Moselle, 2005, Photo: John Fuller

While attending the United States Social Forum (USSF) in Atlanta, I finished reading Joan Sloanczewski's science fiction novel, A Door Into Ocean, in which a lesbian-feminist pacifist planet (Shora) is invaded by a patriarchal militarist one. Both the novel and the gathering were inspiring reminders of the ways courageous nonviolence can save people -- and planets.

The people of Shora engage in nonviolent resistance to prevent the invaders from conquering them -- not succumbing either to coercive control or to the temptation of becoming like the invaders by using violence in response. The pacifist society depicted in the novel makes decisions through Quaker-meeting-like "Gatherings." The Shorans describe the process of participatory education they utilize as "learnsharing" (a reflexive verb).

At its best, the USSF was a Gathering of learnsharing for over 9000 participants from across the US and the globe.

Attending a workshop organized by Tennessee's legendary Highlander Center, "Unearthing Seeds of Fire: 75 Years of Social Change through the Story of the Highlander Center," I appreciated the fact that even though there were over 125 people in the room, true to the Center's popular education principles, the facilitators led the workshop in participatory ways.

After we all sang together, each of us was handed a piece of paper describing someone who was part of Highlander history (most famously, Rosa Parks attended an activist training at the school the summer before her famous refusal to move to the back of the bus in Montgomery, AL). We then mingled to teach each other what we had just learned.

I was particularly impressed with one of the stories told during this workshop. Recorded by Frank Adams in his written history of the Highlander Center, the story is remembered by Zilphia Horton, who was part of it:
"Down in Chattanooga some clothing workers had organized and asked for recognition. The company refused and they went out on strike. They asked us to come down from Monteagle to help them with handbills and to keep the strike going. It was decided to have a Washington birthday parade since the workers felt they were striking for freedom -- economic freedom.
There was a minister in the parade. A band. Children and strikers. We were marching two by two behind the band and when we marched by the mill, they opened up on us with a machine-gun. Several people were hit. Highlander's librarian, Hilda Hubert, was hit in the ankle.
I looked around and the police had disappeared. There had been quite a few of them around, too. In about five minutes after the firing stopped, a few of us stood up at the mill and started singing. And in about ten minutes, people began to come out from behind the barns and little stores around there, and we stood and sang, "We Shall Not Be Moved." That's what won them recognition. That's what a song means in many places."

At the workshop, I learnshared this story of how some of the people of earth engaged in nonviolent resistance, and overcame the violence of people attempting to colonize the rest of us. In the tradition of Highlander, and like the people of Shora, I am now endeavoring to learnshare it with you.

Throughout this issue, Peacework authors learnshare stories about how works of literature, fiction and nonfiction alike, can transform our worlds with their words. Please learnshare them with others, and with us, by participating in the dialogue on the Peacework website. -- Sam Diener, Co-Editor