Nonviolence is a philosophy that centers on a conscious refusal to enact harm. Thich Nhat Hanh said nonviolence is “love in action.” Martin Luther King Jr. said nonviolence is both external and internal: “You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him.” Cesar Chavez saw nonviolence as a path to organize and change: “Nonviolence is our strength.” Gandhi said, “Nonviolence means avoiding injury to anything on earth in thought, word, or deed.” All these statements recognize the power we carry individually and collectively to honor connection and love in the midst of conflict, change, discrimination, and anger. Nonviolence emphasizes people over policies; it allows us to question the status quo while showing solidarity. It asks us to be our best selves in the face of the worst situations.
The choice is not between violence and nonviolence but between nonviolence and nonexistence.
