Nonviolence Manifesto for Peace
Humanity has been taught violence, but at birth, peace was within each person’s heart. When all humanity awakens from the dream and takes their stand for nonviolence we will experience that peace of heart once again.
The world today is at a divide – an interregnum. Between a dying world and a new world trying to be born. It is time to act with nonviolence and boldly bridge the interregnum between the old and the new
There is a season for all things under heaven. A time for war and a time for peace. This is the time for peace. We have followed the path and the breadcrumbs for many years, and now it is the time to manifest the human birthright of peace.
- When we change ourselves, the tendencies in the world also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. We need not wait to see what others do -Gandhi
We are living in a time of a great divide. We must cross a chasm of violence to a new world. A new paradigm and thinking that no longer destroys its lands, soil, trees, people, animals, and perhaps its own very home.
But there is a way forward. Let me share a story, not unlike today’s.
While in prison in 1930, Italian theorist Antonio Gramsci wrote how the public had lost faith in their leaders, but could not visualize how to enlighten, or displace them. “The crisis,” he wrote in perhaps one of his most famous quotes, “the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum, a great variety of morbid symptoms appear.” At that time the ruling class was not ‘leading’ but only ‘dominating. The masses no longer bought into what they were being told, but they did not see or know how to create a bridge to cross over to a better world. They could not vision beyond what they saw. They could not Vision “beyond the [mpossible”
Hi, I’m Steven Monahan an environmentalist, animal welfare activist, and philanthropist.
We believe in nonviolence towards all sentient beings: Humans, companion animals, shelter animals, factory farm animals, and wild animals. We follow the path of Ahimsa the ancient Sanskrit word in Buddhism, Hindu, and Jainism for nonviolence. Ahimsa was taught by Mahatma Gandhi. Living each day with the highest respect for all living things in nonviolence & peace.
It is an illusion and denial of history to continue to think that the threat of violence and use of war will ever bring about peace. Yet for so long, our world has repeated the failed narrative that weapons keep us safe, and that small wars prevent big wars. As wishful and tempting that narrative, it has never worked. It has failed in ancient and modern history. History always shows that War brings War. And that Only Peace Brings Peace.
So what can be the new story to replace Violence? It is the story of Non-Violence. A new story that mankind is capable of resolving conflicts without violence, war, death, and destruction.
A new Story that our imagination, our consciousness, and our minds; not threats of violence are more powerful than any physical weapons and threats of War.
To uphold this new story of higher consciousness and thinking, we need to overcome our own apathy, doubt, and sense of powerlessness as human beings.
Nonviolence is the consciousness force of life itself
Steven Monahan
With a higher consciousness and higher thinking, we must also act. We must live our life fully at the edge, with the highest respect for all living things and the avoidance of violence toward all life. Nonviolence is not appeasement. It is not settling. It is action!
We must not be timid but act fearlessly and decisively to change the world. At times this will bring us to the edge. We must be confident and prepared to go to that edge; jump and create wings on the way down. We have done it before in our lives and we can do it again. We will act as if our souls depend on it ..because, in the end, they will.
We may soon be starting anew from the ashes of the Phoenix. A higher consciousness that no longer destroys its planet; its lands, soil, trees, people, and animals. A mindset that no longer starts violent wars kills millions of people and violently kills 6 billion land animals, and billions of Ocean animals each year.
To reawaken the originally created mindset of peace and nonviolence into our consciousness we must act again as a unified mind and abandon the failed violent experiment of the last decades called Factory Farming, violent Animal shelters, and intensive and destructive agriculture farming can be achieved.
7 Thoughts
Nonviolence Manifesto for Peace
Democracy, peace, and nonviolence can no longer be a spectator sport. Everyone, every day must participate in Democracy to bring an end to violence, and create a World of Peace While at first, we may not be consistently strong to act nonviolently in thought, word, and deed we can keep nonviolence as our goal and make progress towards it daily.
1 -We must teach a “Nonviolence Curriculum” in every University, Public, and Private school in America. Nonviolence is a tactical, intelligently force. Like all forces of Nature, it must be known before it can be harnessed and guided. The curriculum strategy should never be taught that nonviolence is reactive, passive, or weak. Strategy starts with a Vision, Harnessed to a Burning Desire, then created with a Plan and executed by the strategy of tactics.
2 -Incorporate nonviolence into our Constitution. Have the knowledge and practice of nonviolence written into our National State and Local Legislation.
3 -We must remove violence from the way we nourish ourselves. Understanding that the food we consume, and how it was treated in life, and in death becomes who we are. And, what we feed our bodies also feeds our souls. Do not follow the crowd. Eat vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based eating. End the violence and barbaric killing of all animals in factory farming and factory agriculture. We must not be timid but act fearlessly and decisively to revitalize our planet and endangered animal species and our companion animals. Upset the norm to end the violence and euthanizations of millions of shelter animals each year.
4 -Live in the real, not the virtual world. Practice daily mindfulness, yoga, or prayer on nonviolence and peace. Do so and you will live in Awe and Wonder each moment. As said by Gandhi, Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. Live with a mind of nonviolence, peace, and happiness in what you think, what you say. Learn and teach INTENTIONAL LIVING. Live an intentional and creative life of love and nonviolence towards humanity, animals, and the Planet. Be happy intentionally. Remember that happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. Salto mortale; Be fearless, take risks. Freedom is not free. Ignore the fear and leap into the void. You will never be 100% ready. Take the risk and do it anyway. When all humanity stands up for nonviolence, we shall have Peace on earth. Peace is born in each person’s heart. It is your birthright.
5 -We must all become intelligent and brave leaders, not followers. Don’t leave democracy and your life and freedom to chance, or politicians or business leader. Start with yourself, only then can you lead others. You’ve been given a mile of freedom. Don’t take only an inch. Be curious, read daily, and develop a higher consciousness and higher thinking.
- Democracy can no longer be a spectator sport. Everyone, every day must participate fully in Democracy to bring an end to violence, and tyranny and build a world of peace.
We must lead with our hearts and our heads. Then others of a like mind will follow you. You must live your life fully with the highest values, beliefs, and respect for all living things.
6 -Remember that there is a season for all things under heaven. A time for war and a time for peace. This is the time for courage and for peace. We have followed the path and the breadcrumbs for many years, and now it is the time to reap the harvest of peace and prosperity. Together we can cross over to a kinder, more conscious, nonviolent, and vibrant world of green forests, clear waters, and blue skies. A world where all sentient beings live together as one.
7 -There are two ways to live. You must choose one. Live Hopeful or live Fearfully. I chose Hopeful. I see people who are manifesting a bridge to a new world. People who are bridging today’s interregnum. Working each day to build a world of peace, nonviolence, and peace for all humanity, animals, and our planet.
One can think of nonviolence as the formless force of TAOISM. Nonviolence resistance is the Tao story of the perceived mighty inflexible Oak Tree and the weaker flexible Palm Tree. Both are facing the hurricane’s winds of change. The mighty Oak is inflexible and therefore breaks with the strong wind. The supple Palm Tree flexes for the moment to the violent winds, then bounces back up and lives. The Palm Tree that allows the winds to blow upon it and temporarily bend it straightens back up and lives another day. The perceived stronger Oak Tree is broken, withers, and dies.