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6 Principles of Nonviolence
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Pledge
I hereby Pledge myself - my person and body - to the nonviolent movement (this was taken from the actual pledge used during the Civil Rights Movement). Therefore I will keep the following commandments:
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Our mission
NonviolenceWorks is a community-based organization whose mission is to teach nonviolence principles and practice. Our goal is to assist youth, families, churches and other religious organizations, community groups, police agencies, and schools in developing personal and social responsibility for changing the culture of violence in our troubled world.
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State of Illinois HB 158 Illinois Health Care and Human Services Reform Act
Rev. Anthony Williams first left, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed legislation on April 27, 2021
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In 2020, Phillip Bradley, president of NonviolenceWorks, joined Rev. Anthony Williams in his quest to create state legislation that would identify violence as a public and mental health rather than policing problem. In 2021, the Illinois Black Caucus succeeded in bring such legislation to Gov. Pritzker. For both Rev. Williams and Mr. Bradley, the effort was personal as much as it was political. Rev. Williams lost his son to gun violence and Bradley lost his daughter to suicide.
“Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday signed into law a wide-ranging bill promoting health care equity for Black, Hispanic and low-income patients by enhancing mental health services, requiring bias training for doctors and creating a community health worker program. ‘This legislation advances a key belief of mine that I know is shared by everyone standing with me and millions of residents across Illinois — health care is a right, not a privilege,” Pritzker said at a bill-signing ceremony for House Bill 158 in Springfield at Memorial Medical Center's Memorial Center for Learning and Innovation. ‘Justice isn’t just about what happens in a courtroom,” the governor said. “Justice is access to economic opportunity, to a great education, and yes, to affordable, quality, personalized health care. It’s about recognizing that communities across our state have been left out and left behind, and then doing something about that.’” Dean Olsen, State-Journal Register, Springfield Illinois, April 27, 2021 |
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Current events
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The Science of Nonviolence
Trainings in the Cook County Department of Corrections begin in February 2026. Detainees will be introduced to the 8 Steps of Nonviolence, the 8 Stages of Violence, the Heart Lesson, and many other tools they can apply to living a nonviolent life.
Trainees will be taught alternatives to the behavior that resulted in their being there. In these trainings, we will include women detainees and substance residents to bring the knowledge of living a nonviolent life. The trainings will consist of daily 2-hour sessions for a 40-hour Certificate of Completion. |
Phillip Bradley Principles and Practices of Nonviolent Direct Action Workshop
"The choice before us is not violence or nonviolence. It is nonviolence or nonexistence."
- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. |
Previous Events
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Sociology of Social Problems, Loyola University Chicago
On November 10 and 11, 2025, the students in Dr. Wedam’s Sociology of Social Problems course participated in a workshop given by Phillip Bradley on the principles and practices of nonviolence as a solution to the endemic problem of violence in our society.
During May 2024, Phillip Bradley gave 35 detainees in Cook County Department of Corrections their first introduction to the steps of nonviolence and how to incorporate nonviolence as an alternative problem-solving tool into their lives.
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Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration
January 16, 2022 Over 150 people along with Fr. Thomas Belanger, pastor and Phillip Bradley gathered at the St. Josephine Bakhita Parish in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Phillip Bradley spoke about his personal experience from the 1960’s in learning about nonviolence with a lesson on The Last Sunday Sermon, a sermon speech delivered by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and the nonviolent teachings of Jesus Christ. |
Fr. Thomas Belanger & Phillip Bradley at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebration held at St. Josephine Bakhita Catholic Church
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Help Our Cause
Thank you!"Chicago Fund grantees in South Shore came together over the summer to form a new partnership to advance peace in their community. Led by NonviolenceWorks, which provides education and training in Kingian nonviolence, 29 organizations that serve the South Shore community came together to learn the principles of Kingian nonviolence and create a tipping point of knowledge and understanding of these practices in the community. With the goal of creating a “non-violence zone” in South Shore they hope to see a ripple effect across the city that reduces violence and promotes peace." From Trusted Relationships, Networks & Collaboration An Evaluation of the Chicago Fund for Safe and Peaceful Communities 2020 
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NonviolenceWorks On the Table Community Meeting at St. Josephine Bakhita Parish May 16, 2019
Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals and improve conditions. Your generous donation will fund our mission.
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As a Chicago Fund Grantee, NonviolenceWorks will hold initial trainings for developing a Nonviolence Zone in South Shore. Watch this space for details to be announced shortly. Call us at 630.886.6876 for immediate response.
A Brief History
While NonviolenceWorks has sponsored an academic symposium, community public health fair, events celebrating nonviolence leaders, Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., advocacy at State level, the main activity is educational, that is, the variety of workshops teaching nonviolence principles and practices. NonviolenceWorks holds twice yearly training sessions titled “Principles and Practices of Nonviolent Direct Action.” Each session comprises 40 hours of interactive study with Phillip Bradley, community organizer and violence prevention specialist.
These sessions form the basis of the strategy to turn a violent community area into one in which residents will apply nonviolent ways to solving personal and community problems, hence the "Nonviolence Zone." NonviolenceWorks has learned that violence is a mental health problem, not a policing problem, which is why prevention is key to turning around the widespread and debilitating patterns of violence. Collaborating with other organizations to expand this work is a necessary next step.
These sessions form the basis of the strategy to turn a violent community area into one in which residents will apply nonviolent ways to solving personal and community problems, hence the "Nonviolence Zone." NonviolenceWorks has learned that violence is a mental health problem, not a policing problem, which is why prevention is key to turning around the widespread and debilitating patterns of violence. Collaborating with other organizations to expand this work is a necessary next step.
NonviolenceWorks Symposium Dinner held at Loyola University of Chicago November 3, 2017
Responses and Solutions
The current public health crisis has exposed the fault lines present in our society. These fault lines have existed for many decades but could be overlooked on a moment's notice. Not any more. NonviolenceWorks focuses on fundamental social changes, not band-aid approaches. If you want to create a nonviolent society, please pay attention to these recommendations.
Unlearn violence in your personal, familial, and professional lives. Learn how to create personal, family, and career-centered nonviolent forms of life. See our training sessions.
The current public health crisis has exposed the fault lines present in our society. These fault lines have existed for many decades but could be overlooked on a moment's notice. Not any more. NonviolenceWorks focuses on fundamental social changes, not band-aid approaches. If you want to create a nonviolent society, please pay attention to these recommendations.
Unlearn violence in your personal, familial, and professional lives. Learn how to create personal, family, and career-centered nonviolent forms of life. See our training sessions.
Nonviolence Museum and Training Center
The long-term goal of NonviolenceWorks is to establish a Center that will be a permanent resource for education, training, and consultation on how to create a nonviolent world.
Contact UsOffice hours are generally held on weekends and weeknights and also by appointment. Please feel free to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.
NonviolenceWorks 7351 S Coles Ave, Chicago, Illinois 60649, United States (630)886-6876 (773)301-1792 [email protected] Chicago, IL 60649-0215 |