Today is the International Day of Nonviolence
Creating a more peaceful society can benefit all of us
Today is the International Day of Nonviolence, celebrated on October 2nd each year in honor of Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday. This is a day to commemorate all the work that he did in terms of nonviolent protest.
We need to end the violence that pervades our society.
To help spread the ideas of peace and compassion worldwide, there are actions that each of us can take in our daily lives. We can practice nonviolence ourselves, and when a situation calls for resistance, we can do so in a peaceful way. Nonviolence doesn’t mean allowing others to walk all over us, we can still set firm boundaries.
According to BayNVC,
To Gandhi, ahimsa or nonviolence was the duty of all, not just a select few. It encompassed being kind to all and not producing harm in any way to another. “In addition, he made it a positive and dynamic method of political action to challenge evils that had been allowed to fester—from the domination by the British to the acceptance within Hinduism of untouchability,” writes Terrence J. Rynne. “It was a method, in fact, that could be used in every arena of life.”
It may seem difficult to practice nonviolence in today’s tumultuous world, but we can always find a calm center within ourselves through practices like:
Mindfulness
Meditation
Yoga
Journaling
Gratitude
Spending time in nature
When we do these things, we connect deeply back to our own spirit. The deeper we go within ourselves, the more peace and love we are able to cultivate. As we do this, love and compassion can radiate outwards from us into the world. We can practice acts of kindness to those in our lives on a daily basis.
Every act of kindness, no matter how small, has a ripple effect. Kindness makes the people around us happier, and they often pay it forward as well, and are kind to others in return. By spreading kindness, we show others that there is still goodness left in the world.
No matter how dark things may seem, no matter the obstacles in our society to overcome, coming together through acts of kindness and compassion towards others can make a huge impact.
We can also teach our children the values of kindness and nonviolence. As we do this, we raise a young generation that has values that come from the heart. Living from our hearts is the most valuable thing that we can do in our lifetimes. Teaching our children to do so as well, can help to create a better world for the future.
In addition to spreading kindness, we can stand up against violence, through violence prevention programs and campaigns. October is Domestic Violence Prevention Month. You can join the campaign online and share resources for anyone who may be struggling with domestic violence. At the Office for Prevention of Domestic Violence, you can find sharable graphics and captions to use on Social Media.
Follow @NYSOPDV on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and engage with posts by sharing, liking, and commenting using the hashtags #StartTheConversation and #DVAM2023. You can also post the social media graphics below and show the people who follow you that you’re an ally to survivors. When posting, always include information for the NYS Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline which can be reached 24/7 in most languages: Call 800.942.6909, Text 844.997.2121.