong constitutional challenges on First Amendment grounds. Similar forms of government overreach in Southern states during the civil rights movement led to landmark free speech rulings.

Instead of seeking to penalize their critics, lawmakers have a duty to listen to them, perhaps make an earnest effort to find common ground, and address the root causes of the grievances that have so angered and mobilized Americans.

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page SR10 of the New York edition with the headline: Peaceful Protests Are Not a Crime. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe

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Opinion | Peaceful Protests Are Not a Crime

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A bit of silver lining at the onset of the Trump administration has been the groundswell of activism by hundreds of thousands of Americans taking to the streets to face off against a president, and a Republican establishment, they see as reckless, divisive and destructive.

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Playing for Change is a classic example of peaceful social change. ”The idea for this project came from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people.”

https://playingforchange.com/

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5 protests that prove peaceful social change -

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5 protests that prove peaceful social change -

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Article by Greenpeace New Zealand

"The story that Greenpeace tells is that a better world is possible, and that brave individual and collective action can make that world a reality."

1. Gandhi’s Salt March
2. The Tree Sitters of Pureora
3. The Singing Revolution
4. Civil rights sit-ins
5. The Kingsnorth Six

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NBA players against white supremacy. Catalonians for independence. Quakers disarming Saudi-bound . In turbulent times, it's inspiring to see protest happening - but when change doesn't come, even the most ardent of campaigners can feel disheartened. What's worse is that many who've never taken a stand can wonder whether they should bother getting involved at all.

Yet once your feet stop being sore, once the toxic tweets and critical column inches die down - quite often, we protesters win. Here are five times that peaceful acts of disobedience have transformed our world. Maybe they'll inspire you - or someone you know - to get active.

1. Gandhi's Salt March

Long before you could invite thousands to protests with the click of a Facebook button, Mahatma Gandhi led a march of tens of thousands of people to defy British rule in India.

Under colonial rules, as Brits cashed in on salt, Indians were forbidden from producing it. So in 1930, Gandhi set out in search of salt and as word spread of his brave plan, he gathered a crowd. After months of walking and despite resistance from the police, Gandhi picked up the salt and in that one moment inspired civil disobedience across the country. He became a leader of the movement for independence and though it took 17 years from the Salt March, India eventually threw off the chains of British rule.

2. The Tree Sitters of Pureora

In 1978 logging companies planned to destroy a rainforest in New Zealand. Conservation activists built platforms in the treetops and stayed there to prevent the trees from being cut down. In response to the protests the government was forced to stop the logging and officially protect the area.

Using your body to stop something bad from happening is a well-established and effective strategy - right now, anti-fracking protesters have delayed fracking at the UK's first ever fracking site by blocking trucks and vans in all types of creative ways. We should do well to remember the victory brought about by the Tree Sitters of Pureora when watching, or taking part, in those protests.

3. The Singing Revolution

In the 1980s most in the Baltic States had grown sick of the Soviet regime and many began taking peaceful action to gain independence. Across Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, groups began to spontaneously sing patriotic songs that had been banned by the Soviet regime in a sign of defiance. In 1989 two million people across the three countries' capital cities joined hands in a 'Baltic chain.' Within months, Lithuania declared independence and other countries followed.

4. Civil rights sit-ins

Pelted with American fast food, covered in ketchup, beaten and arrested. That was often the fate of those who took part in peaceful sit-ins in 1960s USA. The peaceful movement for an end to segregation had already become strong but these young students knew what they would face when they sat on the cold restaurant seats merely asking to be served. Over just one summer, 1500 students taking part in the sit-ins had been arrested but soon their sacrifice paid off - many restaurants started to ditch segregation for good.

5. The Kingsnorth Six

Exactly ten years ago, Ben, Tim, Kevin, Huw, Will & Emily climbed the chimney of a UK coal plant that was producing as much carbon dioxide as 30 countries combined. Aiming to persuade the Labour government to abandon plans for new coal plants, the Greenpeace activists attempted to paint "Gordon, bin it" on the Kingsnorth coal chimney.

When they descended, the six volunteers were arrested and feared being sent to prison. But after 8 days in court, evidence from NASA's climate change expert among others, convinced the jury that they should be exonerated. The precedent this decision set was huge - it justified further direct action against fossil fuel companies - and that night on BBC News it was reported that government plans for new coal plants now hung in the balance. Later the coal plants were cancelled for good and the UK is in the process of phasing out coal by 2025.

Of course there are countless acts like these that have made our world a fairer, more peaceful, and more green world. But these 5 protests show that all kinds of peaceful tactics, in all kinds of situations can create change. While some had immediate success, for other campaigns it took years.

Since a ship full of chequered shirt wearing Canadian activists set off to stop nuclear tests, Greenpeace hasn't stopped believing in the power of peaceful direct action. We hope you never stop believing either.

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5 peaceful protests that prove you can still change the world

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NBA playerskneelingagainst white supremacy. Cataloniansmarchingfor independence. Quakers disarming Saudi-boundjets. In turbulent times, it's inspiring to see protest happening - but when change doesn't come, even the most ardent of campaigners can feel disheartened. What's worse is that many who've never taken a stand can

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In 2007 six Greenpeace climate change activists were arrested and then acquitted for shutting down a coal power station by climbing the smokestack and painting "Gordon" down the side of it in protest of building more coal power stations.

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A Time Comes - the story of the Kingsnorth Six

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Djurens Rätt is the largest animal rights and animal welfare organisation in Sweden. 

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Djurens Rätt is the largest animal rights and animal welfare organisation in Sweden. 

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Djurens Rätt is working to bring about attitudinal and legislative changes that raise the status of other animals in accordance with our basic view.

Djurens Rätt is a pronounced anti-violence movement, because we believe that neither people nor animals should be subjected to violence. Through democratic advocacy, political influence and changing people's attitudes we want to realise our goal: a society that does not oppress animals. We operate primarily in Sweden but we also work with other organisations and networks internationally and within the EU.

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CHOOSE VEG!

Choosing not to include animal products in your meals is the most concrete and efficient way of making a difference for the animals. Did you know that one single person that goes vegan spares the lives of 15 cows, pigs and chicken as well as 2000 fish every year? It's really quite outstanding that each and every one of us can make that big difference. It makes you reflect over what all we can achieve if we stand together, don't it?

Welcome to a journey towards a more animal friendly world: Download Djurens Rätts inspirational magazine with tips and recepies for a more animal friendly lifestyle

DJURENS RÄTT

To relentlessly stand up for animals is the very essence of Djurens Rätt and has been since the organisation was founded in 1882. Djurens Rätt conducts animal rights advocacy work vis-à-vis parliamentary politicians, municipal politicians, the authorities, EU politicians, institutions and companies. Each day we are shaping the opinions of the people through articles in newspapers and magazines, interaction via social media, our extensive summer tour and via our campaigns. Our aim is to make as big a difference as possible for as many animals as possible.

Djurens Rätt is dependent on voluntary support in order to be able to help the animals. Djurens Rätt consists of all of its members and donors who work together. In that way, we are a strong and growing movement that stands up for those who have no voice of their own.
What we do
We work on behalf of all the animals that are suffering through animal experiments in the food industry's animal factories, in cages on fur farms, and animals, which in other ways are being exploited by people so that they do not have an outlet for their natural behaviours.

Djurens Rätt is working to bring about attitudinal and legislative changes that raise the status of other animals in accordance with our basic view. We are advocating that the activities in society that are significantly contrary to the interests of animals shall be abolished. But as long as these conditions remain, the circumstances in which animals exist must be improved. Djurens Rätt prioritises work in the following areas: animal experiments, animals in the food industry, fur production and veganism/consumer.

Djurens Rätt is a pronounced anti-violence movement, because we believe that neither people nor animals should be subjected to violence. Through democratic advocacy, political influence and changing people's attitudes we want to realise our goal: a society that does not oppress animals. We operate primarily in Sweden but we also work with other organisations and networks internationally and within the EU.

We are politically independent and the organisation is structured according to the classic popular movement model with local organisations as its base and a national conference as the highest decision-making body. Every two years, the national conference chooses an executive committee that has a national organisation with salaried employees and national working groups to assist it.
What we think
The relationship between humans and animals is for better or for worse. But because we humans have all the power, the relationship is characterised by the fact that, fundamentally, it is all on our terms. But power does not make it right.

