Alternatives to Violence Course
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Major point Major point
A major cause of global violence is the unfair distribution of world resources.
to remember. to remember.

1. What is an example of global violence?

Have you thought of the following examples?
  • Ecological Destruction
  • Disease
  • Poverty
  • Economic Exploitation
  • Drug Trafficking
  • Discrimination and Exclusion
  • Military tensions and War. 

Let's listen to an article by John Looney to focus our attention on the causes of these global problems. 

Nonviolence Skills Applied to Global Problems

"So the prerequisites for a nonviolent globe really are the same as for a nonviolent community. But because of language, cultural and other barriers, the challenges to overcome existing global violence are greater. Still, the principles, skills, techniques, strategies, philosophy and value system required to solve global problems are no different as you will see in this session."
Nonviolent Skills Applied to Global Problems
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After World War II the term "human rights" was looked at closely. The United Nations was developed as an institution to examine, negotiate, and advocate human rights. Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt led a committee that wrote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ratified on December 10, 1948. These thirty articles have been elaborated in subsequent international treaties and became international law in 1976. Let's watch a speech by Eleanor Roosevelt and see a slide show about the United Nations. 

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By the end of the twentieth century, the term "globalization" was a common concept. But according to the Merriam Webster Dictionary this noun began in 1951 to mean development of an increasingly global economy marked by free trade, free flow of capital and tapping of cheaper foreign labor markets. 

"What is Your Role in the Global Village"
"Enough of us starting to live more simply would enable many others around the globe to simply live!...

The economic and environmental forces in conflict over the use of land and resources also need badly to understand and use the principles and skills of win-win conflict resolution."
What is Your Role in the Global Village (full article)
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It seems that the distribution of resources and ecological/ environmental problems are intertwined.

On Simple Living
"Taking Charge": How you live can make a difference.

On Simple Living by Alternatives to Violence
If the world were a global village of 100 people, one-third of them would be rich or of moderate income, two-thirds would be poor. Of the 100 residents, 47 would be unable to read, and only one would have a college education. About 35 would be suffering from hunger and malnutrition, at least half would be homeless or living in substandard housing. 

If the world were a global village of 100 people, 6 of them would be Americans. These 6 would have over a third of the village's income and the other 94 would subsist on the other two-thirds. How could the wealthy 6 live "in peace" with their neighbors? Surely they would be driven to arm themselves against the other 94 -perhaps even to spend, as Americans do, about twice as much per person on military defense as the total income of two-thirds of the villagers. 

This passage and the following queries should cause us to reflect on our role in the world and challenge our value systems. There is an attempt to give understanding and responsibility to each reader with the comparison to a "global village" to 100 residents. Then, we are asked to take this comparison and reflect on our own impact on the world.
Readings on Simple Living are from TAKING CHARGE, pp. 68-69, published by the American Friends Service Committee, 1978.
Revised March 2013



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Even though this article is from 1978, the ratios cited have not changed much.

More on Simple Living

More on Simple Living by Alternatives to Violence
What does it mean to live in the overdeveloped section of a maldeveloped world, as the authors and most of the likely readers of this book do? To us, it means we are surrounded by a gigantic machinery of production and consumption which is set up to keep going an growing at all costs. It means that we are caught up in this machinery in a multitude of ways, more than we even realize. It means that we are the objects of continued and many-leveled pressures aimed at keeping us plugged into this machinery as workers and consumers. Among these pressures are advertising, the credit system and transformation of gift-giving into “gifting”. Let’s look more closely at these pressures and the people who benefit from them.
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We are asked to evaluate the purpose of consumerism and effects it has on the mindset and choices of individuals within a culture. Through answering the queries, we should be encouraged to move beyond consumerism to think of alternative lifestyle choices based more on "simple living" concepts.  
Readings on Simple Living are from TAKING CHARGE, pp. 32-33, published by the American Friends Service Committee, 1978. 
Revised March 2013           

Let's end this session with "Conflict Resolution on Three Levels"

Sessions 1-6 examined essential skills for personal conflict resolution. Session 8 compared two levels of conflict resolution, how personal skills can become group actions to work toward community even national solutions. Now we compare three levels on conflict resolution. The slides show how personal skills can become large group actions to solve global problems. 

*Personal and Global Conflict Resolution is displayed below. A full chart, including the community level, is available to download. 

Conflict Resolution on Three Levels (Full Chart)
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Review and Reflect

Major point to remember:

A major cause of global violence is the unfair distribution of world resources.

To Reflect: Optional Activities
Materials located on the "Extra" page for applications #1 & #2

#1: Analyze at least two Case Studies: 14A, 16B, 18B, 18C
#2: Movie Assignment: View "Legacy of Rachel Carson" and answer the corresponding questions
#3: Application:

There is such a large gap between the privileged and the impoverished in this world. When daily comforts become routine, it is easy to forget that most do not live with these same luxuries. The following article is a mind-opener, a reminder, and a blunt reality check.

“I was flipping ahead through my Alternatives to Violence Workbook when I found this article. I was immediately humbled and overcome with appreciation for the many blessing in my life. I was then compelled to share it with everyone I knew, hoping that I could bring them out of their world for even just a moment.” -Elizabeth Rose

Read it, share it, and discuss it; may you, or another, be inspired to take action.

On Simple Living Download
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