Fully fund PACS 164B - Nonviolence Today - at UC Berkeley in spring timeslot

Yes, we are signing this petition! as students and concerned citizens.
Establishing peace is the work of education.

Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) 164B - Nonviolence Today - is a valuable and unique class. It should be funded on an ongoing basis at the University of California, Berkeley, in its spring timeslot without a loss of funding for any other PACS class.

During a time of unending conflict, relentless violence, and escalating aggression, supporting a course that teaches peace theory and activism should be our utmost priority. We are at a pivotal point in history where peace at every level is no longer an idealistic dream, but a global necessity. Never before has such emphasis been placed on the importance of understanding peace in relation to human survival. Those of us in education have a unique opportunity and responsibility to influence the course of history by developing a culture of peace.

Nonviolence represents one of the most significant disciplines of study in the modern world, and Berkeleys 164A and 164B classes provide the crucial dissemination of nonviolence theory to hopeful students. PACS 164B casts a discerning light on the modern history of nonviolence from 1968 to the present, including nonviolent insurrectionary movements in the Philippines, Chile, the former Soviet Union, and Israel/Palestine. New, groundbreaking mechanisms for peacekeeping, peacemaking, and peacebuilding are examined, including nonviolent communication, restorative justice, Truth and Reconciliation Commissions, and Third-Party Nonviolent Intervention (TPNI). The class highlights the role of non-governmental organizations such as Nonviolent Peaceforce, Christian Peacemaker Teams, and Peace Brigades International, and a variety of high-profile speakers.

PACS 164A provides a rich background on nonviolence up until 1968, examining the movements of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but it does not paint the complete picture. PACS 164B is a vital compliment in the study of nonviolence, which is one of the four survey areas in the PACS program. It deeply deserves to be fully funded every spring, when it is accessible to the most students.