(Photo Courtesy: Hana Jakrlova / Photographer / www.hanajakrlovaphoto.com)
In honor of “Martin Luther King, Jr. Day”, and also as recognition of the brave human rights activists in today’s Cuba, we would like to share MLK’s now famous “six principles of nonviolence,” based on his first book, “The Stride Toward Freedom.”
SIX PRINCIPLES OF NONVIOLENCE
- PRINCIPLE ONE: Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people.
- It is active nonviolent resistance to evil.
- It is aggressive spiritually, mentally and emotionally.
- PRINCIPLE TWO: Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding.
- The end result of nonviolence is redemption and reconciliation.
- The purpose of nonviolence is the creation of the Beloved Community.
- PRINCIPLE THREE: Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice not people.
- Nonviolence recognizes that evildoers are also victims and are not evil people.
- The nonviolent resister seeks to defeat evil not people.
- PRINCIPLE FOUR: Nonviolence holds that suffering can educate and transform.
- Nonviolence accepts suffering without retaliation.
- Unearned suffering is redemptive and has tremendous educational and transforming possibilities.
- PRINCIPLE FIVE: Nonviolence chooses love instead of hate.
- Nonviolence resists violence of the spirit as well as the body.
- Nonviolent love is spontaneous, unmotivated, unselfish and creative.
- PRINCIPLE SIX: Nonviolence believes that the universe is on the side of justice.
- The nonviolent resister has deep faith that justice will eventually win.
- Nonviolence believes that God is a God of justice.
To learn more, please visit The King Center.