Heroes

To my surprise, one of my new activities for 2012 is to open a Twitter account! The purpose of AfterGandhiBk isn't chatting (who's got time?), but to share quotes and information on nonviolent resistance.

I'm tweeting references to heroes whose provocative ideas, creative strategies, and courageous activism can inspire young readers, including those portrayed in the book my son and I wrote, After Gandhi: One Hundred Years of Nonviolent Resistance.


In 2011, we said goodbye to two of them:

Wangari Matthai of the Green Belt Movement, the first African woman and the first environmentalist to win the Nobel Peace Prize, "a towering figure in Kenya, ... renowned as a fearless social activist and an environmental crusader." (The Guardian obituary), 

and Vaclav Havel, playwright, leader of the Velvet Revolution and first president of the Czech Republic, "whose eloquent dissections of Communist rule helped to destroy it in revolutions that brought down the Berlin Wall and swept Mr. Havel himself into power." (NYTimes obituary)


The history, experiences, and ideas of those who've actively practiced alternatives to violence could not be more apropos at this time, with news accounts full of images and stories of people participating in - and reacting to - the Occupy Movement. It's an incredible opportunity to help young people connect the dots between what's gone before and what's happening now and to engage hearts and minds in the quest for justice.