Animals are like people, living, sentient beings with interests and needs that must be satisfied. Biologically, man is also an animal, so the correct expression should actually be "man and other animals". People, however, can choose to do good or evil, and they therefore possess a particular responsibility to their fellow creatures.

The ability to experience, feel pain and desire, are common to animals. It is this ability that means that a creature has interests such as not being exposed to suffering. Suffering can take many forms, both physical and mental. A creature's moral status is not determined by its intelligence but by its ability to empathise.

A common belief is that you only need to take into account other animals in the form of entire species or populations. But because suffering is experienced by individual creatures, not by individual species, the individual creature should instead be made central. What leads to suffering can vary not only between species but also between individual animals.

Animals must be able to live in a way that provides an outlet for their natural behaviours, in accordance with their specific needs. The objective should be that animals shall not be exploited by people in such a manner and for such purposes so that they are incompatible with their own interests as individuals.

Human society and the prevailing morality should extend its solidarity and also allow other animals within its scope of consideration, compassion and respect.

Such an approach underlies our slogan: For a society that does not oppress animals!
Local and international commitment
The local organisations, and individual members/sympathizers are engaged in most of our efforts aimed at promotion and providing information. The basis and coordination of the campaigns and the development of scientifically substantiated reports are handled primarily by the national organisation.

We also work outside the country's borders. An important part of our work is to attempt to influence politicians in the EU in order to achieve better protection for animals. We do this through joint campaigns in Europe and through lobbying, notably via the organisation Eurogroup for Animals, of which we are members. Djurens Rätt is also a member of the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments and the Fur Free Alliance, among others. Read more about our international collaborations.

FINANCING

Djurens Rätt is dependent on voluntary support in order to be able to help animals. Djurens Rätt and its operations are therefore all of its members and donors. It is the membership fees, inheritances and other types of gifts that enable Djurens Rätt to be a strong voice that represents the animals.

Djurens Rätt has a "90 account" which means that the organisation is monitored by the Swedish Fundraising Control. To be given a 90 account requires, among other things, that at least 75% of each year's revenues goes directly to the organisation's operations in the same year. Djurens Rätt is also a member of Frivilligorganisationernas Insamlingsråd - FRII (the Swedish Fundraising Council), which brings together many of the major non-profit relief organisations in Sweden.
Where the money goes
Djurens Rätt works at several different levels. We work by shaping public opinion and have a lot of contact with companies in order to inspire and encourage an improved approach to animal welfare. We want to make it easier for consumers to make animal-friendly choices. A large part of our work also consists of exerting political influence - partly through direct contact with politicians and partly through various reference groups that operate within the authorities.

Much of Djurens Rätt's work is carried out by volunteers who are active throughout the country, but we also have employed personnel. The money that Djurens Rätt receives goes to the entire organisation. It funds everything - from printed materials and surveys, to campaigns and salaries. It makes it possible for the organisation to be out there talking directly with tens of thousands of people, to maintain a considerable presence in social media, to organise seminars that target politicians and other policy-makers, to participate in major international collaborations, and much, much more. Membership fees, inheritances and all other types of gifts are quite simply the means that enable all aspects of Djurens Rätt's activities.

HISTORY

The Nordic Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was founded on 7 October 1882 at Stockholm Palace by cabinet minister, Johan Christopher Lembcke at the invitation of Princess Eugénie. A few days later, on 11 October, the newly formed organisation held its inaugural meeting at the venerable Hotel Rydberg on Gustav Adolfs torg in Stockholm.

Princess Eugénie was the organisation's first member, and Adolf Leonard Nordwall from Strängnäs was the organisation's first President. Nordwall died in 1892 and the organisation had a low level of activity until the year 1900. The Nordic Community then received new management - the married couple Elna and Christian L. Tenow, who unlike Nordwall advocated a vegetarian diet for the sake of the animals - and even for health reasons.

In 1902, Elna Tenow started a pamphlet for its members ("Medlemsbladet") which changed its name in 1909 to "Djurens Rätt", a name which it has retained to this day. The Nordic Community grew rapidly in membership and by 1904 had upwards of 10,000 members!

In the Nordic Community, the same people who were active in the early 20th century remained on the Board until the 1940s with no one from the next generation becoming a member of the Board after Tenow.

Once again, a married couple would take over the leadership of the Nordic Community; Johan and Ellen Börtz. Johan was elected President in 1951 and retired in 1976, when he was 77 years old. Ellen was the Board's secretary. She took care of the administration and was the editor of the magazine.

The brochures became a way of reaching out to people, to talk about the painful experiments on animals. It resulted in membership beginning to grow, from having been at a record low of just under 700 members in the early 1950s. In 1959 the first local hive-off occurred, a branch organisation in Motala, by which time membership had passed the 3,000 mark.

When the Nordic Community in 1970 for the second time, changed its name to the Nordic Community against Painful Experiments on Animals, a final breakthrough was achieved. Membership increased to over 7,000 people. A new generation was committed not only to the abolition of animal experiments but they also questioned animal oppression itself.

The 1980s became a successful decade for the organisation. In 1985, Djurens Rätt gained more new members than ever before, more than 15,000 people. In 1990, the Nordic Community had the most members: 64,817. Throughout this successful decade, Birgitta Carlsson (1977-1993) was President of the organisation.

The 1990s involved Djurens Rätt becoming increasingly committed to matters other than animal experiments. The concept of animal rights became established after its introduction by Lisa Gålmark, an employee of Djurens Rätt. A new generation took up a position in favour of animals by becoming vegetarians or vegans.

At the national convention - the organisation's supreme decision-making body, it was decided in 1999 that the Nordic Community against Painful Experiments on Animals would change its name to the Association of Animal Rights (Djurens Rätt).

ANIMAL ETHICS

Djurens Rätt is of the opinion that all sentient beings should live their lives without oppression, coercion or exploitation. These seem like self-evident rights, yet this does not apply to all individuals. For those who, for example, walk on four legs, or lay eggs, their situations are very different.
Speciesism
There are often discussions about how wrong it is to discriminate against someone just because they have a certain skin colour or because they belong to a particular gender, even if the problems are far from solved. Systematic discrimination based on species (speciesism) is however, never disputed in principle. We shall now take a closer look at this. Humans have a special status. We can choose to do good or evil. Our ability to plan and analyse means that we have a responsibility to our fellow creatures. Anyone who has had a close relationship with another animal knows that they, like people, feel joy and sadness. It is reasonable to think that they want to experience joy, and that they want to avoid grief and suffering. Should they not be entitled to this?
Why animals should have rights
One argument that is often put forward, that only people should have rights, is that we are smarter. But that's not true. All humans are not smarter than all animals. And why should only the level of intelligence count? What happens to the rights of less intelligent people, for example, infants and old people who are senile? Of course, everyone should have rights regardless of their level of intelligence.

A second argument is that we have always exploited animals. But nothing becomes morally acceptable just because it has been in existence for a long time or is a tradition. What should we say about war and racism? Are they acceptable because they have been around for a long time?

A third is that we belong to different species. But species is a biological concept. Division into species says just as little about how to treat individuals as divisions that are based on ethnicity or gender.

Djurens Rätt is working to create a society that does not oppress animals, a society that caters to the interests of every individual, whatever their nature. Animals have rights!

THE MENTAL ABILITIES OF ANIMALS

It is obvious to many people that animals have feelings and are sentient beings. But even if we can all agree on that, there is a lot about the inner lives of animals that most people are not aware of. There are now lots of studies that show an animal's ability to reflect, solve problems, communicate and show compassion.

There are tens of thousands of species of vertebrates, and only a very few of them have been observed so closely that it is possible to say much about their mental capabilities. In particular, primates, rats, pigeons, mice, and more recently, dogs and corvids (the crow family of birds) have been examined, while far less research is available about the animals that are often used in the food industry. There are an amazing amount of species that we barely know anything about. This means that we must be very careful when we make assumptions about what animals are aware of and what they are not aware of, or what may be specific to human beings.

The basis of Djurens Rätt's work is the fact that animals are sentient beings. Because animals have the ability to experience emotions such as pleasure and pain, their life and death matters, and it is wrong to harm or kill them.

