Why violence doesn’t work

Why violence doesn’t work

Essential article on why non-violence is the only effective long-term strategy for campaign groups – taken from the website of Nonviolence United.

Key points:
Visit www.nonviolenceunited.org/nonviolenceguide.htm for the article in full.

Nonviolence works to win the support of people and society; we want people to join us. Whereas violence has the opposite effect — most people don’t want violence in their lives.

Nonviolence promotes love and compassion; violence promotes hate and fear.

Nonviolence is like a glass of clean water. Even one drop of blood (violence) makes all of the water bloody. Once you bloody the water it takes enormous amounts of clean water without any additional blood to hope to ever again have clean water. And even then, it will never be completely clean.

When you are perceived as part of a movement and you are violent, the movement is perceived as violent regardless of the ratio of violence to Nonviolence.

“I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.” – Mohandas Gandhi

All over the world lasting, positive change is the result not of trillion-dollar armies, but of Nonviolent people power. Why don’t we hear about these remarkable revolutions? The information blackout is no accident. Perhaps we don’t learn about Nonviolent revolution because… it works! Nonviolent people power can change the world. That’s a scary thought for the miniscule minority hanging on for dear life to the helm of power.

Nonviolence can be a way of life. And Nonviolence can be a strategy. But for powerful, long-lasting change, Nonviolence as a way of life is the strategy.

“Violence is a method by which the ruthless few can sudue the passive many. Nonviolence is a means by which the active many can overcome the ruthless few.”

“We are convinced that non-violence is more powerful than violence. We are convinced that non-violence supports you if you have a just and moral cause…If you use violence, you have to sell part of yourself for that violence. Then you are no longer a master of your own struggle.” – Cesar Chavez

Nonviolence groups are often deliberately infiltrated by members of the violent opposition hoping to dismantle the movement. It is often easy to recognize these infiltrators because they will advocate and provoke violence pretending that violence will lead to justice, but knowing it will cause society to turn against the movement. When we practice Nonviolence, we quickly expose our opponents.

Violence is easier, but it makes everyone’s job harder.

An oppressor (whether a government, an industry or an individual) has no power if we don’t give it to them. Stop giving it to them. This is a very basic component of Nonviolence — non-cooperation with the oppressor.

Nonviolence isn’t about winning power over your opponents; it is about attaining a more just society… together. Your fellow humans are not the enemy. The enemy is violence.

It’s only right to be outraged by injustice. Anger provides powerful energy — use it wisely. Transform your anger into creative Nonviolent ways to be active, focused and more effective. This transformation will help you sustain your energy and your hope.

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Ban cruel shark fin products

Westchester County in New York State is currently considering a law which would outlaw the sale of products containing shark fins. If passed, this would be the first legislation of its kind in the United States and could act as a catalyst for a nationwide ban on these cruel products.

Please send a message of encouragement to the officials listed below. If you would like to find out more about the suffering caused to sharks, please see the wikipedia article below.

Please send the message “Shark finning is cruel – please ban shark fin products in Westchester County” to:

Legislator William E. Burton
Chair, Legislation Committee
Send messagefrom:
http://www.westchesterlegislators.com/comments.asp?bolID=9

Legislator Thomas Abinanti
Chair, Environment & Energy Committee
Send message from:

http://www.westchesterlegislators.com/comments.asp?bolID=12

Obscene: A fin cut off the back of a magnificent shark and dried out for eating

About shark fin soup
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark_fin_soup for full article and references.

According to wildlife conservationists, much of the trade in sharks’ fins is derived from fins cut from living sharks; this process is called finning.[14] Because shark meat is worth very little, the finless and often still-living sharks are thrown back into the sea to make room on board the ship for more of the valuable fins.[14] When returned to the ocean, the finless sharks, unable to move, either die from suffocation or are consumed by other sharks or animals.

