2008 Woodie Awards
Vanderbilt Students for Nonviolence brings war debate to campus
Erika Hyde
Issue date: 4/19/07 Section: News/Features
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Watch any news channel for five minutes, and chances are you'll see images of the recent turmoil in the Middle East -- car bombings, suicide attacks, hostage crises. Violence permeates domestic media and, therefore, our lives to the point most people have become desensitized to it. Brutality and war seem to have taken a role of necessary, albeit unfortunate, aspects of society.
One school of philosophical thought, however, is leading a movement that seeks an alternative approach to conflict. Followers of active nonviolence theory cite the actions of Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi as evidence that a new world order is possible - a world in which warfare such as the current turmoil in Iraq would be a thing of the past. "Active Nonviolence" is defined as the doctrine, policy or practice of rejection of violence in favor of peaceful tactics, such as fasting or marching, as a means of promoting political objectives. Sophomore Elias Feghali advocates the theory as "an effective tool for social change...its fundamentals are justice, equality, peace and a love of human beings as creatures of this planet."
Inspired by his experiences during the Freedom Ride in January, Feghali founded the organization Vanderbilt Students for Nonviolence as a way to promote a better understanding of nonviolence theory and to encourage dialogue about war and activism on campus. The organization's three-part War in Iraq discussion series, presented April 2-4 used the ongoing war as framework for an analysis of the use and effectiveness of violent tactics in today's global, political stage. Calling on the Rev. James Lawson, a panel of Vanderbilt professors and a documentary about American soldiers' experiences on the battlefield, the series raised critical questions about the current state of the "collective" human psyche. Specifically, the series questioned the logic of a world currently operating on aggression and brutality towards others.
A majority of Americans now believe entering the Iraq war was a mistake. Even those who were once devout supporters of the current administration are beginning to feel that the war is a lost cause. As the Iraq conflict drags on, the solutions suggested have included a phased withdrawal, international takeover of the occupation, and a physical partition of the ideologically divided country.
One school of philosophical thought, however, is leading a movement that seeks an alternative approach to conflict. Followers of active nonviolence theory cite the actions of Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi as evidence that a new world order is possible - a world in which warfare such as the current turmoil in Iraq would be a thing of the past. "Active Nonviolence" is defined as the doctrine, policy or practice of rejection of violence in favor of peaceful tactics, such as fasting or marching, as a means of promoting political objectives. Sophomore Elias Feghali advocates the theory as "an effective tool for social change...its fundamentals are justice, equality, peace and a love of human beings as creatures of this planet."
Inspired by his experiences during the Freedom Ride in January, Feghali founded the organization Vanderbilt Students for Nonviolence as a way to promote a better understanding of nonviolence theory and to encourage dialogue about war and activism on campus. The organization's three-part War in Iraq discussion series, presented April 2-4 used the ongoing war as framework for an analysis of the use and effectiveness of violent tactics in today's global, political stage. Calling on the Rev. James Lawson, a panel of Vanderbilt professors and a documentary about American soldiers' experiences on the battlefield, the series raised critical questions about the current state of the "collective" human psyche. Specifically, the series questioned the logic of a world currently operating on aggression and brutality towards others.
A majority of Americans now believe entering the Iraq war was a mistake. Even those who were once devout supporters of the current administration are beginning to feel that the war is a lost cause. As the Iraq conflict drags on, the solutions suggested have included a phased withdrawal, international takeover of the occupation, and a physical partition of the ideologically divided country.
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