Understaning Kingian Nonviolence

Violence, by definition, is the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy. So the definition of nonviolence should be the opposite. And by definition, technically it is. An “abstention from violence as a matter of principle.
 
When discussing nonviolence as a means of social change and resistance, though, we’re referring to two different types. The sanitized version, that follows the above definition, is really non (DASH) violence, or “Non-violence”. It’s the absence of using violence when it’s not warranted. “I won’t hit a person or fight”. “I won’t go to war”.  
Nonviolence, one word no dash, is more intervention, curriculum, and training than a personal stance. Often referred to as Kingian Nonviolence, it’s a disciplined, organized strategy for social change.
 
In this episode of Systemic, host Dan Kimbrough welcomes back Dr. Joshua Brockway. Dr. Brockway is the Director of Discipleship and Identity for the Church of the Brethren and an ordained minister with a PhD in church history.
 
Dr. Brockway is also a Kingian Nonviolence trainer who has worked with both communities and police departments to dig into what nonviolence really demands of us in the struggle for justice. Dr. Brockway explains the principles, challenges, and impact of nonviolence training within communities, highlighting that real change requires grassroots + “grass tops” working together, not parachute activism.
 
We’ll discuss the importance of conflict management, organizing, and negotiation in nonviolent social change. Dr. Brockway shares his experience training 180 Elgin, IL, police officers in Kingian Nonviolence, integrating it with community-oriented policing. We also address the challenges of sustaining nonviolent resistance, the role of community engagement, and the need for hyper-local efforts to build trust and capacity, and stress the importance of recognizing and supporting existing community efforts for effective social change.
 
Josh says, “Change happens one cup of coffee at a time”. If you’re an organizer, activist, or someone who feels the urgency of this moment and wants a strategy grounded in a historical framework for action, this conversation will give you language, tools, and stories to think differently about power, policing, and what it means to show up.
 
For more information on trainings and practice – 
On Earth Peace
The King Center 
Josh – revdrbrockway@gmail.com