To injure or kill something that is not sentient, such as a tree, is an entirely different matter compared with the harming or killing of a creature that has a consciousness. How animals are treated does matter, the determining factor is their capacity to experience positive and/or negative emotions, such as pain, fear, joy or curiosity. It is also the basis for attributing animals with the right to life.

It is an obvious starting point for Djurens Rätt that non-human animals, just like humans, are conscious and have experiences. Sometimes different mental attributes are used, often referred to as "intelligence" as an argument for giving people greater value or a greater right to life than other animals. Intelligence is a poorly defined concept that is entirely based on a certain type of human thinking, and it is not intelligence that determines whether you are able to suffer or feel happiness. However, your mental abilities may be relevant to your specific needs and interests.

Knowledge of other animals' mental abilities will hopefully lead to a greater respect and understanding for our fellow creatures on Earth. It is often easier for us to feel empathy and compassion for those who are like us. That is why, on these pages, we are highlighting the characteristics that humans share with other species - but it is important to remember that other animals also have capabilities that we lack, that are perhaps more important for them.

ANIMALS IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY

The food industry is the area where the greatest number of animals are used, either in the production of food or to become food themselves. Each year around 100 million animals are killed in the Swedish food industry.

The above division is actually superfluous, because even animals used for the production of eggs and milk are killed when they are considered to be no longer of any use. As a result of harsh breeding and high production levels, this usually happens after a few years, or after an even shorter period of time. Examples of animals that are killed for food in Sweden include fish, chickens and pigs. These animals have one thing in common, they all feel pain and suffering. Fish don't scream in the same way as pigs, but that does not mean that fish do not suffer when they are caught and asphyxiate in the air.

The vast majority of people become upset when they witness a news report about animals suffering during transport or being mistreated at the slaughterhouse. Such reports are often followed by a wave of debate programmes and letters of outrage. They call for increased controls and stricter rules. Djurens Rätt is working for such immediate improvement of animals' conditions, but we do not stop there. We believe that all animal breeding within the food industry represents an unacceptable use of animals because it deprives them of life. Animals are not food!

ANIMAL EXPERIMENTS

Experiments with animals are conducted in many different areas of research, for educational purposes and in the pharmaceutical industry and other industries. Animals are used in situations where it is not considered ethically defensible to conduct experiments on humans. This means that the experiments would involve excessive risk, injury or too much suffering if carried out on humans. But it is also not ethically defensible to conduct these experiments on other animals, as they also feel pain and suffering.

Many of the experiments conducted today are painful and cause considerable suffering for the animals, which is unacceptable. The suffering is not limited, however, to the actual experiment. The habitats of animals used in experiments are generally poor, with confined spaces and a lack of stimulation. An increasingly large proportion of the animals are genetically modified, and are used as guinea pigs for various medical conditions in humans. These animals are in other words designed to develop diseases. Djurens Rätt is working for the abolition of all animal experiments that are not in the animals' interests.

This does not mean that we are opposed to scientific or medical development. Today there are sophisticated options that have replaced some animal experiments. These methods are often based on human cells, or human models or data. They can therefore be very good at predicting effects on humans. Unfortunately at present, options to replace all forms of animal experimentation are lacking. A major reason is that not enough is being invested in the development of methods that do not involve the use of animals. The lack of alternatives to animal experiments does not mean that humans have the right to use animals in this way. Animals are not subjects for experimentation!

ANIMALS IN THE FUR INDUSTRY

The fur industry involves the use of animals being raised and killed simply because people want to dress in their furs. Around 1 million minks are killed each year in Sweden for their fur only. In addition, a smaller number of rabbits are killed mainly for fur production. The animals are kept in small cages and their living conditions are very different from the life they are suited for. The keeping of foxes was discontinued in 2001, when stricter rules were introduced, and chinchilla farming was also discontinued in 2014.

Sweden exports fur skins valued at approximately SEK 270 million each year (1). Most of the fur that is produced here is exported, and the fur sold in Sweden is imported. Fur is also sold from a large number of wild animals caught in traps which have died a very painful death.

You don't see the full-length fur coat these days as often as before, and this is of course a step forward. Unfortunately, this reduction is offset by an increase in the use of fur on jackets, hats, boots, toys and other products. For the animals, it is not about how it is used, but about their lives. Djurens Rätt is working to ensure that animals shall be able to keep their coats, and that fur farming and other fur production shall be prohibited. Animals are not clothes!

INTERNATIONAL WORK

Animal's rights need to be highlighted in all countries of the world. Djurens Rätt therefore is collaborating with animal rights' organisations around the world.

The conditions that animals in Sweden are subjected to are affected by what happens in other parts of the world, and vice versa. Sweden's membership of the EU means that Djurens Rätt is placing extra emphasis on influencing EU decisions on animal issues. We do this through campaigns with other European organisations and through lobbying. Djurens Rätt is also a member of several international umbrella organisations and organisations working with specific issues.

Animals in all countries should have rights! That is why Djurens Rätt is engaged in international work.

THE ANIMAL-FRIENDLY CONSUMER

For a society in which animals are not viewed as goods.

Animals are exploited because there is a demand for animal products, something the animal industry stimulates and maintains through constant marketing. Through animal-friendly consumption, you can influence the situation. Each animal-friendly choice you make means that animals are saved from suffering and oppression.

As a consumer, you can make an important contribution by asking for animal-free products. The more people that demand products that have not made use of animals, the greater the range of animal-free products there will be. Challenge companies by demanding that they assume an ethical responsibility for the sake of the animals.
Choose vegan
One of the most important choices you can make in your daily life concerns our food, because it is in the food industry that the largest number of animals are used. Today one in ten Swedes are vegans and interest in the vegan diet has increased significantly in recent years. By choosing a vegan diet, you can save several thousands of individual animals over a lifetime. Vegan food is also healthy, nutritious, varied and tastes good.
Animal materials in our daily life
Animals are also used for many other products such as clothing, cosmetics, sanitary articles, furniture and lighting. There is also a wide range of cosmetics and household products that are tested on animals. Fortunately, there are lots of materials available that would lead to animals not having to be exploited. Djurens Rätt wants to make it easier for consumers to choose products that do not contain animal parts, or where production has involved their suffering.

Animals are not commodities!

ANIMALS AS ENTERTAINMENT

For a society where animals are not seen as entertainment.

Animals are used for entertainment purposes in a wide range of contexts. They are on display at zoos, they are trained to perform circus tricks or are tortured to death in the bullring. In some instances, such as in the case of horse racing, big money is involved. Animals are often used in the movies, both in feature films and for advertising purposes. Even the tourist industry makes money by exhibiting animals, for example, through photography and horse riding. In other situations, prestige and honour are at stake, as is often the case when it comes to exhibitions, contests and sports. What these activities have in common is that they use animals for human pleasure. It is not in the interests of the animals to be transported around or to be forced to do tricks.

Animals are sentient beings, with their own needs and interests. Djurens Rätt wants animals and their interests to be taken seriously, and we are working to combat all forms of animal exploitation for entertainment purposes. Animals are not entertainment!

ANIMALS AS FAMILY MEMBERS

Today, it is possible to buy an animal in the same way as you buy a car or a television. The animal becomes your property which you can get rid of or even kill if you no longer want it. Many animals are neglected, badly treated and abandoned by the people who should be taking care of them. Perhaps their purchase was not so well thought out, the cute little puppy became fully grown, the owner grew tired of caring for it or discovered that someone in the family had developed an allergy.

The smuggling of animals is another major problem. Smuggling often involves considerable suffering for the animals, and also constitutes a risk of infection to other animals and to humans. "Exotic" animals (i.e. animals from other parts of the world) and dogs are included among the animals most commonly smuggled. Exotic animals do not belong in Sweden, since they cannot thrive in our climate.

Djurens Rätt is of the opinion that animals that live with humans must have the status of family member. We are against the commercial breeding and rearing of animals contrary to the interests of the animals. We do not work with the relocation of animals, but we encourage all people who are thinking about getting a pet to consider firstly the adoption of an animal that needs a new home, instead of turning to a breeder. We must also ensure that we can offer the animal all the time and care that is needed. Animals are not possessions!

HUNTING

For a society where animals are not seen as targets.

