On Healing Resistance

Nonviolence was once considered the highest form of activism and radical change, yet its basic truth—its restorative power—has been forgotten.

With over 20 years of experience practicing and teaching Kingian Nonviolence, leading trainer Kazu Haga offers a practical approach to societal conflict first practiced by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement, which has been developed into a fully workable, step-by-step training, and deeply transformative philosophy (as utilized by the Women’s March and Black Lives Matter movements). Kingian Nonviolence takes on the timely issues of endless protest and activist burnout and presents tried-and-tested strategies for staying resilient, creating equity, and restoring peace. In his latest book Healing Resistance, Kazu blazingly reclaims the energy and assertiveness of nonviolent practice and shows that a principled approach to nonviolence is the way to transform not only unjust systems but broken relationships. 

Join Sonya Shah, CIIS professor and restorative justice expert, for a conversation with Kazu about his life, Kingian Nonviolence, and his latest book, Healing Resistance. Learn practical approaches and steps to continue to engage in activist and radical movements while staying whole and centered.

Kazu Haga is the founder of the East Point Peace Academy, a core member of the Ahimsa Collective, and the author of Healing Resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harm. Kazu teaches various aspects of nonviolence, restorative justice, and mindfulness. Born in Tokyo, Japan, Kazu has been engaged in social change work since the age of 17, and has played leading roles in various social movements. Kazu works to empower incarcerated communities, young people and activists around the country. Kazu currently resides in Oakland, CA.

Sonya Shah is an associate professor at California Institute of Integral Studies in the School of Undergraduate Studies. In 2016, Sonya initiated The Ahimsa Collective – an organization that works to respond to harm in ways that foster wholeness for everyone. Central to her core values are nurturing community belonging and collective care, healing, compassion, love and transforming harm. Sonya is a Buddhist, a first-generation immigrant from the Northwestern part of India and feels most at home in nature. Sonya has two amazing children who remind her what it means to be in love all of the time. Sonya currently resides in northern California.