Nonviolent Direct Action for Climate Justice

One 4-hour session: Saturday 2/1 (1-5pm Eastern / 10am-2pm Pacific)  Facilitated by leaders from Earth Quaker Action Team (EQAT), this workshop will teach Friends how to use spiritually grounded nonviolent direct action as a method of making change. Sometimes described as “people power,” “disruptive action,” or “peace force,” nonviolent direct action exerts pressure on decision…

Workshop Description

One 4-hour session: Saturday 2/1 (1-5pm Eastern / 10am-2pm Pacific) 

Facilitated by leaders from Earth Quaker Action Team (EQAT), this workshop will teach Friends how to use spiritually grounded nonviolent direct action as a method of making change. Sometimes described as “people power,” “disruptive action,” or “peace force,” nonviolent direct action exerts pressure on decision makers directly and nonviolently.

To ground us in what makes this kind of approach effective, we will share theories like the pillars of power, spectrum of allies, and the four roles of social change, illustrated by stories from a variety of nonviolent struggles. The facilitators will also share their own experiences and learnings from working with EQAT’s three campaigns, including our current effort to pressure Vanguard to stop investing in climate destruction. Participant discussion, both in small groups and with the larger group, will be a vital part of this experience, as will participatory exercises.

Our goal is to empower participants to bring greater courage and skill home to their ongoing work, whether it is for climate justice, racial justice, election protection, or some other concern. Complementary reading will be suggested but not required. All you need to bring is an open heart.

Leader Experience

Lina is the Director for Strategy & Partnerships for Earth Quaker Action Team. Prior to that, she was Education Coordinator at Pendle Hill. Her first experience leading interactive work at FGC was at the Gathering in 2014, when Lina joined a number of EQAT members in leading sit-ins with Friends in PNC bank branches all around Pittsburgh. Lina has over ten years of experience leading interactive workshops and trainings with the Earth Quaker Action Team, both in-person and online. Lina presented a version of this workshop at the 2017 & 2018 Gatherings.