Challenge the Gap (Q4 2012)

Featured beneficiary in the CHALLENGE THE GAP category for fourth quarter 2012:

FRIENDS FOR A NON-VIOLENT WORLD (FNVW)

Friends for a Non-Violent World (FNVW) is a nonprofit founded by Quakers devoted to inspiring and fostering peace through social action: globally, in local communities, and in individuals. Their mission is fourfold. Through education—promotional materials, newsletters, conferences—FNVW seeks to raise awareness on issues and campaigns that threaten, or support, non-violence. Through movement building—developing a network of peace-driven organizations—they amplify the voices of any particular non-violent actor, and foster a community based in non-violence. Through training individuals to live nonviolently, they seed local communities with motivated activists to inspire change on a grander scale. And finally, through grassroots mobilization—protests, vigils, and contacting legislators—they organize direct action in support of peace.

They run a number of specific programs in each of these dimensions. The Alternatives to Violence Project organizes workshops worldwide to train people in non-violent conflict resolution. The Peace Education and Advocacy program organizes conferences, projects, and advocacy campaigns surrounding current events and crises. Further, they organize People Camp, a weeklong outdoor experience in northern Minnesota which brings together non-violent individuals to explore contemporary issues in peace and foster cooperation and community living.

FNVW is dedicated wholeheartedly to encouraging cooperation and discouraging violence through effective, non-proselytizing direct action and education. We’re proud to work with them as we all strive towards a safer, less violent world.