{"id":11228,"date":"2024-02-22T19:33:41","date_gmt":"2024-02-22T18:33:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/?p=11228"},"modified":"2024-02-22T19:38:35","modified_gmt":"2024-02-22T18:38:35","slug":"prayer-and-protest-can-a-prayer-be-seen-as-a-form-of-non-violent-activism-in-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/11228\/prayer-and-protest-can-a-prayer-be-seen-as-a-form-of-non-violent-activism-in-europe\/","title":{"rendered":"Prayer and Protest. Can a prayer be seen as a form of non-violent activism in Europe?"},"content":{"rendered":"
It was Gandhi who started the form of non-violent activism. He is said to transform Christian love into social change.\u00a0 Today, the world is demonstrating against war, laws, and climate change. But what happens when somebody rolls out a prayer mat during a climate change demonstration? <\/strong><\/p>\n Non-violent protest, often called non-violent resistance or civil disobedience, has been a common way for society to make their voices heard and achieve political goals. According to the politics of non-violent actions by Gene Sharp, there are about 189 different ways in which a group can protest non-violently<\/p>\n One example is the daily pro-Palestine demonstrations at Amsterdam Centraal. Every day from 7-9, a group on Instagram called Kolna.falasteen organizes a small demonstration. The organisers dressed in neon yellow jackets, hand out huge flag poles to those standing around. On the ground, a Palestine flag is laid out. A car is covered with a white cloth on which videos and news of recent events in Gaza are shown. People chant Viva la Palestine. From afar, the sea of flags makes the demonstration look huge. Sometimes, the situation gets heated when demonstrators do not feel taken seriously by those passing by. Here, the organiser quickly reacts and acts as a facilitator. Hands are shaken, and calming words are exchanged. The police only drive by once at the very beginning.<\/p>\n