However, according to Giam Choo Hoo, the longest serving member of the CITES Animals Committee, “The perception that it is common practice to kill sharks for only their fins – and to cut them off whilst the sharks are still alive – is wrong…. The vast majority of fins in the market are taken from sharks after their death.”[15] However, this discounting of an international phenomena is facile, and refuted through extensive examination of fin sourcing and fisheries data as reported by Dr. Shelly Clarke in Ecology Letters The first real-data study of sharks harvested for their valuable fins estimates as few as 26 million and as many as 73 million sharks are killed each year worldwide—three times higher than was reported originally by the United Nations, according to a paper published as the cover story in the October 2006 edition of Ecology Letters.

Finning of living sharks on an industrial scale does occur and has been witnessed and photographed within the protected marine area of Costa Rica’s Cocos Island National Park by the crew of the conservation vessel Ocean Warrior.[16] The practice is featured in the documentary Sharks: Stewards of the Reef which contains footage from W. Australian waters and Central America and also examines the cultural, financial and ecological impacts of shark finning Link.. This incident was also recorded by underwater photographer Richard Merritt who has witnessed finning of living sharks in Indonesia where he saw the immobile finless sharks lying still alive on the sea bed under the fishing boat.[17] Finning has been witnessed and filmed within a protected marine area in the Raja Ampat islands of Indonesia.[18]

Finning is vigorously opposed by animal welfare groups; both on moral grounds and also because it is listed as one of the causes for the rapid decline of global shark populations.[14] On the IUCN red list there are 39 species of elasmobranches (sharks and rays) listed as threatened species (Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable).[19] The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) lists three sharks in Appendix II: the basking shark, the great white shark and the whale shark. Appendix II lists those species that are not in danger of extinction, but which require controls on international trade to maintain their populations. It is estimated that 10–100 million sharks are slaughtered each year for their fins, with a median figure of 38 million.[20] The industry is valued at US$1.2 billion; because of the lucrative profits, there are allegations of links to organized crime.[21][22] They also raise questions on the medical harm from the consumption of high levels of toxic mercury reportedly found in shark fins.

Numbers of some shark species have dropped as much as 80% over the last 50 years.[23] Some organizations claim that shark fishing or bycatch (the unintentional capture of species by other fisheries) is the reason for the decline in the populations of some species and that the market for fins has very little impact – bycatch accounts for an estimated 50% of all sharks taken[14] – others that the market for shark fin soup is the main reason for the decline.[23] Tommy Cheung, the legislator representing Hong Kong’s catering sector, said: “I don’t believe sharks are an endangered species. Some species of shark may be, but not all shark’s fin comes from certain species. There are a lot of species that are plentiful.”[24] Since many countries do not allow shark finning there is no reliable count for the numbers taken in the shark fin trade and thus it is hard to prove the claims on either side of the argument.[14] Sharks are caught for their fins and meat all over the world.

According to Giam’s article, “sharks are caught virtually all parts of the world. Despite the strongly declared objectives of the Fisheries Commission in Brussels, there are very few restrictions on fishing for sharks in European waters. The meat of dogfishes, smoothhounds, catsharks, skates and rays is in high demand by European consumers…The situation in Canada and the United States is similar: the blue shark is sought after as a sport fish while the porbeagle, mako and spiny dogfish are part of the commercial fishery…the truth is this: Sharks will continue to be caught and killed on a wide scale by the more organized and sophisticated fishing nations…targeting shark’s fin soup will not stop this accidental catch. The fins from these catches will be thrown away or turned into animal feed and fertilizers if shark’s fin soup is shunned.”

New laws have been passed to prevent finning; though much of the international waters continue to be unregulated. The United States recently issued a ban on finning, applicable only to U.S.-registered vessels, even in U.S. territorial waters; and shark fins cannot be imported into the USA without entire carcasses. International fishing authorities are in the process of banning shark fishing (and finning) in the Atlantic ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Finning is banned in the Eastern Pacific,[25] but shark fishing and finning continues unabated in the rest of the Pacific and Indian ocean.[14]

Hong Kong Disneyland dropped the dish from its wedding banquet menu after international pressure from environmental groups, who threatened to boycott its parks worldwide despite the high demand for the delicacy in China.[26] The University of Hong Kong has banned shark fin being served on campus.[27] 97% of respondents in the WWF Seafood Awareness survey said if fish species were threatened they would stop eating them (39%) or reduce the amount they ate (58%).[5]

