Dear friend, 

Over the years, many of us have explored the greatest calling of nonviolence, which is not just the strategy, but as a way of being in the world. We have wrestled with questions of fear, displacement, identity, trauma, justice, courage, healing, resistance, and what it means to remain human in times that continually pull us toward division and despair.

For me personally, this long journey has also led me deeper into the teachings of a man named Jesus (not as a religious figure) but into his teachings in the time of his life, living under the empire and occupation. In that, I discovered the Beatitudes not simply as religious ideas, but as an invitation to inner transformation and to a different way of living and seeing. That led me to write my book The Sacred Awakening: Reclaiming Christ Consciousness.

This October (10-21), I will be joined by other amazing people, including Palestinian Artivist Rawan Roshni, in guiding a 10-day journey in Palestine called The Sacred Awakening Pilgrimage. This is not a typical tour or traditional pilgrimage. It is an invitation into a deeper inner journey through the teachings of Jesus, the Beatitudes, contemplative practice, community encounters, solidarity, reflection, and the living reality of this land and its people.

The journey is rooted in many of the same questions that have shaped my own work for decades:

• How do we break cycles of fear and domination?
• What does transformation actually require of us?
• What does it mean to embody love, truth, courage, and nonviolence in a fractured world?
• How do we stand in resistance and resistance to empires from a different energy than what we receive from them?

Together we will move through Bethlehem, the desert, the Galilee, Jerusalem, and other spaces, not simply to visit historical sites, but to engage them as mirrors for our own lives, consciousness, and calling.


This experience is definitely open to you or maybe someone you know, to people from all backgrounds, whether religious, spiritual, questioning, active in resistance, or simply seeking a deeper way of living.

If this speaks to you, I invite you to learn more here and sign up for a Q&A taking place on June 6th, at 10AM ET, 5PM Palestine time.

With peace & gratitude,
Sami Awad
NVI Co-Director

P.S. NVI will also be participating in the upcoming Resistance Studies Conference at UMass Amherst on June 18-21. I will be speaking on Palestine alongside activists that will address other occupied territories around the world. If you’ll be attending, the NVI team would love to know and get to connect with you there.

Dear Friends,

From March 20 to 23, NVI Co-Directors, Michael Beer, Sami Awad, and board member Mohammed Abunimer, joined the Nuestra América Delegation to Cuba as part of a much larger international convoy of more than 600 people from around the world. We came as activists, artists, influencers, faith leaders, and community organizers, united by a simple conviction: the Cuban people should not be left alone under an embargo that continues to punish ordinary life.

The delegation was supported by CODEPINK, Progressive International, Global Health Partners, and Busboys and Poets, alongside a wider network that included The People’s Forum, Cuban Americans for Cuba, and Global Exchange.

It was our first time in Cuba! What we witnessed was not theoretical, was not news reports, was not propaganda. 

Havana looks like a movie set from the 1950s! The cars and buildings are stunning -- but so run down. During our time there, Cuba continued to experience major electrical outages, part of a broader energy crisis that has left entire neighborhoods in darkness and placed immense strain on daily life. The blackouts are tied to the suffocating impact of the U.S. embargo, including restrictions on oil and essential resources.

In Cuba, this is not an abstract policy debate. It means hospitals under pressure, food and medicine at risk, transportation disrupted, garbage piled in streets, markets shut, restaurants closed, and families forced to survive with less and less.

And yet what we encountered was not defeatism. It was resilience. Generosity. Dignity.

People gathered in the dark. They shared what they had. They played music and sang in the streets. We played spirited mixed-gender ultimate with them (with donated frisbees that Michael brought). That spirit stays with us.

For those of us Palestinians, this was deeply personal. We met with and were inspired by Cuban students and others from around the world including Palestinians. We know what it means to live under systems designed to isolate, weaken, and break a people. We know what it feels like when your suffering is discussed from a distance while you are still living inside it. In Cuba, we recognized something painfully familiar: a people being made to pay the price for refusing to submit.

That is why this trip was not only a solidarity visit with medical relief and aid but also an act of nonviolent defiance.

This said, the convoy defied the embargo and carried real material support. Around 20 tons of aid were delivered, including food, medicine, solar panels, and bicycles. The delegation we were part of brought thousands of pounds of medical supplies and over a hundred suitcases and boxes of humanitarian aid, all going directly to hospitals and health workers facing severe shortages.

