To Teach Us the Principles of Nonviolence & De-escalation

Since the 2017 Women's March I've been concerned that those new to activism may not be aware of the potential for altercations at political and social justice rallies. And that both young and old may not be familiar with methods of Nonviolent Resistance practiced by social justice campaigns past and present.

I was concerned when I observed overzealous participants on "our side" exhibit aggressive behavior at rallies. That behavior could have escalated into a physical altercation, but more importantly, it was not in keeping with the agreement of nonviolence and the use of de-escalation required by the organization hosting the event. That's the second reason I created this site.

I believe every one of us can benefit from De-escalation Training and understanding the approach of Nonviolent Resistance - and how it was practiced in America by suffragist Alice Paul, civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. and many others.

When we lost our beloved civil rights legend John Lewis, the media spoke of his life of nonviolent action, but those reports only touched the surface.

For those unfamiliar with nonviolence theory and practice, you can start by reading the articles on the Essential Reading page. The first few were written by a life-long nonviolent activist and they offer clarity about where we find ourselves and how we can prevent our worse nightmare.

You can also go directly to the Nonviolence Theory & Practice page that introduces the concept, gives some history, features articles and an excellent 15-minute training video on De-escalation Techniques.

And finally there's the Training Resources page where you can find downloadable training manuals and guides.

It doesn't matter where you start, as all the resources on this site overlap and complement each other, but it is suggested that you read most of it.

BONUS: New page on Election Security & Irregularities of the Past That Compromised Fair Elections

To Prepare Us for What Might Be Coming

As Michelle Obama stated so clearly on the first night of the 2020 Democratic Convention on August 17, 2020. Looking America directly in the face, Ms. Obama stated empathically:

"If you think things cannot possibly get worse, trust me, they can; and they will if we don't make a change in this election."

She also presented a message of nonviolence but strong resistance:

"...a lot of people have asked me, "When others are going so low, does going high still really work?" My answer: going high is the only thing that works, because when we go low, when we use those same tactics of degrading and dehumanizing others, we just become part of the ugly noise...We degrade ourselves. We degrade the very causes for which we fight.

But let's be clear: going high does not mean putting on a smile and saying nice things when confronted by viciousness and cruelty. Going high means taking the harder path. It means scraping and clawing our way to that mountain top. Going high means standing fierce against hatred while remembering that we are one nation under God, and if we want to survive, we've got to find a way to live together and work together across our differences."

Let's be Michelle. Let's learn these practices together, hold each other up and have each other's back. Let's prepare for nonviolent resistance, yet hope that we are wrong and won't need to mobilize a full-out movement to defend against authoritarianism.

You will likely find what you need on these pages.

If you have questions about any of the resources, please contact the organization or author directly.

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