NBA All-Star Yao Ming pledged to stop eating shark fin soup at a news conference on August 2, 2006. Yao’s comments were largely unreported in the Chinese media and drew a reproach from Chinese seafood industry associations. Ironically, one of the items on Yao Ming’s wedding dinner menu was shark fin soup.[7][28] Australian naturalist Steve Irwin was known to walk out of Chinese restaurants if he saw shark fin soup on the menu.[29] US basketball player Tracy McGrady reportedly said that he was impressed by the soup when he tried it for the first time, but was criticized by the Hong Kong branch of the WWF for his remark.[30] The Chinese-American chef, Ken Hom, sees double standards from the West, with little being done to protect stocks of cod and caviar-producing sturgeon while there is outcry over shark-finning, but he also stresses the wastefulness of harvesting only the fins.[2]

On September 15, 2007, Malaysia’s Natural Resources and Environment Ministry Azmi Khalid banned shark’s fin soup from official function menus as commitment to the Malaysian Nature Society (for conservation of sharks species).[31]

Vegan Cooking: Triple Chocolate Cake

If you would like to learn how to make a delicious vegan chocolate cake, watch this 12 minute video. It’s a really simple recipe that anyone can master. Try it out this weekend and treat yourself and your friends and family to this delectable dessert.

Help The Environment & Alleviate World Hunger: Go Vegan!

by Heather Moore
April 18, 2008

If you’re concerned about the environment–and your fellow Earthlings–consider commemorating Earth Day, April 22, by adopting a vegan diet. Doing so will not only help halt global warming; it will also help alleviate world hunger.

Cows, chickens, pigs, and other farmed animals are fed more than 70 percent of the grains grown in the U.S. The world’s cattle alone consume a quantity of food equal to the caloric needs of 8.7 billion people. It is far more efficient and economical to eat grains and soybeans-and all the foods that can be made from them-directly rather than funneling them through farmed animals. A 2002 E Magazine article estimated that the amount of feed needed to produce just one 8-ounce steak would fill 45 to 50 bowls with cooked cereal grains.

Meat production also requires massive amounts of water and land. About 2,500 gallons of water are needed to produce a pound of meat; only 25 gallons are needed to produce a pound of wheat. Food for a vegan can be produced on only 1/6 acre of land, while it takes 3 1/4 acres of land to produce food for a meat-eater.

We can all save the environment and help the hungry-not to mention billions of animals-by going vegan. To learn more, visit www.GoVeg.com.

http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977326869

The right way to eat

A fantastic letter to the editor published today on syracuse.com – Syracuse & Central New York’s leading news website…

Going vegan is healthy and easy choice
Friday, April 18, 2008 By Katie McCafferty

Dani Walters, the writer of “Meat Eater vs. Vegetarian: There’s really no right or wrong,” in the “Voices” section, claims that, “there is no ‘right’ way for people to eat.” This statement illustrates a huge national problem: a large chunk of U.S. citizens do not realize that there is in fact a “right” way to eat.

As a result, the United States has become known as a fast food nation in which obesity rates and obesity related diseases such as diabetes are skyrocketing. For human beings to be an appropriate weight, and have a healthy immune system and abundant energy, they must get all of the necessary vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fiber, proteins and fats.

While the methods of obtaining all of the essentials vary, I know firsthand that going vegetarian makes eating the right foods much easier.

I went vegan when I was 16 years old. A vegan is a person who decides, for whatever reason, to completely take all meat, dairy and eggs out of his or her diet. Now, 15 months later, I look back on this decision as the best I have ever made.

Today, I am more energetic and I get sick less often. And contrary to the implication Walters made in her article, being vegan, even as a growing high school student, is easy.

The Internet provided me with an abundance of recipes and new food ideas to try. Going vegan gave me an interest in what I was eating and allowed me to discover my love for cooking. I also met new friends and kept relationships with old friends intact because I know the most effective way of showing someone that veganism is beneficial is through example, not through nagging.

