By Nubwa Josiah
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).
On Earth Peace has joined the HOPE-PV network (Harnessing Our Power to End Political Violence), a growing movement of communities across the country that are learning together how to respond to the rise of political violence and repression with something more powerful than fear or retaliation.
This year, On Earth Peace has a partnership with the Horizons Project to offer free training, coaching, and accompaniment to local communities ready to deepen their organizing.
What is HOPE-PV?
HOPE-PV is a practical framework, grounded in both rigorous research and decades of movement experience, for understanding how political violence works and how nonviolent communities can make those tactics backfire.
When powerful actors try to cover up harm, communities trained in HOPE-PV learn to respond with the backfire tactic. When people dehumanize and scapegoat others, these communities practice and embody a different story, one that restores dignity. When divisions seek to isolate and weaken people, HOPE-PV equips organizers to build solidarity instead. Collective action, strategic witness, and sustained presence become the tools of resistance.
The Kingian connection
This work sits firmly in the lineage of Kingian nonviolence, the philosophy and methodology developed and practiced by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the broader Civil Rights Movement. Kingian nonviolence is not passivity. It is a disciplined, strategic, courageous engagement with injustice, guided by the conviction that the means we use must be consistent with the ends we seek.
Dr. King taught that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice” and that bending requires human hands and organized communities willing to act. The HOPE-PV framework draws directly on this tradition, offering communities a way to move from noble intentions to effective, principled action. For a peace-loving church, this message is not a foreign language. It is a homecoming.
An invitation
On Earth Peace is hosting a free briefing session on May 21 at 5 p.m. (Eastern time) for communities discerning whether this work is right for them. We believe our congregations have something to offer this work—and something to receive from it. If you feel called to learn more, we encourage you to attend the briefing.
We will be glad to have you join us. Register at www.onearthpeace.org/2026_05_21_hope
Learn more about the work of On Earth Peace with HOPE-PV at www.onearthpeace.org/oep_hope_pv
— Nubwa Josiah is an organizing fellow with On Earth Peace.
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