On Peaceful Activism

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In a recent Thursday Night Mindfulness Meditation Group that meets via Zoom, the subject of peaceful activism came up - how do we stay peaceful while working to bring about societal change? My meditation for that evening was on dealing with anger, so it was a natural segue.


Anger is common these days, and while it's a natural emotion and okay to be angry, what's not okay is letting anger control you. When you spiral in to a rage, hurting yourself or those around you, you are letting your emotions be in charge. That's where mindfulness meditation helps. The practice of observing our thoughts before reacting allows us to respond in a healthy way.

History is filled with peace activists from the well-known like Gandhi, Malala Yousafzai (the youngest Nobel Peace Prize recipient at age 17) and the Dalai Lama, to the lesser-known like Jane Addams, Nobel Peace Prize recipient in 1931, the first national chairman of the Women's Peace Party in 1915 and president/founding member of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom that same year.

As I mentioned, Buddhism is particularly drawn to peaceful activism and while I don't identify as Buddhist, I am drawn to the tenets of peace that are foundational to the Buddhist practice. The Lion's Roar magazine is doing a year long series called "The Next Forty Years" and in it, they explore the interface of activism and modern Buddhism. You can read the article here. You might also check out Buddhist Peace Fellowship whose tag line is "Buddhism and Social Justice."

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