I do, however, also understand why some vegetarians or vegans would picket outside of fast food restaurants. Walters implies that this type of activism is over the top and too controlling: “People should get to decide for themselves what food they will and will not eat,” she claims.

I agree that people should decide for themselves, but this does not mean that they should abstain from peacefully protesting for a cause they feel passionately about.

Fast food restaurants are notorious for supporting inhumane slaughter of animals, providing their employees with low wages and bad working conditions and selling noxious foods to the public. I struggle to understand why Walters would suggest that protesting such companies is inappropriate.

I am vegan because I feel it is the most environmentally conscious diet choice that also takes animal and human rights into account. I understand that being vegan is not for everyone, but I encourage everyone to give it a try.

Katie McCafferty is a senior at Weedsport High School.

http://www.syracuse.com

Baking without Eggs

Most baked goods that don’t require much leavening and only call for one egg can easily be made without the egg—just add two or three additional tablespoons of liquid to the batter.
To lighten baked goods, try Ener-G’s Egg Replacer or one of the following (equivalent to one egg):

• ¼ Cup applesauce or mashed banana .
• 3 Teaspoons silken tofu blended with the recipe’s liquid ingredients .
• 2 Teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water

More useful information on vegetarian and vegan cooking is available in the Vegan Outreach booklet – Guide to Cruelty-Free Eating
http://www. veganoutreach. org/guide/gce. pdf

Put vegan food on school menus

Educate your principal and the caterers/kitchen manager at your school about the benefits of a vegetarian diet and ask them to include vegetarian and vegan options on the menu every day.

A plant-based diet is not only the most compassionate and environmentally-friendly available but it is the healthiest too.

Why not print out a copy of the Vegan Society’s “Vegan Catering for All” booklet – www.vegansociety.com/images/VeganCateringForAll.pdf – and present it to the people responsible for your school’s menu. Also useful may be vegetarian starter guides which feature simple recipes – a selection of guides can be downloaded from veganfuture.wordpress.com/2008/04/13/vegetarian-starter-kits

Is milk being promoted in your school? If so, highlight the numerous health problems associated with dairy products and suggest that organic soya and rice milk would be smarter choices. Recommended websites are http://www.milksucks.com and http://notmilk.com/

Is your school a vegetarian-friendly establishment? What’s the best vegetarian/vegan school dinner out there? Let us know now!

Download a copy of the Vegan Society’s “Vegan Catering for All” booklet from www.vegansociety.com/images/VeganCateringForAll.pdf. Ideal for schools, colleges, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, etc

Ask your local film club to screen Earthlings

Help educate people about the suffering endured by animals in the world today. Ask you local film club, cinema, library and environmental group to screen Earthlings – the award winning documentary narrated by Joaquin Phoenix.

The Films Committee and Students for Environmental Action at Middle Tennessee State University have organised a free screening of the film this Monday, 14th April at 7pm (see story below). Please follow their good example and ask your local club or society to show Earthlings.

In the wise words of actor Woody Harrelson, Earthlings is “a must see for anyone who cares enough to know”. It can be seen in its entirety for free at http://veg-tv.info/Earthlings and can be purchased on DVD from http://www.isawearthlings.com/buyDVD.html

About Earthlings

Earthlings, the highly acclaimed documentary exposing the mass suffering caused to animals by humans, is now available to view online at http://veg-tv.info/Earthlings

Narrated by Academy Award nominee Joaquin Phoenix and featuring a stirring soundtrack by Moby, this award-winning 90 minute presentation covers everything from factory farms, pet shops and puppy mills to the animals used and abused in the leather & fur trades, the sports industry and the medical profession.

Moving, yet constantly informative and thought-provoking, Earthlings is considered the most comprehensive documentary ever produced on the subject of animals and economic interests. And thanks to footage from hidden cameras, viewers are given an horrifying insight into the shameful practices of some of the world’s largest industries and their reliance on animals for profit.

If you’re thinking of becoming a vegetarian or vegan or have been meaning to join your local animal protection group, watching this film will be an inspiring step in the right direction!