After we returned, the delegation faced attacks and accusations meant to discredit the trip and turn solidarity into suspicion. We reject that. People can debate politics from afar, but we know what we saw. The US has no problem engaging and trading with the communist parties of Vietnam, China, Nepal, and Laos. We saw a country under enormous pressure. We saw communities enduring blackouts and shortages. We saw doctors, families, churches, and neighbors doing their best to hold life together. And we saw hundreds of people from across the world choosing not to look away.

The embargo is not just policy, it is collective punishment.

What we carried back from Cuba was more than memory, it was clarity.

The Palestine and Cuba siege are connected, and so must be our response.

What can you do?

• Learn. Stay informed. Support organizations like the ones mentioned above.
• Refuse the narratives that justify collective punishment and oppose US unilateral sanctions on Palestine, Cuba and many other countries.
• Use your voice—in your communities, your platforms, your spaces.
• And find ways—big or small—to stand in real solidarity, including joining future delegations. Visit CUBA!

With Nonviolent Defiance,
Mohammed Abunimer, Michael Beer & Sami Awad

P.S. Please remember to attend our round table Field Testing Israeli Occupation Tech: The Palestine Lab on Sunday, April 19, 2026 3pm ET and see films in advance. This Round Table centers the human impact of this experimentation, examining how Palestinian lives are used as testing grounds for weapons, AI platforms, and policing tactics later exported worldwide. Join the Q&A discussion with: Omar Zahzah, Jeff Halper, Antony Loewenstein, Hassan El-Tayyab

You must register to join the discussion & receive access to the films 

Dear friends,

Dear Friends,

The Middle East (West Asia), and the world, are facing deeply dangerous moments. 

The recent war by the United States and Israel on Iran has pushed an already fragile region closer to a wider and potentially devastating war. In moments like this, it can feel as though the machinery of violence moves unchecked, while ordinary people and civil society are left watching helplessly.

But history reminds us that this is precisely when our voices matter most.

Civil society has always carried a sacred responsibility in times of crisis: to speak when others are silent, to insist on humanity when violence dominates the headlines, and to remind the world that another path, embedded in nonviolence, is still possible.

A coalition of organizations is therefore launching an urgent international petition calling for immediate de-escalation, restraint, ceasefire and diplomacy instead of further militarization.

In the midst of despair, this is our moment to act together.

We invite NGOs, human rights organizations, faith communities, peace networks, and civil society groups to add their voices, to affirm that the expansion of the war is not inevitable.

Please sign your organization’s name to the appeal here by Tuesday, 10 March 2026.

This petition recognizes and encourages governments that have shown restraint, while urging all parties to step back from the brink and pursue diplomacy, accountability, and international law. But signing the petition is only the beginning.

At this critical time, we also encourage you to:

• Contact your government representatives and urge them to support immediate de-escalation and ceasefire efforts.
  • Share this appeal with partner organizations and networks so that more civil society groups can join.
  • Speak publicly for peace and for the protection of civilians across the region.

There are moments in history when the future feels uncertain and dark. Yet those same moments have often become the turning points when ordinary people and courageous organizations refused to accept that violence was inevitable.

We cannot control the decisions of governments or armies. But we can ensure that the voice of humanity, justice, and nonviolence is heard clearly across the world. Hope is not passive. It is something we practice together.

Let us take up that responsibility now.
Feel free to reach us at [email protected] or +1-202-244-0951.

In solidarity,

Nonviolence International

Dear friend,

This year we invite you to re-read Dr. King’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, (or you can watch it on here).

“I conclude that this award which I receive on behalf of that movement is a profound recognition that nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral question of our time – the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression…. we will know that we are living in the creative turmoil of a genuine civilization struggling to be born…I refuse to accept the cynical notion that nation after nation must spiral down a militaristic stairway into the hell of thermonuclear destruction. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.” 

Despite making much progress in alleviating racism, sexism and reducing global poverty, we see violence and injustice growing in wars and occupations that destroy civilian life, in places like Palestine, Sudan, Western Sahara, Burma, Ukraine, Uganda, and the Congo. The world has surpassed 100 million refugees, as militarism and war have accelerated.

We see governments across the world suppress dissent and weaken human rights in the name of “security.” Racialized police violence continues. Mass incarceration that destroys communities. Economic inequality is growing while basic needs go unmet. Voting rights are under attack. Protest is criminalized. Migrants are treated as threats rather than human beings.

