For 64 days, students and faculty will convey the message of nonviolence and social justice to people on the K-State campus and in Manhattan.
The days signify the Season for Nonviolence and span from Jan. 30 to April 4. The dates mark the anniversaries of the deaths of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King.
The Season for Nonviolence began internationally in 1998 as a way to bring nonviolence to the forefront of people's minds, and the Campaign for Nonviolence, or CNV, brought it to K-State in 2000.
In previous years, the campaign arranged its own community nonviolence walk, but this year they will walk as a part of Manhattan's St. Patrick's Day parade. Everyone is invited to walk and carry peaceful signs. In the pas, walkers carried signs that said, 'Peace is every step,' 'If you want peace work for justice' and 'Got peace?'
"The whole point of the signs is to help people think about conflict in their lives and ways you can resolve conflict without resorting to violence itself," said Susan Allen, director of K-State's Women's Center and a founder of the local CNV chapter.
Allen helped bring the Season for Nonviolence to the K-State campus after reading information on the observance.
"At my job as director of the Women's Center, we kept taking care of people after the violence, but we didn't want to keep just doing that," Allen said. "We wanted to help prevent it."
Though violence is not something many students believe is a big issue on our campus, Allen said, we must constantly fight it. Statistically, on a campus K-State's size, there are 400 rapes each year.
"The reason for this season is to help people see the violence and learn ways we can stop it," she said. "The truth is there is no place in this world that is totally nonviolent. It's something we have to work on everyday."
Many students have helped plan the events for this year's Season for Nonviolence.
"I think it's important to K-State, because it brings an awareness to the campus and the community about nonviolence and that there are alternatives to violence," said Kristina Kramer, senior in sociology.
The events will include multiple films on social issues like the war in Iraq, fair trade and violence in the media. Also Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Global Exchange and Co-Pink, a women's antiwar movement, will speak.
"She talks about alternatives to war," Kramer said. "So people will understand that war is not the only answer."
Jimmy Strickland, junior in public relations, said he is glad K-State takes part in the Season for Nonviolence.
"It's a great message," Strickland said. "Personally I think fighting and violence are a waste of time."
Though many people automatically picture physical violence when they think of violence in general, Allen said it is important to realize there are many different types of violence. The events for the Season of Nonviolence will touch on many of these types.
"I think of nonviolence in levels," she said. "We're not just talking about peace and war.We're talking about personal mental health and how we get along in relationships, also how a community or school gets along."
Allen said a key to stopping nonviolence is to keep balance and fairness in all levels of relationships. This includes fairness in romances, at the office and between students and teachers.
"If things aren't well-balanced, they're going to fall over," she said. "Think of our mind; if your mind isn't well-balanced, you're going to flip out."
Nonviolence is something that can be learned and taught, Allen said. Introductory and applied nonviolence courses now are offered at K-State.
"In our world we're taught all about wars, and everyone knows about fighting," Allen said. "We're kind of wired for survival of the fittest. I think if students went to any of the events it would help just get that into their minds, that human beings really need to change their minds about how we handle conflict."
Allen said she already sees a change on campus; 450 K-State students have volunteered their time to helping others through CNV's Safezone. This program is designed to provide a safe environment for victims of violence, such as hateful acts and sexual violence on campus.
"I think this is huge," Allen said. "The whole point is to give people a place to go before they are in crisis."
The season is also known for the "64 Ways to Practice Nonviolence." The list has ways to fit nonviolence into your life.
All the events and activities for the Season for Nonviolence are free and open to the public. For more information contact the Women's Center at (785) 532-6444.
