"It is no longer a choice between violence and nonviolence...it's nonviolence or nonexistence." Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Building a Beloved Community in Sri Lanka

Throughout the month of February, Realizing the Dream is working in the South Asian country of Sri Lanka to assist the island nation in its process toward long-term peace and reconciliation. Organized in partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Colombo, the engagement is based on the belief that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s message of love, forgiveness and nonviolence has a critical role to play in post-conflict situations today.

Our president, Martin Luther King III, recently returned from a week-long mission promoting nonviolent conflict resolution and reconciliation there, and RTD staffers are staying on for several weeks to conduct nonviolence workshops around the country. Taken as a whole, the effort is meant to help Sri Lanka achieve not only the “negative peace” that comes with the absence of tension, but also the “positive peace” that requires the presence of justice.

As Mr. King put it, “my father would have said that after any conflict there must be a time for healing, for reconciliation. I know that the people of Sri Lanka need our support to help them through this difficult time and to build a common future. I hope that my organization and others like ours will be of assistance in this time of need.” The project is part of our broader International Nonviolence Initiative, an ongoing campaign committed to promoting nonviolent action, education and public policy across the globe. The initiative currently includes projects in Bosnia Herzegovina, Israel & Palestine and Sri Lanka, with additional efforts in India, Kenya, South Africa and the United States presently in development.