In Sweden, over a million animals are killed annually while being hunted, and an unknown number are shot and injured. The animals that are hunted the most in Sweden are deer, elk and hares. Predators such as wolves and foxes are also hunted. Hunting is also carried out at sea, where seals, and in some countries, whales and dolphins are hunted. The animals are not even left alone when they are in protected areas or during periods when the animals are cared for when they are young. There is hunting in national parks and nature reserves, and a number of species are subject to so-called "protected hunting", even during the time the animals are having their young.

Many different types of weapons are used in the hunt for the animals. The most commonly used weapons are rifles with bullets or buckshot, but other methods are also used such as traps, snares, harpoons as well as other animals. Hunting injures and kills other animals as well as the animals being hunted. Even animals that are being used in the hunt are killed. This includes dogs that fall prey to hunters' bullets, those that are injured and killed by other animals or killed in traffic.

LEGAL ASPECTS

For a society where animals have legal rights.

When a crime is committed against an animal, there is nobody to represent the animal or to conduct proceedings on its behalf in a court of law. This is something Djurens Rätt would like to change. We need a two-party system in the courts, even with regard to animals. Today, animals have more or less no representation, as no one has the right to plead before a court of law with regard to animal issues. Someone, perhaps the democratic animal rights and animal welfare organisations, must be entitled to represent animals in court. Furthermore, people are needed in the judiciary with knowledge of the situation for animals and the crimes committed against them, such as specially trained prosecutors.

Animals are particularly vulnerable in situations when crimes are committed against them, because they are in a position of dependency, and have few opportunities to protest. The situation is aggravated by the fact that cruelty to animals is not looked upon unfavourably by the judiciary, and that the penalties for animal cruelty and neglect are usually mild or are completely absent. Djurens Rätt is of the opinion that it must instead be based on the animal's experience of the crime. Animals have a right to justice!

BUILDING COMMUNITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Human society is designed to suit the needs of humans. This is hardly surprising, but the more the world's population grows, the more we encroach upon the space and the living conditions of the animals we share the Earth with.

When a new road is built or a new industry is planned, an assessment is sometimes made of the animals in the immediate area and how they will be affected. Climate change and emergency environmental pollution usually impact first on animal life. The discussion usually revolves around populations, especially if no endangered species are concerned. But this is not the same as taking into account individual animals. When animals are injured, become ill or die, a sentient being is affected, and it hurts just as much regardless of whether the species is endangered or not. This is the starting point for Djurens Rätt's work. In this section, we will be looking more closely at how the development of human communities impacts on animals.
This text was translated by Swesteng Översättningar.

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Choosing not to include animal products in your meals is the most concrete and efficient way of making a difference for the animals. Did you know that one single person that goes vegan spares the lives of 15 cows, pigs and chicken as well as 2000 fish every year?

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How to be a peace activist in the 21th Century

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How to be a peace activist in the 21th Century

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A thought piece on activism in the 21st century

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There are two competing narratives that confront any 21st century peace activist. As such, there are two ways to start this article:

Narrative 1: The 21st century is a violent time. Sept. 11th sparked protracted wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Conflict prevails in Sudan, Mali and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Uprisings shape the landscape in Libya, Yemen, Egypt and Syria. In short, the world is in turmoil.

Or...

Narrative 2: The 21st century is a period of unprecedented peace. Research by Harvard Professor Steven Pinker and others suggests we're living in what is statistically the most peaceful era in recorded history with the number of people killed in battle or by violent crime only a fraction of what previous centuries have witnessed.

My point is that to be a 21st century peace activist you must first ask: How do I see the world?

I live in Belgium, once called the "cockpit of Europe" and site of the deadliest battlefields of the previous century. In fact, this year marks the centenary of World War I, ranked among the deadliest conflicts in human history. It's hard for me to imagine its destruction as I gaze out my window at the Post-modernist utopia enjoyed by most Europeans today.

But at the same time, I work in a military crisis response center, where I'm surrounded by flat screen TVs airing CNN, BBC and Al Jazeera displaying hourly barrages of human suffering and senseless murders coming from all corners of the globe.

So, how do I see the world? I see a safer world that doesn't feel safe. On the one hand, more and more people embrace peace and choose nonviolent means to resolve disputes. Yet on the other, parents keep their children on a tighter leash, we have bigger locks on our doors and we live in greater fear of random acts of violence.

This discrepancy between statistical reality and global perception can be blamed in part on the media's 24-hour news feed of human misery. But we can also point to the countries, political leaders and corporations that need war to stay united, in power and in profit. These war profiteers seek to propagate fear and perpetuate an existential threat, so that we support the proliferation of ever more weapons to protect us from a perennial, omnipresent enemy.

Whatever you do, don't take their word for it (or mine). Discover for yourself the true nature of war and peace in the world.

The second question you must ask to be a 21st peace activist is: What should I do about it? In other words, what meaningful actions can I take (given my specific life circumstances) to make the biggest impact on peace in the world?

I'll mention three powerful options. The first is to protest. "The Protestor" was Time magazine's 2011 Person of the Year. A fruit vendor in Tunisia set himself on fire and sparked a wave of protests that toppled dictators. The second option is to meditate. New agers assert that meditation quiets the turmoil in your mind thereby allowing you to send feelings of peace and calm to others. Finally, you can donate time or money. In doing research on how to help Syrian refugees, the only tangible action offered by the major humanitarian organizations is to donate money.

So, what do I do? I give a nod to pacifist A.J. Muste's famous quote, "There is no way to peace. Peace is the way." What this means to me is that peace activism requires looking inward. If there's a war going on inside of you -- addiction, depression, or self-hatred -- you must first tackle your inner conflict before you're truly in a position to spread peace to others.

Peace activism today goes beyond taking to the streets in anger to rage against the system, it's about finding peace from within and then sharing that peace with others through inspired action that is meaningful to you.

To be a 21st century peace activist you must search beyond how others construe the current state of the world, and define it for yourself. It's a path of inner growth and discovery where you hold in your heart that if you choose peace in your life, the world will follow.

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There are two competing narratives that confront any 21st century peace activist. As such, there are two ways to start this article: Narrative 1: The 21st century is a violent time. Sept. 11th sparked protracted wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Conflict prevails in Sudan, Mali and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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This article is also regarding the American politics, but I thought it had some interesting and relevant points, for example:

"Nonviolent movements succeed because they attract more and more diverse people, including women, religious figures, civil servants and government defectors. They are more sustainable thanks to their numbers and their diversity of tactics."

It also says that the use of civil disobedience is key to the success of nonviolence movements. “Civil resistance does not succeed because it melts the hearts of dictators and secret police,” they find. “It succeeds because it is more likely than armed struggle to attract a larger and more diverse base of participants and impose unsustainable costs on a regime."

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Murderous violence accompanied a planned race riot organized by neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups (please, let's stop calling what took place a "rally") in Charlottesville, Virginia, last weekend. Many more such events are now planned to take place across the country.

At least part of the American public appropriately holds Donald Trump and his administration accountable for these events, which by Sunday contributed to Trump's job approval rating falling to a mere 34% - the lowest of his administration and the lowest rating in Gallup's history for any newly elected president at this stage of a presidency.

Even before these horrors, Trump's base was shrinking, with a mere 18% of those polled identifying themselves as "a strong Trump supporter" at the end of last month, compared to 22% in February. Those who counted themselves among the active resistance to Trump, meanwhile, grew from 35% to 41% over the same period.

Not that long ago, then candidate Trump lamented to a crowd of his supporters in Las Vegas that protesters could no longer be "carried out on stretchers". And since January, conservative news sites including the Daily Caller and Fox Nation carried an article (which they later removed) subtitled: "Here's A Reel Of Cars Plowing Through Protesters Trying To Block The Road."

"Embedded in the article," reports CNN, "was a minute-and-a-half long video showing one vehicle after another driving through demonstrations. The footage was set to a cover of Ludacris' Move Bitch."

It looks like we may have to expect growing violence on the part of Trump's ever shrinking yet increasingly emboldened supporters. That's a troubling prospect, especially with an administration that fails to differentiate between neo-Nazi aggressors and civilian groups seeking to defend themselves.

Yet now more than ever, it's important to remember that meaningful and lasting change has rarely been brought forth by the hands of young men who carry out violence, but rather by the people bravely moving forward in nonviolent resistance.

