Nonviolent means are always preferable to violent ones.
Violence is more than the destruction of life.
It includes the use of threat and fear, which bars people from equal access to land, food, meaningful work, a healthful environment, health resources, justice, and education. Violence can also be defined as the existence of ethnic, religious, cultural, age, or sexual relationships that are oppressive. The social causes of violence in our society must be fully addressed. We recognize that peace has global, societal, and personal aspects, and that each of these must be addressed from the point of view of preventing war, containing conflict when it occurs, and defending against aggression. We believe that the concept of national security must be re-examined to include health, education, economics, and the health of the natural environment, rather than the present focus upon military hardware.