Community Currency - 08/19/10

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Satyagraha - Truth Force was born when people gathered together, in their struggle against empire and racism in South Africa. On September 11, 1906, at a public meeting attended by 3000 people where Gandhi spoke, Sheth haji Habib, an old Muslim resident of South Africa, was inspired to consciously speak out and state his decision to act in defiance of an unjust law, that targeted the Indian population of South Africa. Habib declared his willingness to suffer the consequences in a spiritually-endowed fight for justice in the name of God. The theory of satyagraha sees means and ends as inseparable. The means used to obtain an end are wrapped up in and attached to that end. Therefore, it is contradictory to try to use unjust means to obtain justice or to try to use violence to obtain peace. Satyagraha is a synthesis of the Sanskrit words satya (meaning "truth") and Agraha ("pursuit of"). Gandhi believed that life itself is a the pursuit of truth. For Gandhi, satyagraha became strength in practicing non-violent methods, or in his words "the Force which is born of Truth and Love or non-violence."

On September 11, 2006, there were efforts to rekindle the strength of Gandhi's vision for peace. The award winning film, Gandhi was rereleased and shown in 64 venues, and a short film Satyagraha - 100 Years of Nonviolence debuted, followed a year later by a Choose Peace campaign.

This year, renewing the effort to nurturing satyagraha in the face of unwaning US militancy, we have seen courageous acts of non-violent resistance such as the Free Gaza Movement's Flotilla to break the blockade against Gaza, simply speaking out taboo facts despite opposition from the corporate press and the US government, could be considered "satyagraha" on a whole range of issues. On September 11, 2010 in San Francisco, the poet/activist/writer Arnie Passman wants to Take Back 9/11 as a worldwide celebration of Peace and Love recognizing Gandhi's adherence to satyagraha. Satyagraha will also be the theme of the 9th Annual 9/11 Truth Rally/March to the 12th Annual Power to the Peaceful Festival in San Francisco.

Arnie Passman has been a peace activist for 45 years. For the past four years, he has been organizing poetry readings at the San Francisco Gandhi statue on the mahatma's birthday (october 2). He has also organized celebrating the peace symbol anniversary (February 21) in Berkeley for the last three years. He is the author of The Deejays (Macmillan, 1971, a history of the disc jockey) and two plays, If we told ya, we sold ya, about the 1st black disc jockey, Jack L. Cooper (chicago, 1929-59) and Soul Control/Control of Soul, a dialogue between an old black dj, Overjive, aka O.J., and a retired cia agent, Herbert Walker Luce Cannon. He created Arnie Passman's House of Cards in 1979 to present engaging satirists, which has included a 6 month series, conversations in comedia, interviews with s.f. mime troupe elders, and events at the Berkeley Arts Festival, such as Improv Day & the Berkeley Satirithon. He knows how to make people smile and laugh.

Additional events/websites mentioned on the show- Stop Driving, The 911 boycott stopdriving.org (4 day driving boycott 9/11 - 9/14); Bike for Peace 2010 b4p.bbnow.org/ (The ride will demonstrate the bicycle as a transformational tool to solve the problems of Climate Change, Oil Wars, the Health Crisis, and the Economic Crunch) ; We are Change www.wacbelgium.be will also be holding an event; Satyagraha - 100 Years of Nonviolence will be featured at the 6th Annual Northern California Film Festival. The spirit of satyagraha continues to grow.