[Grovenet] Fwd: September 11th IS A Choice -- Choosing the Path of Non-Violence

[Meredith Bliss]

The [Seattle] Buddhist Peace Fellowship requests that you consider 
participating in events that commemorate the tragedies of September 11, 2001 
and honor the birth of Satyagraha, Gandhi's strategy of nonviolent 
resistance, begun 100 years ago on September 11, 1906.  

<snip>

September 11 Has Two Anniversaries

September 11, 2001 will forever be remembered as a day of great tragedy.
When we recall the attacks on our country and the loss of life, the
hurt, grief, and questioning are deep - who could want to do such a
thing?  Compounding the tragedy, our country chose to react with
retaliation, revenge, and violence.  We chose the path of violence and
today we see the consequences.  We have created enemies of whole
peoples, we labeled them "terrorists", and we vowed to destroy them. We
have lost the respect of our allies. We have made our world more violent
and less secure; our freedom and civil liberties are curtailed at home;
our values of justice and equity have been eroded.

It doesn't have to be that way.  There is another September 11th to
remember as an expression of love and determination, as a day of peace.

September 11, 1906 a small Indian man held a meeting in Johannesburg,
South Africa of nearly 3,000 Indian business men and community leaders
to frame how they would respond to a racist, apartheid state that would
deny them the most basic freedoms, justice, and dignity. Mohandas Gandhi
organized this gathering and outlined a strategy of nonviolent
resistance. He called the movement "Satyagraha" - literally holding
truth/love (satya) with firmness and determination (graha).  He asked
the audience to take a pledge of nonviolence, but cautioned them not to
take this pledge lightly, warning that the consequences of nonviolence
and resistance could be beatings, loss of homes and businesses, jail,
and even death. Virtually all who attended stood and took the pledge.

Thus September 11 is symbolic of a basic choice that we all must face:
Do we respond to deep hurt and challenge with a practice of revenge and
violence? Or, do we choose a practice of nonviolence and determination
not to give up our inherent humanity?  Each path has its consequences.
And, it's a path we choose everyday, not just on September 11.

We express our choice in the way we deal with problems at work, in the
way we respond to our family, and in the way we provide for the security
of our communities and our nation.

Let us use the period from September 11th to September 21st (the United
Nations' International Day of Peace) to reflect on this fundamental
choice. Let's make a special effort

*  to deepen our understanding of the practical and spiritual
consequences of violence and nonviolence,

*  to learn more about how nonviolent strategies have brought about
constructive change throughout our history,

*  to improve our skills in peacemaking, nonviolent communication, and
reconciliation,

*  to help our family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors choose a path
of nonviolence, and, like those at the meeting in Johannesburg one
hundred years ago,

*   to make a personal Satyagraha pledge for nonviolence.


*  We are Building a Special Website for "September 11th IS a
Choice" -The Seattle Center for Peace website )
will be dedicated to providing information about "September 11th IS a
Choice".  There will be listings of community events and resources that
may help you in honoring both September 11th and the International Day
of Peace.

The Satyagraha Pledge of Nonviolence

o  I choose to break the cycle of violence.

o  I will seek to resolve my own conflicts without violence; and

o  I will encourage nonviolent responses to conflict by my neighbors, 
governments, and civilians worldwide.

</snip>

more information:
http://www.seattlecenterforpeace.org

----------------------------------------
Just happy to be here, but speaking 
only for myself!
Meredith Bliss --- www.rdrop.com/~mbliss
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