" This is one of those pivotal moments in history when we
CAN change the world for the better as we bring wisdom actively to the for and apply it
with diligence and clarity. Let's not go to reaction, dishing out what we have received, but act in a new level of global compassion. This is
the time, we are the people. Our ancestors are rooting for us. May we be the ones who step off the wheel of the never ending action and
reaction." Justine Toms, Sept. 12, 2001
Justine Toms is the cofounder and Executive Director of New Dimensions Radio. For the past twenty-eight years, she has worked with many of the
leading edge thinkers, social innovators, and visionaries of our time. Her strong interest in nontraditional education and innovative learning
techniques has helped to create the natural ambiance and engaging style of "New Dimensions" broadcast programming and cassette tapes. She
serves as Editor-In-Chief of the New Dimensions Newsletter and the New Dimensions Annual Journal, both are national publications based on the
work of New Dimensions Radio, which reaches 30,000 readers nationwide.
Violence is a learned concept. People are not born violent, they are taught violent ways by a
culture that chooses violent means to solve problems. There are so many conflicts in the world that could be
prevented if people would act nonviolently instead of with violence.
For example, the Middle Eastern conflicts between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Prior to
1948, the Israelis and Palestinians shared the same region of the Middle East. After war was used to solve the many
problems they had, it's been nothing but retaliation for retaliation with the Arabs backing the Palestinians and the United States backing
the Israelis. To ever break this chain of violence, there will have to be a just settlement for the Palestinians to have a state of their own.
Another example is conflict in Northern Ireland between the Catholics and Protestants. The actual conflict isn't between the two religions,
it's between England wanting to own Ireland from centuries ago. The Catholics just backed Northern Ireland and the Protestants backed the
English. It has been an eye for an eye during all the centuries of fighting and will continue to be
if they don't find a different way to try to resolve the conflict.
There was also the civil rights acts in the 1960s in the United States. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a major advocate to try to promote non
violence and the same time equality for blacks in the "white world." "The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral,
begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but
you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you
may murder the hater, but you do not murder the hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence
multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate
cannot drive our hate: only love can do that." Martin Luther King, Jr. "...our ancestors are rooting for us. May we be the ones who step off
the wheel of the never ending action and reaction" Justine Toms. If you look back in history you will see war after war, and conflict after
conflict. All this fighting and killing has gotten the world no closer together or any closer to try to establish world peace. Violence just
contributes to more and more violence. If we look back and realize the pattern that our ancestors made for us, maybe we could realize that war
isn't the answer for solving the world's problems.
People can learn how to act nonviolently. A small village in Guatemala was in the middle of the conflicts during their civil war between the
paramilitary and the guerrillas. All the members of the town got together and decided that they didn't want the fighting to take place in
the middle of their town, so they thought up at plan. One night, when the military was planning to attack, the village surrounded the military
barracks and demanded them to leave their town. The military wouldn't, so the villagers stayed surrounding the barracks for several days. After
a while, the military decided to fire at them, so they started shooting. Fourteen people were killed during this, but not a single shot got fired
back. The military decided that the people were too strong and left the village. At the anniversary every year, there is a huge festival in the
town and the military hasn't come back. This is one example how nonviolence broke the pattern of action and reaction.
"The greatest waste in the world is the difference between what we are and what we could become." Ben Herbster. Ben Herbster is looked upon as
a man who inspires and motivates people to do right. If people today look at the many examples in history where change has been made with non
violence and realize how little change has even happen when violence is used, maybe we will start to look for non violent alternatives. If we
imagine what the world could become and choose new ways to solve conflicts, we will be closer to breaking the pattern of action and
reaction.