The power of nonviolent civil resistance has been convincingly argued by professors Erica Chenoweth and Maria J Stephan in their now classic 2014 essay, Drop Your Weapons: When and Why Civil Resistance Works (an update of their 2011 book, Why Civil Resistance Works). Chenoweth then updated that analysis, sharing it in a lengthy interview with the Nation in February on the most effective tactics for confronting the Trump regime.

Having assembled a first-of-its-kind data set of all 323 nonviolent and violent campaigns from 1900 to 2006 for self-determination, the removal of an incumbent leader, or the expulsion of a foreign military occupation, Chenoweth and Stephan unequivocally conclude:

Campaigns of nonviolent resistance against authoritarian regimes were twice as likely to succeed as violent movements. Nonviolent resistance also increased the chances that the overthrow of a dictatorship would lead to peace and democratic rule. This was true even in highly authoritarian and repressive countries, where one might expect nonviolent resistance to fail.

Chenoweth described Trump as having "demagogic aspects of his behavior" and warned of the importance of recognizing "the broader authoritarian currents in the American polity that put him in power".

The main problem with violent movements - defined as armed and/or threatening or causing physical harm to others - is that they are generally limited to just young, able-bodied men (often able to commit an act of violence and promptly leave the scene unscathed).

While they "succeed" in unleashing "terrible destruction and bloodshed", they generally fail to realize their goals in both the short and the long term, the researchers find. The primary reason is that they lack diversity in ideas, tactics and abilities.

This homogeneity leads to a host of limitations on success, from the range of costs they can exact on the oppressor to the ability to form the coalitions required to sustain a movement, or envision and run new frameworks, institutions or governments.

And as Martin Luther King Jr observed, "violence begets violence" - where there is one group of young men willing to fight, there is likely another with the opposing view, willing to take them on.

Nonviolent movements, on the other hand, succeed because they attract more and more diverse people, including women, religious figures, civil servants and government defectors. They are more sustainable thanks to their numbers and their diversity of tactics.

The use of civil disobedience and "disruption", otherwise known as nonviolent direct action, are the keys to their success. Chenoweth and Stephan offer many examples of both creative and risky direct actions from around the world, such as people laying down across railroad tracks outside the city of Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, to prevent a train carrying 500 elite riot police from entering Kiev in 2013.

"When large numbers of people engage in acts of civil disobedience and disruption, shifting between concentrated methods such as protests and dispersed methods such as consumer boycotts and strikes, even the most brutal opponent has difficulty cracking down and sustaining the repression indefinitely," Chenoweth and Stephan write.

"Civil resistance does not succeed because it melts the hearts of dictators and secret police," they find. "It succeeds because it is more likely than armed struggle to attract a larger and more diverse base of participants and impose unsustainable costs on a regime."

In fact, one of the most successful tools used by oppressors to outmaneuver opponents, Chenoweth and Stephan conclude, is to provoke them to take up arms.

Ultimately, nonviolent movements are more future-oriented, willing and able to plan for what to do after the overthrow and having the capacity to make that happen. They would also seem to be the most powerful tool for confronting violence. As King's statement is now increasingly supported by scientific studies, identifying the spread of violence as like a contagion, moving from person to person.

"The more you fill the environment with stimuli that are associated with violence, the more likely violence is to occur," concludes social psychologist Bruce Bartholow. Like a disease, therefore, the spread of violence is best halted by a wall of healthy - or nonviolent - people.

Diversity, inclusion, creativity: these, then, are the sources of strength for the resistance in the US, whether its confronting the Trump regime in the White House, or the neo-Nazis bearing torches and weapons in the streets.

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American politics are becoming violent. But peaceful movements have power | Antonia Juhasz

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Murderous violence accompanied a planned race riot organized by neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups (please, let's stop calling what took place a "rally") in Charlottesville, Virginia, last weekend. Many more such events are now planned to take place across the country.

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Do peaceful political protests and marches actually make a difference?

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Do peaceful political protests and marches actually make a difference?

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This opinion article says yes.
According to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. Indeed, it is a weapon unique in history, which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it."  From protests and marches on civil rights to the Women's March to the March for Science, more and more people from cities across the world are taking part and showing that these issues really matter.

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The views and opinions shared in this article belong solely to the author and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Vocally.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said this about the power of a peaceful protest: "Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. Indeed, it is a weapon unique in history, which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it."

The third weekend in January marked the one-year anniversary of the Women's March, January 2017's massive woman-led day of demonstrations on behalf of equality that took place 24 hours after Donald Trump was sworn into the office of President. Those inaugural marches were peaceful and impactful, attracting 4.2 million participants around the country and hundreds of thousands of others at sister marches on every continent around the globe.

Naturally, we had to do it again: On Saturday, January 21, people took to the streets once more for the second installment of the Women's March - "Power to the Polls," its slogan - this time not in anger, but in an effort to increase political involvement ahead of the 2018 midterms. Between 1.6 million and 2.5 million people showed up.

But the most striking thing that happened between last year's and this year's demonstrations is not just how many people decided to return to a Women's March event, but the stamina of the movement as well as involvement in other political protests in the interim months:

From the March for Science to anti-white supremacy protests, what makes this rise in activism so impressive is that an astonishing majority of the marches have peaceful - a factor that's ultimately lead to increased turnout, according to data from the University of Denver's Erica Chenoweth and the University of Connecticut's Jeremy Pressman. Research "suggests people are more likely to participate in movements with public protests when the methods are visible and easy for people to participate in regardless of their levels of experience and their tolerance for risk," the authors explained in a piece for The Washington Post. "This is why nonviolent methods tend to be more gender-, age-, and ability-inclusive. And the more people who participate, the less risky it is for each individual to participate - which tends to bring out still more people in a self-reinforcing cycle."

This renaissance of people peacefully and regularly taking to the streets in large numbers speaks to the power of a nonviolent demonstration and its power to disrupt society as a whole. Indeed, the peaceful protest is actually more effective at long-term change than violent ones: In an article written by Chenoweth and Melissa J. Stephan for Foreign Affairs, the authors conclude that a nonviolent protest was twice as likely as its violent counterpart of toppling a totalitarian regime.

"Contrary to conventional wisdom, no social, economic, or political structures have systematically prevented nonviolent campaigns from emerging or succeeding," the authors found. In fact, "Movements that opt for violence often unleash terrible destruction and bloodshed, in both the short and the long term, usually without realizing the goals they set out to achieve."

Peaceful demonstrations like the Women's March have proven to be a catalyst for a grass-roots surge among everyday Americans beyond what many have seen in our lifetime, prompting calls to representatives in Congress (hi, Auntie Maxine!); renewed beliefs in political power as more young cis women, minorities, and LGBTQ folks ran for office; and an outpouring of support for other issues long swept under the rug of American politics. They've energized conversations about health care, immigration, the environment, white supremacy, and overall quality of life for Americans.

Clearly, Trump's election has cracked open a chasm of voices, once hushed, now rousing together in condemnation and for change peacefully and effectively. While his administration unleashes relentless attacks on the American people via things like the tax reform bill and unending attempts to repeal the ACA, a growing constituency of women and supporters from all corners of our society luckily has other plans all their own.

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Perspective: Yes, Peaceful Political Protests And Marches Actually DO Make A Difference. Here's How.

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The views and opinions shared in this article belong solely to the author and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Vocally. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said this about the power of a peaceful protest: "Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon.

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Beginning with the hashtag #GreatMarchofReturn, hundreds of thousands of protesters planning to breach the razor wire fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel.
Will this protest remain peaceful or is violence inevitable?

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"What if 200,000 demonstrators came out in a peaceful march and broke into the barbed wire east of Gaza," wrote Ahmed Abu Artema in a Facebook post on Jan. 7.

"What can a heavily-armed occupation do to those peaceful human waves?" the 32-year-old Palestinian journalist asked.

Artema ended the post with #GreatMarchofReturn - a slogan that quickly went viral and then, two months later, blossomed into reality.

On Monday and Tuesday, Artema's audacious "Great March of Return" will face what could be its most formidable and perhaps final test: an attempt by hundreds of thousands of protesters to breach the razor wire fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel.

