The theme of the Occupy Movement must remain non-violence

Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.

Dalai Lama XIV

These insightful quotes by the Dalai Lama XIV contain some of the basic elements of non-violence resistance.  In the first statement, the Dalai Lama is urging people wanting change not to be overcome by the concept that violence is the route to achieve change.  Violence is the vehicle of despots, mob rule and persons who are valueless and without compassion.  The history of the world is littered with examples of those who sought to change the world by violence for a perceived ultimate end state, which brought about tragic consequences for humanity (i.e., Russian Revolution, purges of the U.S.S.R. by Stalin, the Khmer Rouge’s decimation of the population of Cambodia, China’s Great Cultural Revolution, Robespierre ‘Reign of Terror’, the Holocaust, genocide in multitude of locations etc.) The ends do not justify the means.  Likewise, those that advocate violence for social change, often become its victims.  The statement ,“If you live by the sword, you will die by the sword.,” still resounds as when it was first spoken by Jesus (Mathew 26: 52.)  Yet, we still ignore the statement’s truth and continue to propose violence as the means to resolve conflict.  The ends do not just the means, if the means are violence against society such as torture, persecution, imprisonment, and death to opponents.  This doesn’t rule out self-defense, which should be wielded with the upmost caution within a non-violent setting.

The second statement is predicated by the first.  To seek change, we must be wise and clever to use the tools of those that are seeking to oppress.   The greatest ‘rule breaker’ was Jesus.  He was the model for those to come, particularly Gandhi-the most influential non-violent leader in modern times.  The One Percent tout ideas of democracy, free market capitalism as a means for prosperity, freedom of speech, equality, security and protection of the people and human rights. However, these are just words to placate the masses, while their only goals are: to create more wealth for them and to use power to control to secure this. Those who are seeking non-violent change use, challenge or break: laws. They use the institutions grounded in the principles of Justice, basic human yearning and other universal principles to initiate change.   This deliberative process has been proven to effective  to bring about positive societal change. 

The basis of non-violence action is grounded on the thoughts handed down to us from great moral teachers who were not seeking regime change, but deep societal change.  The source of their Wisdom came from the Ultimate Force (God, YHVH, Allah, or any other name that we has humans have coined for this unknowable, mysterious, wonderful power that guides humans and set the world into motion.)  Jesus often stated, “My Kingdom is not of this World.”  In other words, I am not seeking to overthrow the Roman Empire in Israel, but seeking to change men and women’s thoughts and actions.. this is petty stuff.   John Lennon in ‘Revolution’ on the White Album of the Beatles is the lyrics, “you say you want to change the constitution.. you better free your mind instead.”  There is an ultimate Good that is more important than changing a regime, a political party or policies.  To be focused on a future state and negate values is destructive to the persons believing this and to the society they are seeking to change.  Non-violence stresses the upholding of a greater morality, individual well-being and spiritual health as important and working through and over the established laws to bring about change.