A nonviolent city is a place of compassion, forgiveness and love. A nonviolent city states that violence is anything that is harmful to humanity, all creatures and the planet. It is a city that fosters a culture of peace, promotes understanding, generates economic opportunity, educates its children with nonviolence as a primary element of the curriculum, improves the quality of life of those in need, shelters the homeless, and is made up of residents and civic leaders that address one another in a civil and respectful manner.

 

A nonviolent city’s residents and civic leaders together address violence in all its aspects including direct physical violence, working to eliminate gangs, murder, drug use, burglary, robbery, and all types of behavior that would injure humans and animals. It is a city that rejects war, a militaristic mindset, the proliferation of nuclear and other weapon systems.

 

A nonviolent city’s residents and civic leaders together address the type of violence that involves the allocations of resources, goods, and opportunities between different genders, races, classes, and nationalities. It is a city that fosters a healthy and clean environment including sustainable agricultural practices. It is a city the rejects the violence built into its social, economic and political systems.

 

A nonviolent city rejects the aspects of a culture that legitimizes any type of violence or actions and attitudes that make violence that is physical, emotional, verbal, spiritual or institutional an acceptable method of responding to conflict. It is a city that works to establish a community that always views themselves in relation to others and the world. It is a city that does not support a sense of superiority over others or the dehumanization of other cultures.

 

A nonviolent city is one that is willing to suffer with others, to forgive others, to dispel insecurity untruth and fear. It is a city whose government works together to create and implement initiatives that not only foster peace and nonviolence but create a positive and lasting change in the community and to become a model for other communities.