In the United States, the home of Dr. King, the US government is abetting genocide, attacking constitutional and international laws and institutions, and throwing the world over the cliff into climate chaos, all for the sake of transferring vast wealth and power to the few.

Nonviolence International exists because we refuse to accept this as normal.

Nonviolence is harder than violence. We are not going to kill or threaten our way to a just and sustainable future. We must use persuasion, nonviolent coercion, the rule of law, global cooperation and governance in order to survive and thrive. And we must bring on board the huge segments of humanity who succumb to greed and cruelty and elect abusive leaders out of fear or coercion.

Nonviolence is a way of resisting violence without becoming it.
It is organized, courageous, and disciplined. It is about telling the truth, confronting power, and standing with those who are most impacted.

Dr. King understood that nonviolence demands commitment. It demands action. And it demands a willingness to be uncomfortable for the sake of justice.

Following Dr. King’s example, we ask you to write or video record your own speech on nonviolence! You can write for the world, but we ask that you do it to your kids, your community, and/or your country and in your native language.

We will help you publish it on our website or tag / collaborate us on Instagram and Facebook!

The arc of the moral universe does not bend by itself. It bends when people choose to act.

Thank you for walking this path with us, today and every day.

In solidarity,
Michael Beer & Sami Awad, Co-Directors

P.S. Register for our upcoming webinar: Beyond Political Illusions: What This Moment Demands of Us, on Jan 21, at 10AM ET / 5PM Jerusalem time. We will have a powerful panel, including Jonathan Kuttab, Huwaida Arraf, and Jeff Halper.

Dear friends,

I am writing to you from Bethlehem, a place many associate, especially this time of year, with hope, good tidings, and comfort. If you are expecting that kind of message from me today, this is not quite it.

Santa Klaus, often mistaken for me, in a Christmas nonviolent protest against illegal Jewish settlement expansion in 2014.

What Bethlehem offers today is not reassurance, but clarity. People here are celebrating not because the “war in Gaza” is over or we are ignoring our reality but because it is what we have left in our resilience. 

You need to know that from Bethlehem to Gaza, from the West Bank to Palestinian communities everywhere, we continue to witness the steady devaluation of our life. At times it erupts with devastating intensity, as we see now in Gaza. At other times it unfolds more quietly, in ways that are easier to ignore. But it follows the same trajectory.

Let us be honest: If Jesus were alive today, he would likely not be celebrating his birth in the ways we have grown accustomed to. He would not be participating in rituals that allow us to feel at peace while others live under siege, displacement, and violence. He would be standing with those under attack, challenging leaders who use sacred language to avoid moral responsibility, and calling for action that costs something.

Hope, when it is not accompanied by action, has become something Palestinians cannot afford.

What continues to happen in Gaza is not happening in isolation. It is the most extreme expression of long-standing political choices, sustained impunity, and a global willingness to tolerate Palestinian suffering. This will not change simply because we are moved or disturbed. It will change when enough people refuse silence, refuse normalization, and insist on accountability.

At Nonviolence International, we work to apply pressure, support nonviolent resistance, and stand with communities insisting that Palestinian life has value. But nonviolence is not symbolic. It requires participation.

This is where you come in. Act now:

• Demand an immediate and real ceasefire, the complete lifting of the siege, and the right of Palestinians to self-determination (along with all other occupied peoples).
• Pressure decision-makers — call, write, organize, to stop our taxes, governments, and corporations from supporting malign domination here and everywhere.
• Support nonviolent frontline work — protective presence, documentation, and community defense rely on real support, including your donations.
• Refuse normalization — do not accept Israeli occupation, mass displacement, starvation, or mass killing as inevitable or “too complex.” Join the divestment and boycott efforts where you live.

 This is not a message meant to inspire false comfort.

It is a message meant to invite responsibility. To work for that day when we all, no matter how we identify ourselves, celebrate real peace, equality and freedom for all. 

From Bethlehem, we are asking you to give birth to renewed action.

In solidarity,
Sami Awad
Co-Director

P.S. If you want to help and still don’t know where to start, please increase your annual or monthly donation to NVI, and/or donations to support our partners. And as bad as things are in Bethlehem, please don't forget Gaza.

Nonviolence International
https://www.nonviolenceinternational.net/

Dear friends,

As we honor Human Rights Day, we recall Dr. King's statement that humanity MUST choose between nonviolence or nonexistence. We need to build global movements that use the tools and values of nonviolence now more than ever. 

