Angela Davis has inspired many, from those who are veterans in organizing a movement to those who do not know where to start. Join this two-week book discussion to learn and discuss themes from her book, Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement. This will take place via Zoom on October 19th and 26th, 2021 at 5:30 PM Eastern Standard time. Click here for start time in your time zone.

 This event is a two-week Book Club series. You are not required to attend all sessions. The first session will cover the first half of the book, and the second session will cover the second half of the book. It is encouraged you at least read half of the book before attending the first session; you can read as much of the book as you would like in advance or during the series! Facilitators will bring select passages-- please come join the conversation! 

Facilitation will be provided by Annabell Knapp (On Earth Peace's Palestine Justice Organizer), Marilyne Njuraita (OEP's Prison Justice Organizer), and Tamera Shaw (OEP's Organizing Fellow).

This book places major emphasis on the connections between justice areas, including the Ferguson Uprising; the globalized nature of security and surveillance tactics being used by governments; the prison industrial complex; and transnational solidarity among peoples' movements. The fight that black and brown communities have with police forces in the United States is parallel with the fight the Palestinians have with the Israeli military. This book is about forming a wide coalition of movements to challenge systemic racism and build equity and inclusion.

Familiar to many, Angela Davis is an American political scientist most well known for her participation in the Black Panther Party. Davis gained attention originally as a Marxist, previously a long-time member of the Communist Party in America. In 1970 she became third woman on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitive list.  Davis has decades of experience as a practitioner in racial, economic, and Palestinian justice, and has much wisdom to offer. 

Dates: Tuesdays, October 19 & 26, 2021 

Times: 5:30-6:30 PM Eastern

After you RSVP for this event, you will receive an email with the zoom link and links to either purchase a paperback or view a PDF copy of the book we will be reading. 

Facilitators: 

Annabell Knapp 

Annabell is On Earth Peace's Palestine Justice Organizer. Annabell graduated in May 2021 with a dual-degree in History & Political Science and Global Studies. Annabell just moved to London to pursue a Master's degree focused on Politics, Development, and the Global South. 

Marilyne Njuraita 

Marilyne Njuraita is On Earth Peace's Prison Justice Organizer. Marilyne is originally from Texas and is now attending Howard University in Washington, D.C. pursuing a degree in Sociology. 

Tamera Shaw 

Tamera Shaw is On Earth Peace's Organizing Fellow. She recently graduated from the University of Rochester with a double major in African and African American Studies and Psychology. Tamera is now working towards her goal of pursuing social psychology as an advanced degree, and is employed in Washington, D.C.

Beloved members* of On Earth Peace, Greetings! 

You are invited to join us for a meeting of our members to make long overdue updates to the Bylaws for On Earth Peace. These changes include updating language to better reflect our new Co-Chair model and new board size (12), as well as adding our new Mission and Vision statements to Section 1. In order to make these changes, we need 30 of you to join us on a zoom call. 

To view the changes proposed to the Bylaws in preparation for our meeting, please visit [coming soon].

Date: Sunday, November 21st 

Time: 8:00pmET

Click here for the start time in your time zone

*Members are currently defined in our Bylaws as, "Any person who intellectually and spiritually supports the purpose of On Earth Peace Assembly, Inc. shall be a member of the corporation if a financial contribution has been made at any time within the previous two (2) years."

"Structures of evil do not crumble by passive waiting. If history teaches anything, it is that evil is recalcitrant and determined, and never voluntarily relinquishes its hold short of an almost fanatical resistance. Evil must be attacked by a counteracting persistence, by the day-to-day assault of the battering rams of justice." – Martin Luther King, Jr., in his 1968 book "Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?"

Isn’t it cognitive dissonance for a nonviolence practitioner like Dr. King to preach about the need for battering rams?  Kingian Nonviolence is a philosophy of engaged action based in values like Beloved Community and attacking problems not people, and using tools like conflict analysis, dialectical thinking, and strategic campaigns, to help practitioners become grounded, hopeful individuals and build powerful efforts for a reconciled world. . . to become nonviolent battering rams.   

In December 2020, twenty-nine people completed the coursework component of On Earth Peace’s Level One Certification in Kingian Nonviolence. This spring they can earn their certification through twenty hours of practice teaching. We asked three of our cohort members to reflect on Kingian Nonviolence as a resource for today’s conflicts and problems. All three shared their reflections in a Martin Luther King Day program convened by On Earth Peace on January 18, with participants from the US, UK, the Philippines and India.

Read on for reflections from:  

• Dwight Dunston, co-founder and teaching artist, City Love, a West Philly-based social justice music and education group (Philadelphia, PA)
• Katie Shaw Thompson, pastor, Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren (Elgin, IL)
• Thomas Dowdy, pastor, Imperial Heights Church of the Brethren (Los Angeles, CA) 

It was great to visit with folks in the adult education hour at University Baptist and Brethren Church in State College, PA, this weekend. We shared about their work for peace and justice, On Earth Peace's current program opportunities, and the Kingian Nonviolence framework. If you would like to schedule an OEP Program Update or Kingian Nonviolence intro session for your congregation, please contact [email protected]!  - Matt Guynn, director of church and community organizing  

Thank you for your interest in Kingian Nonviolence.

If required, enter your email below.

Then select "Send me the handout," and you'll receive a copy of On Earth Peace's handout, "Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Approach to Nonviolence."