Regardless of how Israel reacts to the planned waves of demonstrators, the protest movement spawned from Artema's Facebook post has defied much of the conventional wisdom about Gazan resistance to Israel's more than decade-long blockade. It has remained relatively peaceful, largely free from domination by powerful militant factions and inclusive of female activists.

"Everybody agrees that this is a kind of public struggle," Artema told NBC News as he strolled through clumps of men, women and children sitting on the ground and in tents near the fence separating the Gaza Strip from Israel on Friday, the seventh weekly demonstration since the protests began on March 30. "We are against any faction or party taking this march into their agenda."

Getting powerful groups to join - but not dominate - the movement took convincing, said Salah Abdel Ati, the head of the Great March of Return's International and Legal Committee.

Broad buy-in is part of the strategy. Organizers say the "Great March of Return" is financed by small donations and governed by a central committee of about 27 seats populated by representatives from some 18 political and civil society groups - including the dominant West Bank political party Fatah, as well as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, both of which are recognized by the U.S. as terrorist organizations.

"Before we established this idea, Hamas didn't believe it," said Ati. "We discussed more and more with Hamas, Islamic Jihad, with all the parties."

From the looks of it, that cajoling has been successful. On Friday, there was a noticeable absence of Hamas or Islamic Jihad flags at a field near the barrier. Only Palestinian national flags were flown.

The movement's aims are equally broad: Monday's march is meant to protest the inauguration of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, which Palestinians consider their capital. Tuesday is "Nakba" or Catastrophe Day, when Palestinians observe the 70th anniversary of Israel's founding.

But the ultimate goal - walking peacefully from Gaza into Israel - looks like a suicide mission.

Marchers say they have continued to turn out for the weekly demonstrations because they have so little to lose. More than a decade under Israeli and then Egyptian blockades has left the enclave's 2 million people, particularly its youth, largely jobless and hopeless.

In Gaza, fresh water is unsanitary and the seas are polluted with raw sewage. Power lasts as little as four hours a day while medical care and education are abysmal. Peace seems increasingly far off and, for most Gazans, gaining permission to leave is impossible without solid education or job opportunities abroad.

"The youth really struggle with a lack of prospects and hope of a good life," said recent graduate Anass Jnena, 23. "I have seen friends really weep in silence because they could not get to travel out."

The movement's explicit demand is what Palestinians refer to as their "right of return" - the demand that Israel allow the return of millions of Palestinians whose families left or were forcibly removed from Israel at its founding in 1948. Refugees and their descendants make up more than two-thirds of Gaza's population.

Decades of Israeli leaders have argued that allowing millions of Palestinians to return would diminish the Jewish state's foundational character.

But it was the Trump administration's decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem that became the major motivating factor, according to organizers and participants.

"We felt that the American administration is working against the Palestinians in this issue," said Isam Hammad, 52, the regional manager of a medical equipment company who said he volunteered to help Artema the day he read his Facebook post. "We felt this all the time but not as clear as this."

Despite the march's high ideals, demonstrators have resorted to violence - throwing stones, rolling burning tires and lofting "incendiary kites" to ignite Israeli fields on the other side of the fence.

"I do understand why they throw stones," said Anas Inaina, 25, a project coordinator. "You do not throw flowers when you are just suffocating here."

But human rights groups have faulted Israel for answering rudimentary weapons with live ammunition. The Israeli Defense Forces have said the use of live ammunition was necessary to protect the border.

During the maiden demonstration on March 30, Israeli soldiers killed more than 20 protesters. Videos showed several being shot as they ran away.

Since then, nearly 50 have died and more than 9,500 have been wounded, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health. Several hundred injured protesters were children, according to Save the Children.

No Israelis have been killed or injured.

Keeping the protests peaceful is one of the organizers' principal challenges, particularly reining in desperate young men.

The presence of women and children has also had a calming influence - a novelty for Gaza resistance that Israeli officials have likened to the use of human shields. On Friday, women could be seen cooking and distributing food but also joining men on the front line.

"Women are taking places there and they are also welcome there and participating as equal as men," said Alorjwan Fhurrab, 23, a recent graduate who is unemployed.

When Fhurrab joined the march one Friday in April, she said she was forced to flee when Israeli snipers opened fire.

"I was running as fast as the young men ran!" she said, but added "some young men were telling me to run faster in order for me to be safe."

Organizers and rank-and-file activists hope the movement will remain a peaceful force beyond this week. But they also worry that a violent reaction from Israel could lead to an unmanageable situation - one that would once again push violent groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad to the forefront.

"We believe we will continue," said Ati. "That's one scenario. The other scenario is if the Israelis kill more people, if there's a massacre ... maybe we will go to war."

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Matt Bradley and Charlene Gubash and Wajjeh Abu Zarifa

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'Peaceful human waves' of Palestinians aim to breach fence into Israel

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"What if 200,000 demonstrators came out in a peaceful march and broke into the barbed wire east of Gaza," wrote Ahmed Abu Artema in a Facebook post on Jan. 7. "What can a heavily-armed occupation do to those peaceful human waves?" the 32-year-old Palestinian journalist asked.

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The State encourage the youth to make change through the peace building fund (PBF)

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The State encourage the youth to make change through the peace building fund (PBF)

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The PBF aims to facilitate youth political empowerment by enabling Somali young women and men to meaningfully engage in governance, peacebuilding and reconciliation efforts.
...the youth aspire to having a socially inclusive society in which they feel valued, with opportunities to learn well, find decent work, engage productively in the community, have a voice and establish their own homes in a peaceful environment.

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The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) in conjunction with UNFPA Somalia and UN Habitat Somalia on 19 April 2018 launched the Peace Building Fund (PBF) worth $2 Million. The PBF aims to facilitate youth political empowerment by enabling Somali young women and men to meaningfully engage in governance, peacebuilding and reconciliation efforts.

The launch was attended by high-level figures in Somalia including government ministers, donors and top UN officials.

Minister of Youth and Sports Honorable Khadija Diriye said at the launch that she was pleased with the efforts to include young people in the country's development agenda saying historically, Somali youth were the driving force in establishing the state from colonial rule.

"Thirteen young activists formed the celebrated Somali Youth League in which they protested, lobbied for the rights of the nation and played a key role on Somalia's road to independence in 1960," said Honorable Diriye. She said the freedom fighters did not however have similar opportunities that the PBF is offering.

"The young people today are luckier than in the 1960s because they have more opportunities to prosper. As Somalia enters a new phase of state formation now, many young women and men are eager to be a part of the constructive efforts to rebuild this nation," said Honorable Diriye.

She thanked the United Nations (UN) and donors for their support and keenness to support Somalia's peace building initiative through young people adding that the youth aspire to having a socially inclusive society in which they feel valued, with opportunities to learn well, find decent work, engage productively in the community, have a voice and establish their own homes in a peaceful environment.

"We commit as the Ministry of Youth and Sports to support young people's political participation at all levels," said Honorable Diriye.

Deputy Special Representative for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) Mr. Peter de Clercq hailed the youth in Somalia for their tenacity and pledged strengthened UN support towards youth development and peace building initiatives.

"In some parts of the world you must be courageous to be a young person. Here's to Somali youth for their tenacity and the bright future they are building for Somalia. I am pleased to help launch our UN Peace Building programme on youth political empowerment today," said Mr. de Clercq.

He said the young people represent the future of Somalia and that they need to work on correcting the image of Somalia as one of the most dangerous places on earth.

Mr. Per Karlsson Head of Development Cooperation in the Somalia section of the Swedish Embassy commended the Federal Government of Somalia for adopting the Somalia Youth Policy in December 2017 as part of the efforts to empower the youth in the country.

"The launch of the Peace Building Fund is a very important step in the implementation of the Federal Government's Youth Policy in Somalia. Sweden is one of the major donors to the Peace Building Fund and we share the belief that the launch is a tremendous effort for building a new and peaceful Somalia," said Mr. Karlsson.

UNFPA Somalia Representative Nikolai Botev said Somalia is demographically young, with over two thirds of the population under the age of 25 saying there is great need to invest in them and that the PBF will contribute towards this investment.

