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Turning The Tide

Turning The Tide (TTT) promotes the understanding and use of nonviolence for positive change through sharing and developing the skills of grassroots activists across a range of peace and justice issues.

TTT recognises that conflict is often necessary for change and growth, but seeks creative and effective life-affirming methods of engagement - always with reconciliation as the end goal. Active nonviolence is an approach for campaigners and social change activists to confront situations of injustice effectively and without using violence.

Nonviolent action at Climate Camp, City of London 2009. Credit: Mike Russell
Nonviolent action at Climate Camp, City of London 2009. Credit: Mike Russell

How TTT can help you

Turning The Tide workshops are run by volunteer Resource People and explore nonviolence through interactive means and model co-operative ways of working. Tailor-made workshops for social change groups cover the analysis of power, how to campaign effectively and build strong groups, and how to prepare for nonviolent action.

Turning The Tide has its own website, a nonviolence resource library, an award-winning video, Nonviolence for a Change and a newsletter, Making Waves, available on the website.

Each year Turning The Tide runs an engaging and comprehensive training course in nonviolence for social change activists.

Principles of nonviolence

  • Respect and care for everyone involved in the conflict, including your opponent;
  • Willingness to take action for justice without giving into or mimicking violence;
  • Refusal to harm, damage or degrade people, or other living things, as a means of achieving goals;
  • A belief that that no one has a monopoly on the truth and that everyone is capable of change;
  • If violence is inevitable, a willingness to take it upon yourself rather than inflict it on others;
  • Acceptance that the means used in a conflict are consistent with the ends sought;
  • Recognition of the importance of preparation and training so that all our behaviour is nonviolent.

TTT helped design and deliver nonviolence workshops for a year long Faslane 365 action that blockades the Faslane nuclear weapon
TTT helped design and deliver nonviolence workshops for a year-long Faslane 365 action that blockaded the Faslane nuclear weapons base.

Resource People

The work of Turning The Tide depends upon a pool of volunteer Resource People who run workshops, write articles and analyse current thinking on social change. Without them the TTT programme would not be able to develop its work and training programmes so effectively. Resource People are activists recruited from workshops and from enquiries and are developed and supported by staff.

Partners for peace

Turning The Tide works with a number of groups to help them develop their skills and effectiveness through workshops and seminars.

These have included:

  • G20 protesters
  • Camp for Climate Action
  • Stop the War groups
  • Trident Ploughshares
  • Land rights groups in South Asia
  • People & Planet
  • Peace Brigades International
  • Translators for Peace (Italy)
  • Unarmed accompaniment projects in Palestine and Israel

“As an activist it has affected the way I think about and plan action and group work. I feel empowered by the course, braver and more able to act and support myself and those around me.”
Turning The Tide workshop participant, 2007

Get involved

Visit www.turning-the-tide.org

Request the TTT newsletter: Making Waves

Invite TTT to host an introductory workshop, or screen their video, Nonviolence for a Change at your meeting

Support this work with a donation

Contact

Steve Whiting or Denise Drake,

QPSW, Friends House, 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ

020 7663 1064 / 1061

denised@quaker.org.uk stevew@quaker.org.uk

Quaker Peace & Social Witness works with, and on behalf of, the Religious Society of Friends in Britain to translate our faith into action. As Quakers we are impelled by our faith to make our lives an active witness for peace and justice. Our historic testimonies to equality, justice, peace, simplicity and truth challenge us to alleviate suffering and seek positive social change.

The work is overseen by the Turning The Tide group, which sets the programme’s policy and determines its priorities.

June 2009