Peace 101

• Marches and rallies is a visible manifestation of the right to free speech under the constitution. Though they have a connotation of being violent because of the historical visions of police dispersing marches, they are more peaceful and manageable since they are widely accepted as a socially acceptable tolerated activity.

  Safety is still a concern because there are still the rare clashes between protestors and the public and also between the police and marchers.

• Civil disobedience is an act that challenges authority. While marches are non-threatening in so far as the intent behind them are to make a statement (though making the statement in the middle of a street could disrupt traffic), civil disobedience has its purpose in causing disruption. Usually a societal norm is challenged for being unjust and for clashing with a higher norm, like following God's law and disobeying man's law.

  An act of civil disobedience would be not to file taxes because the taxes are used to support a military and there is no mechanism to divert taxes away from the military.

  Another act may be to march without a permit if requiring the permit is seen as a violation of the right to exercise free speech.

  The purpose of civil disobedience is to highlight an injustice, to challenge an injustice by placing self in jeopardy of arrest.

• Songs are a form of protest. The words usually have meaning and the singing of songs is exercising the free speech. Usually singing is in concert with other activities such as church services, funerals, and marches.

• Fasting is a private affair. It can become public when the fast is publicized but it still remains a private protest. fasting can be a private penance for a wrong as long as it is in effect or it can be a public demand for change with the threat of a human life as a cost of an injustice.

  Gandhi perfected this protest fast because nobody wanted to have Gandhi's death through fasting on their conscience and they knew Gandhi was coMMI - MMVtted to fast to the death.

• Essays Writing is a private form of contribution. Some may share their journal writings, in the form of essays or poetry, while others will draft letters to the editor or to government officials. Each person is capable of at least sharing their thoughts and opinions in a permanent form since the email system is so pervasive and the web sites are all accessible.

• Art
• is a more formal form of personal expression. It can take many forms and forums. Poetry is an art form, while oratory is another.

  Usually we see art in the visual sense. painting, drawing, collages, photography, and making multi-media presentations are accessible and have many outlets for an individual's form of expression.

Email:Oliver Lawrence

Next Page

© Copyright MMI - MMV by Oliver Lawrence. All Rights Reserved.

[ Roman Numerals 101| Africa 101| Peace 101]
Oliver Lawrence, Online Instructor