11/7/22 WFS 2022: Session 4: George Lakey: Dancing with History: A Life for Peace and Justice

 

Session 4: George Lakey in Conversation

Music: "Imagine," Playing for Change, Link to Site

Essential Questions:

• Who is George Lakey and why is his important to Nonviolent social change?
• What are the main ideas of his book "How We Win"?
• What are the main ideas of his book "Viking Economics"?
• What are the main themes of book "Dancing with History: A Life of Peace and Justice," Seven Seas Press ,2022
• What roles can an individual play in making this model a reality in the US?

Welcome and Introductions

Rick's rap (Homework, NV news of the day)

Speaker: George Lakey

Closing: "Something that I learned today was..."

Readings:
• documentary, George Lakey, "Dancing with History: A Life for Peace and Justice," "Link to Site

• George Lakey, "Can Now Really Be the Best Time to Be Alive? A Dialogue Across Generations," Waging Nonviolence, 12/26/19 Link to Site

• George Lakey, "What Role Were You Born to Play in Social Change?" Waging Nonviolence, February 2016, Link to Site

• George Lakey, "What if Americans Protested Like Icelanders," Waging Nonviolence, April 2016 Link to Site

Resources: 

"George Lakey," wikipedia, accessed 11/7/22, Link to site
• George Lakey, "Dancing with History: A Life of Peace and Justice," Seven Seas Press , 2022
• Waging Nonviolence, Link to Site
• Earth Quaker Action Team (EQAT) Link to Site
• Global Nonviolent Action Database Link to Site

George Lakey stands out for the sheer range of his contributions to peace and justice, especially in strategy and theory, innovative and risky actions, and teaching and training others. His upbeat, soul -driven spirit underlies it all, as you'll catch in this revealing memoir.    Daniel Ellsberg, author, The Pentagon Papers

George Lakey is a national treasure, whom I met when I was 22. Dancing with George was a blast. His unstoppable, thoughtful, contagious approach to democratic action has inspired my life's work. It's a story that Americans need now more than ever. 

Francés Moore Lappe, author, Diet for a Small Planet

Never believe that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
                                            Margaret Mead

We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history
there is such a thing as being too late. Procrastination is still the thief of time. . . . We must move past indecision to action. . . . Now let us begin. Now let us re-dedicate ourselves to the long and bitter—and beautiful—struggle for a new world. This is the calling of the children of God, and our brothers and sisters wait eagerly for our response. Shall we say the odds are too great? Shall we tell them the struggle is too hard? . . . Or will there be another message, of longing, of hope, of solidarity with their yearnings, of commitment to the cause, whatever the cost? The choice is ours, and though we might prefer it otherwise we must choose in this crucial moment in human history." 
—Martin Luther King, Jr

1 comment:

  1. I think the Margaret Mead quote is slightly askew. I’ve seen both as “never DOUBT that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens CAN change the world…” and as “never believe that a few caring people CAN’T change the world…”

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.