"The large number of young people could spur economic growth if harnessed well, or could result in tensions and unrest if young people are left unemployed and disenchanted. Countries with the greatest demographic opportunity for development are those entering a period in which the working-age population has good health, quality education, decent employment and a lower proportion of young dependents. When this happens, the national economic payoff can be substantial," said Mr. Botev.

UN Habitat Country Director for Somalia Mr. Doudou Mbye also highlighted the importance of engaging young women and men in decision-making and creating platforms and mechanisms for their direct participation in peace and state building processes.

"Young women and men are assured that they will be closely involved in the implementation of the PBF as decision makers, equal partners and agents of social change," said Mr. Mbye, adding: "the future of Somalia lies in the hands of the youth. The project activities are designed to empower young women and men to become agents of change and peace through the provision of training, creation of participation platforms and intergenerational dialogue."

The UN Peace Building Fund is currently supporting more than 120 projects in 25 countries by delivering fast, flexible and relevant funding. Since its creation to the end of 2015, PBF has allocated $623 million to 33 countries to help prevent (re)lapse into conflict and sustain peace.

Following a request from the General Assembly and the Security Council, the Secretary-General established a Peace Building Fund (PBF) for post-conflict peace building initiatives in October 2006. The PBF constitutes an essential component of the enhanced UN architecture to provide for a more sustained engagement in support of countries emerging from conflict and will support peace building activities which directly contribute to post-conflict stabilization and strengthen the capacity of governments, national/local institutions and transitional or other relevant authorities.

The PBF in Somalia allows young people to voice their challenges and grievances and raise their potential of inclusion in state and peace building processes through various expressive means. Through the creation of alternative plate forms using art, it promotes and increases their place in the society and provides new type of understanding and relations with other segment of the population, and in particular can bridge the gap with older people.

Art and cultural expression are important tools in promoting interaction amongst communities, expression of views and opinions and for facilitating discussions among and between communities to explore various understandings of peace and conflict and of broader socio-economic issues.

For more information please contact UNFPA Somalia Communications, Partnerships & Donor Relations Specialist Pilirani Semu-Banda on e-mail: semu-banda@unfpa.org

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Somalia launches the Peace Building Fund

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The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) in conjunction with UNFPA Somalia and UN Habitat Somalia on 19 April 2018 launched the Peace Building Fund (PBF) worth $2 Million. The PBF aims to facilitate youth political empowerment by enabling Somali young women and men to meaningfully engage in governance, peacebuilding and reconciliation efforts.

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the vegan venture fund fighting for animal rights

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the vegan venture fund fighting for animal rights

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Global meat substitute market has been expanding recently in many ways. This vegan venture fund is one example which tries to support the trend with the help of animal welfare activists.
https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/apr/06/new-crop-capital-vegetarianism-vegan-animal-rights-agriculture-usda-beyond-meat

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'Get up, Stand Up' - peaceful protest for Peace

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'Get up, Stand Up' - peaceful protest for Peace

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http://jis.gov.jm/august-town-urged-to-get-up-stand-up-for-peace/

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In 2014, Obama argued against military action to solve global conflicts. This meant that he advocated for non-violence approaches to cause change. However, he had said that President Bashar Assad, “must go,” Again, if he believed in diplomacy as the best strategy for social change, it is hard to explain: One may argue that the conflicts in Iraq, Syria among others fit in a concept of use of force. 

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In 2014, Obama argued against military action to solve global conflicts. This meant that he advocated for non-violence approaches to cause change. However, he had said that President Bashar Assad, “must go,” Again, if he believed in diplomacy as the best strategy for social change, it is hard to explain: One may argue that the conflicts in Iraq, Syria among others fit in a concept of use of force. 

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Narice

http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-obama-military-20140429-story.html

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http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/why-the-battle-for-animal-rights-is-a-human-issue-too/

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Gun control's newest activists aren't backing down. But true change will be a long haul

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Gun control's newest activists aren't backing down. But true change will be a long haul

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For a group of high school students in Parkland, Florida, that day was February 14, 2018. Since that day, their presence and their anger, their grief and their message has been a constant force, roaring from every television and social media platform and rally stage.

The ones who came before them -- who turned down this path on April 20, 1999 or December 14, 2012 or any number of dates since -- they know what comes next. Gun control work, like lots of advocacy work, is an ugly, polarizing business. Strangers and enemies will smear your name. They'll cast doubt on your pain. The victories will be hard fought and far between. And in the meantime, the grief still lingers.

But there's something that feels different about Parkland, and gun control activists can sense it. Decades of their work and pain and persistence, combined with the intimacy of modern media and a recent groundswell in activist culture, have allowed Parkland students to stand taller and yell louder than ever.

"Every major movement in the United States, it starts at the state level," 16-year-old Alfonso Calderon told CNN. He was one of about 100 Stoneman Douglas students who piled into buses headed for Tallahassee, their state capital.

"Then we're going to have to apply it to the rest of the country, because this country needs to change, and it needs to happen now."

Hope, a viral notion

Coni Sanders has lived a life marked by gun violence for almost two decades. Her father, Dave Sanders, was a teacher at Columbine High School. He, along with 12 others, died in the 1999 massacre. It wasn't the first shooting at an American school, but it was the first time a school shooting really gripped the country.

"The whole nation stopped. The world stopped," she says. "Everything stopped, and for years it was a focus of attention."

As the school shootings piled up, after Virginia Tech in 2007 and Sandy Hook in 2012, Sanders says, "the grieving became faster and the attention became shorter."

Sanders is now a mental health counselor who works with violent offenders. Her choice of profession isn't an accident. Activism comes in many forms, and while she regularly speaks out about gun control, the real puzzle Sanders was drawn to was how two young men reached a point where they wanted to murder classmates and blow up their school.

When she looks at the Parkland students, she sees hope.

"Things really change at light speed now, and I don't think people can continue to hide from the issue," she says.

When Sanders watched Columbine unfold live on air, the constant and immediate coverage was a fairly new concept. Reality shows hadn't taken hold yet. The age of ultra-sharing that shaped Parkland's youth were years away.

"These kids have grown up on camera and are very comfortable speaking their mind," Sanders says. "I think people are going to get on board with them and stay on board."

If it feels like they are too polished, remember that these teenagers came of age with platforms like Youtube and Vine and Instagram, where they became not only content consumers but content creators. For them, recording their lives, sharing their stories and being "camera ready" is as simple as turning on a phone.

The things no one wants to hear

For the students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, speaking their minds means sometimes saying things people want to hear. Students shocked social media when they started tweeting their anger and outrage before the scene at their school had even been cleared.

When President Trump tweeted his condolences and when some politicians and pundits began to muse about the ineffectiveness of gun control, tweets from Parkland students went viral. But it wasn't just their anger that caught people's attention. It was their sheer, unvarnished grief.

Morgan Williams, one of the most outspoken and influential Parkland students on Twitter, shared heartbreaking thoughts the night of the shooting.

"I cannot stop hearing the sound of the gun as he walked down my hallway. I cannot unsee my classmates who were shot get carried out by police," she wrote. "I cannot unsee the bodies on the floor. Please keep in mind the horror of what we've gone through today."

"The tactic the Parkland students are using right now, they are unapologetically sharing their stories," Sarah Clements says.

Clements was a sophomore at the nearby Newtown High when the Sandy Hook massacre happened in 2012. Her mother taught second grade at Sandy Hook. From the school's entrance, her classroom was the second one in the corridor to the right. When Adam Lanza entered the school that December day, he turned left.

By the time it was over, the country was haunted by 20 little bodies. Slain children are hard to imagine. Clements says it's up to survivor-activists to make it real.

"These kids (in Parkland) are sharing stories about having to walk by their classmates lying in pools of blood," she says. "That is what people need to hear, because that is what mass shootings are. That is what trauma means. I think there's a feeling among survivors that people don't actually know what they're like."

Facing newfound notoriety on social media, Stoneman's student leaders have evolved rapidly with the cause. Cameron Kasky, a 17-year-old junior, now has a verified Twitter account bearing all of the slick marks of a serious activist. And yet, his responses are deeply authentic. He spars with trolls, signal-boosts support and documents the constant work of his fellow students.

"I promise I will stop responding to trolls when it stops amusing me," he told someone concerned about the online abuse he and his classmates were receiving. "Times are hard right now and people like this really keep me going and keep me in the best spirits I can find all things considered."