Below are 17 leading groups that inspire, train or mobilize nonviolent resistance and social change. Most work multi-nationally and across multiple social movements. Given the rise of dictatorship in the US, this year we are emphasizing US groups. Please consider becoming a consistent donor and ask yourself if you can devote 1% of your income to the global nonviolence movement. Please also contact or visit them and see how you can volunteer.

The groups are listed in no particular order.

Backbone Campaign - 150 Solidarity Brigades nationwide doing overpass banner actions almost weekly, along with light projections and other artful activism. They deployed giant We the People banners to major cities for the No Kings marches. 

Africans Rising - envisions Africa-wide activism, solidarity and unity and that the Peoples of Africa will build the future they want, with a right to justice, peace, dignity and shared prosperity.

Nonviolent Peace Force - Does unarmed civilian protection in Ukraine, Sudan, Philippines, and performs much training in conflict de-escalation. 

CANVAS - with an HQ in Belgrade, Serbia, they operate a network of international trainers and consultants with expertise in building and running successful nonviolent movements. They work to build a more just, democratic, and responsible society.” Srda Popovich and Slobodan Djinovic are brilliant people-power coaches.

DC Peace Team - Provides some of the best and most affordable and frequent online trainings. Led by Eli McCarthy, and operated on a modest budget. 

Beautiful Trouble - great online resource center for creative nonviolent action and training, and a leader in support of artistic activism and social change. It's co-led by the extraordinary Nadine Bloch.

Metta Center & Nonviolence Radio - wonderful podcasts and many Gandhian inspired resources. Michael Nagler and Stephanie Van Hook are a treasure.

Pace e Bene - founded in 1989, the name is an Italian greeting from St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi meaning “Peace and all Good.” The organization coordinates Campaign Nonviolence with the help of the indefatigable Ken Butigan and many others.

Acción Noviolenta en las Américas - provide education, training, leadership development and research in the Americas in Spanish, French and Portuguese.

Nonviolence News - each week, this newsletter brings 30-50 stories of nonviolence in action to readers, illuminating the scope of how nonviolence is actively shaping our world. It is the best site for nonviolent action news and movements, thanks to the superstar Rivera Sun.

Waging Nonviolence - is a nonprofit media organization dedicated to providing original reporting and expert analysis of social movements around the world. NVI fiscally sponsored WN for years before they spun off under the inspired leadership of Eric Stoner and others.

Detention Watch Network - immigrant rights group in the USA doing nonviolent action and training.

Training For Change - training and capacity building organization for activists and organizers. They believe strong training and group facilitation is vital to movement building for social justice and radical change. Founded by none other than our dear friend George Lakey.

Nonviolence Education and Research Center in Turkey - primary resource center for Turkish language speakers supporting all kinds of marginalized communities. Training, research, activism in a challenging environment, based in Istanbul. 

Federal Workers For Democracy - a newly formed coalition of federal workers and allies, mobilizing the federal workforce to directly defy dangerous, illegal orders. They are building networks across every federal agency, from executive to frontline worker, in every state and across the globe. They provide training and support resources to federal workers to equip them to resist, together, and mobilize the public to have their backs. 

International Peace Bureau - global non‑governmental network founded in 1891 that works for disarmament, non‑violent conflict resolution and a “world without war.” 400 member organisations in 100 countries, together with individual members, form a global network, bringing together knowledge and campaigning experience. They do great work with a small staff, led by Sean Conner. 

Rete Pace e Disarmo - coalition of numerous civil‑society associations, trade unions and movements in Italy united since 2020 to promote peace, nuclear and conventional disarmament, restrict arms exports and oppose military escalation.

In peace,
Sami Awad & Michael Beer,
Co-Directors

P.S. Please let us know of more groups that we could highlight next year. If you are really wanting to focus on Palestine, please look at NVI's remarkable partners who are supporting Israelis and Palestinians who seek to build a shared future together.

Dear friends,

We invite you to join us on December 13, at 10AM ET / 3PM Western Sahara, for an important webinar that sheds light on one of the world’s least-known yet longest-standing occupations: Western Sahara.

The event will begin with a clear and concise political–historical overview of the illegal and brutal occupation, providing the essential grounding needed to understand the resistance movement led by the Saharawi people. From there, our speakers will explore how Saharawi communities have nonviolently organized, documented abuses, and sustained resilience in the face of deepening repression.