Earthlings took five years to produce. It began as a series of Public Service Announcements on spaying and neutering pets before eventually evolving into a feature-length film on every major animal-related issue. Writer/Director Shaun Monson began by filming at animal shelters but his interest expanded into the abuse of animals by the food industry and medical researchers. After accumulating material from animal welfare organisations, the editing process was underway. Joaquin’s narration was recorded in stages and added to the mix along with the Moby soundtrack.

In 2005, Earthlings premiered at the Artivist Film Festival, where it won best documentary feature. It has also won Best Content Award at the Boston International Film Festival and Best Documentary Film at the San Diego Film Festival. Meanwhile, the project has earned a humanitarian award for Joaquin Phoenix whose involvement helped bring the message to a wider audience.

In the wise words of actor Woody Harrelson, Earthlings is “a must see for anyone who cares enough to know”. If you care enough to know, you can now watch Earthlings it in its entirety for free at:

http://veg-tv.info/Earthlings

It is also available to purchase on DVD from: http://www.isawearthlings.com/buyDVD.html

Other links:
Watch the Earthlings trailer at
http://www.isawearthlings.com/trailer.html

Download the screenplay from
http://www.isawearthlings.com/PDF/Earthlingstranscript.pdf

‘Earthlings’ against animal cruelty
Sidelines Student Newspaper

http://media.www.mtsusidelines.com

By: Daniel Potter
April 10th, 2008

Earthlings, a documentary about the treatment of animals, will screen for free in the Keathley University Center Theater on Monday, April 14, at 7 p.m., courtesy the MTSU Films Committee and Students for Environmental Action.

“It’s about the way animals are treated in society today,” said Kenny Torrella, a sophomore recording industry major and SEA member who lead the push to show the film on campus. “When I first saw it, I knew that I just wanted other people to see it.”

“The whole point is to get people to think of animals not just as commodities,” said Torrella, a self-proclaimed vegan, eschewing all animal products from his diet.

Torrella aims to encourage critical thinking about animal cruelty, and to that end a question-and-answer panel will follow the film, along with free vegan snacks.

The producers of the film gave permission to show it without any charge, and “this shows the absolute selflessness of the makers of Earthlings,” Torrella said.

The film, which is narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, is “tasteful, informative and empowering,” Torrella said, though some aspects of it may discomfort viewers. To deplore violence against animals, one must first acknowledge it.

“It’s not shock value whatsoever,” Torrella said

Danny McClain, a sophomore graphic design major who made fliers for Monday’s showing, said parts of the film may indeed be shocking, but it is geared to “empower [its audience] to do something.”

“It’s not just an animal issue. It’s an everyone issue,” McClain said. “It’s about everything, all in one.”

Reggie Miller, a senior recording industry major and co-chair of SEA, said the showing of Earthlings leads neatly into the organization’s Earth Week activities; Earth Day is April 22, and SEA will mark it with a substantial presence on the KUC Knoll, including demonstrations of alternative transportation, as well as vegetarian dining.

Consuming meat has a considerable environmental impact, including water usage and deforestation, Miller said.

“We’re not saying everyone has to go vegan, but if you can cut down the meat in your diet, it makes a big impact,” Miller said.

Vegan teacher will not be silenced

Art Teacher All Fired Up
NewsBlaze – Folsom,CA,USA
13 April 2008

by Judyth Piazza

Hearings begin Monday April 14 for the middle school art teacher who was fired last September for bringing vegan themes to his art projects.

Dave Warwak, a tenured teacher of 10 years appealed his termination last fall.

Warwak warned the school board, “the more you try to silence me, the louder I will get”

Over 30 witnesses were issued subpoenas, including students, parents, and school board members. Most notably, T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., author of “The China Study” and Nathan Runkle of Mercy for Animals will be offering expert witness testimony on Warwak’s behalf on Thursday as to the benefits of a vegan school lunch and humane education.

The hearing is scheduled to run through the end of the week, 9-5 each day at the town’s village hall. The hearing officer, Barry Simon has closed the hearing to the public. Fearing reporters outside the village hall, Simon warned he will move the proceedings to the school if he sees anyone from the press.

http://newsblaze.com/story/20080412080534tsop.nb/newsblaze/TOPSTORY/Top-Stories.html