It was March of 2003 and President Bush had been talking about attacking Iraq with “shock and awe”. After marching in the streets for several weeks, I knew what I was doing was not enough because what was about to happen was going to be so egregious, so horrifying, and so unjust. My curiosity was piqued when I saw a notice for training in nonviolent civil resistance, conducted by local activists. I immediately knew this is what I needed to do and I attended the training.

Several days ago, I joined an unusual skype call originated by young South Korean founders of “The Hope School.” Located on Jeju Island, the school aims to build a supportive community between island residents and newly arrived Yemenis who seek asylum in South Korea.

This past Friday in Afghanistan’s Ghazni province, Hazara girls joined young Pashto boys to sing Afghanistan’s national anthem as a welcome to Pashto men walking 400 miles from Helmand to Kabul. The walkers are calling on warring parties in Afghanistan to end the war. Most of the men making the journey are wearing sandals.