Parallel moments

The Parkland students' efforts also seem to be aligning with a recent surge of activism. 2017 was the year of the #MeToo movement, the #TimesUp movement, the #TakeAKnee movement, the Women's March, all packaged and hashtagged to be shared and spread, discussed and remixed.

Sanders believes the emergence of these cultural and social movements may have emboldened Parkland's teens.

"Social media is a powerhouse. We see changes in our culture and our belief system can be disseminated quickly," she says. "With things like the #MeToo movement, it caught on. We saw consequences, we saw people stepping forward and saying, 'This also happened to me.'

"That leaves people feeling hopeful, and they are able to spread that hope."

The rocky road ahead

What happens next will not be easy, and only part of that has to do with gun control. Yes, the road to new gun legislation in any form will be a slog. Already, in Alabama and Florida, legislators and officials have put forth proposals to arm teachers and beef up armed security around schools - a method that is a popular answer from gun rights activists and an impotent endeavor in the eyes of gun control activists.

On Tuesday, as survivors from MSDHS looked on, a group of Florida House Republicans voted down a Democratic motion for an assault rifle ban.

The students' visible grief was a subject of ridicule from some far-right figures online. "Adults 1, Kids 0," tweeted a popular talking head. Along with a photo of children weeping, he added, "Worst news since their parents told them to get summer jobs."

It's a small sliver of the abuse and smear campaigns the teens will face - and have faced already.

On Tuesday evening, an aide to Florida state Rep. Shawn Harrison was fired after he sent an email to a reporter calling the Parkland students crisis actors and linking to a YouTube conspiracy video when asked to back up his claims.

In his tweeted apology, the aide, Benjamin Kelly, merely stated that he "tried to inform a reporter," which was "not his responsibility." Kelly also favorited a tweet making fun of a Parkland school survivor, calling her a "brown bald lesbian girl."

Students like David Hogg, one of the teens at the forefront of Stoneman's activist group, are being targeted by fake reports saying he and other students are being coached by the media.

Sanders and Clements know this kind of abuse comes with the territory.

"Not only are (Parkland students) going to be dealing with trauma, they will be experiencing hatred from politicians, and there will be horrible people in the world who will say and do horrible things," Sanders says. Even now, 18 years after Columbine took her father, Sanders recently had to take out a restraining order related to the shooting.

Sandy Hook, too, was a particularly vile crucible for conspiracies, and Clements says she still receives ad hominem attacks calling her a crisis actor.

"The harassment is so frightening," Clements says. "It makes you want to be more behind the scenes, or stop altogether. And you can absolutely stop [public activism]. No one will judge you. But just know these people will always exist."

The great gun debate, disrupted

Meanwhile, gun-rights leaders are sticking to their most reliable arguments: That the solution to school shootings is more armed teachers and enforcement, and that gun control doesn't stop gun violence.

Richard Martinez, who lost his son Christopher in a 2014 mass shooting near UC Santa Barbara, has some advice for Parkland's new activists.

"They should tell these legislators that they know more about mass-shooting drills than the legislators they are talking to," he told CNN's Brooke Baldwin this week.

"When I was growing up, no little kid in America thought about being shot and killed in their school. Today little kids are doing mass-shooting drills and they know why. They know other little kids have been shot and killed in our country. And the gun lobby is going to tell us the solution to gun violence is more guns? It's ridiculous."

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting survivors are keenly aware of their place in this history, and why they may be the ones to finally break through the gun debate.

"I think the difference between us and Sandy Hook is that those kids weren't old enough to speak their experiences and their tragedy," Sofie Whitney told CNN on Tuesday. " But here we are, 100 of us about to go to Tallahassee to talk to our government. We're running the 'Never Again' movement, we're running March For Our Lives, all student led. And I think it's really symbolic that we're doing it because we're the ones who experienced it."

The last mass shooting

It's hard to fathom, but when Columbine happened none of the victims of the Parkland shooting were even born. Cell phones were rare luxuries, and the impact of social media was an incalculable dream.

So much has changed. And yet, the Parkland victims were delivered into a world that that would stay the same until they left it: A world where school shootings are a matter of fact, a reality to live and die by.

Maybe that's why there's so much foresight in the words of Parkland survivors. They know history is watching, waiting; begging the question.

Eighteen years from now, what will their school be remembered for?

"We are going to be the kids you read about in textbooks," Gonzalez said during a speech in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday. "Not because we're going to be another statistic about mass shooting in America, but because... we are going to be the last mass shooting."

The last mass shooting -- that's what Gonzalez and her classmates want their school's legacy to be. There's a lifetime of work to be done, but for now the near future looks promising: A town hall with CNN on Wednesday night, meetings with Tallahassee lawmakers, a walkout or two. They've also organized a nationwide gathering on March 24th, called March for Our Lives. They call their body of work the Never Again Movement.

It's a good name, a memorable one worthy of a generation where social media can foster serious activism, and a hashtag can become a rallying cry. It's a name worth shouting, over and over again, for as long as it takes.

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gun control's newest activists aren't backing down. but true change will be a long haul - cnn

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Gun control's newest activists aren't backing down. But true change will be a long haul

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For a group of high school students in Parkland, Florida, that day was February 14, 2018. Since that day, their presence and their anger, their grief and their message has been a constant force, roaring from every television and social media platform and rally stage.

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On peaceful protests being the norm in America. When the media focuses on the non-peaceful protests, many can have an idea of most protests being so and won’t become a part of a protest. But peaceful protesta can actually change a lot. Some recent examples in the article as well.

https://share.america.gov/peaceful-protests-bring-social-change/

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https://www.plantbasednews.org/post/the-save-movement-a-peaceful-action-for-change

http://thesavemovement.org/

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https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/peace-protests-dallas-response/

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An  coalition group of international activist groups that are rescuing animals.

Last coordinated rescue happened in March this year

https://www.openrescues.com/

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In Adelaide, a large live export ship recently left met by thousands of protestors. The ship left carrying 23,000 sheep and 1,400 cattle bound for the middle-east. Many of the animals will die of thirst on the journey.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-28/live-export-ship-departs-adelaide-for-fremantle/9707184

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“Voluntary poverty is a technical term used in Catholic Worker tradition. It means using and owning as little as possible. The sense of the word ‘poverty’ is that of having little or no wealth or possessions. It is distinct from destitution, which means having less than one needs, and from poverty that is not of one’s choosing. Both the latter are regarded as evils by those who believe in voluntary poverty.”

The article sums up the four top benefits from voluntary poverty as:
1. Economic equality
2. Solidarity
3. Sustainable living
4. Personal freedom

http://wp.catholicworker.org.nz/the-common-good/what-is-voluntary-poverty/

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http://archive.is/AUUgU

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5 peaceful protest creating social change

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5 peaceful protest creating social change

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This article gives a little insight into 5 movements/protests that created social change. A short read but definitely inspiring! https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/peace-protests-dallas-response/

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The First Farm Animal Sanctuary in Baltic states.

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The First Farm Animal Sanctuary in Baltic states.

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"Our mission is not only to give permanent home for rescued animals, but also educate the society: we encourage people to adopt an animal friendly diet and lifestyle. Visitors can get to know our animals, interact with them and get to know their personalities. They learn that each animal is to be respected and loved. Our visitors can also get to know the reality of Lithuanian animal farms’ conditions."

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"Three piglets" is the first farm animal sanctuary in Lithuania and the Baltic states. It is a place where animals rescued from slaughter, farms and bad living conditions get full time care. "Three Piglets" sanctuary is not exploiting animals in any form. Rescued animals live freely, they can interact with their kind and enjoy human attention.

Our mission is not only to give permanent home for rescued animals, but also educate the society: we encourage people to adopt an animal friendly diet and lifestyle. Visitors can get to know our animals, interact with them and get to know their personalities. They learn that each animal is to be respected and loved. Our visitors can also get to know the reality of Lithuanian animal farms' conditions.

"Three Little Pigs" is a nonprofit organization.

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"Three piglets" is the first farm animal sanctuary in Lithuania and the Baltic states. It is a place where animals rescued from slaughter, farms and bad living conditions get full time care. "Three Piglets" sanctuary is not exploiting animals in any form. Rescued animals live freely, they can interact with their kind and enjoy human attention.