You’ll hear directly from long-time Saharawi human rights activists Salka Barca, from the Western Sahara Solidarity Committee (WSSC) and Karama Sahara, Nayua Aduh, from the Committee Against the Exploitation of the Saharawi People, and Mulay Sid Ahmed, from the Saharawi Association in the USA (SAUSA). We will also be joined by David Wildman, who will share his experience joining divestment campaigns that combine Palestine and Western Sahara. The conversation will be hosted by Susan Smith, Director of Operations and Community Engagement at the Fellowship of Reconciliation - USA (FOR - USA).

This webinar is a rare opportunity to learn from voices deeply rooted in the struggle.
What we will explore together:

• The political and historical roots of the current occupation
• How Saharawi communities organize and resist through nonviolent means
• Firsthand testimonies from human rights defenders
• How international allies can play a meaningful and ethical role
• Recent developments on the ground, including rising repression and documentation efforts
• Practical advocacy tools and ways to support Saharawi-led initiatives
• Live dialogue and Q&A with speakers

Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding and stand in solidarity.
Register now to be part of this important conversation.

This webinar is sponsored by the Western Sahara Solidarity Committee, and hosted by the Fellowship of Reconciliation - USA and Nonviolence International.

Please share this webinar invitation with your networks. As with many NVI events, we welcome your active participation. A recording will be shared with all who register and also be posted on our Youtube channel.

Peace,
Michael Beer & Sami Awad
NVI Co-Directors 

P.S. We still have a few slots open in our Nonlinear Leadership Training, beginning January 10th. Join us with participants from all over the world.

Dear friends,

Amidst the flood of emails for giving Tuesday, we ask that you consider giving to more of our amazing partners. We have so many and don’t know where to start, but please consider giving to as many of them as you can. 
                                                   Working Together the People Can Prevail! 

Photo by Nayef Hashlamoun

For starters, our Palestinian Justice partners are just incredible:

• Dignity for Palestinians: delivers humanitarian aid into Gaza led by the heroic doctor Musallam Abukhalil.
• Center for Jewish Nonviolence: has been on the front lines accompanying Palestinian and modelling what a Jewish society should be: Compassionate, Courageous, and Respectful.
• Holy Land Trust: (HLT) based in Bethlehem and founded by NVI Co-Director Sami Awad, continues its mission of nonviolent resistance and focus on trauma resilience.
• Unarmed Civilian Protection in Palestine: With NVI and HLT support, Amira Musallam and Mel Duncan have organized some of the elite peacemakers in the world to come to the West Bank and help ameliorate Israeli violence against Palestinians. This is growing fast and needs much support.
• We Are Not Numbers: led by Walaa Sabah, continues to give voice to heroic Gazans. They also have an eponymous new book which is a must read and holiday gift.
• US Boat to Gaza and the Freedom Flotilla: For 17 years we have fiscally sponsored this effort and raised a few million dollars. Unfortunately, David Heap, Canada’s Gaza Boat leader was disgracefully arrested 4 days ago. We are never giving up. Please dig deep because we will return until the siege of Gaza is lifted.
• Villages Group: Led by Tamar Almog and Ehud Krinis. Israeli activists have been supporting and protecting Palestinians in Masafer Yatta every week for 24 years! This amounts to thousands of visits. Incredible.
• Hebron International Resource Network: Provides crucial humanitarian support and programs for Palestinians facing ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.
• Mennonite Action: A new powerful solidarity movement that is lighting up Christians in the US and Canada to support Palestinians. Listening to them sing is a must.

Wait, there is more! Please support our global partners!

• Western Sahara Solidarity Committee, 
• Ploughshares (direct action against nuclear weapons) program called Isaiah Project, 
• the Syrian nonviolence movement Sullam, and 
• Andre Kamenshikov’s anti-war work for Russians.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, feel free to email or call us and we can talk with you and advise. Feeling overwhelmed is a good thing. It shows that people-power is on the march and together we can move boulders and mountains.

The bottom line is that one of the powerful nonviolent people-power resources is your money. Please invest a percentage of your income or wealth and hit that benchmark every year. Together with a discipline of boycotting malign actors, you can have a powerful impact with your money.

Peace,
Mubarak Awad, NVI Founder

P.S. There are so many amazing groups highlighted here, that we ask you to flag and star this email so that you can return again later when you feel despair and want to move the boulder another centimeter!

Photo by Nayef Hashlamoun