In 2007 my son Kuang was six years old and he was in first grade in China. One day, Kuang and a friend were playing outside. They saw a large group of sixth-graders playing with ants, drowning them using food coloring.. The sixth graders were laughing in glee about their scheme, not showing mercy to the dying ants below. The two small children were very sad, but, in the face of the far larger sixth graders, the two children walked away in fear. But this event deeply touched the two small children. So, the two small children established the: “No Harm to Ants Club”- this was the predecessor of NANP (the National Association of Non-Violent Peoples). A year later Kuang came to the United States and lost contact with his friend. The “No Harm to Ants Club” slowly faded into the background.
When one arrives in the United States, it is dificult for him or her to adjust at the beginning. Where he attended the public schools, Kuang noticed that the children liked to mock him. Once, a child humilated him by by bringing his poor English into everyone's attention as he told me after he left the elementary school. That year, in order to make him feel less isolated I bought him a toy lion no more than six inches tall (unfortunately that little lion was lost in a garden of Central Park, and soon gave him a new one. I told him that the first little lion was not lost, for it has returned to the embrace of nature, its own home). At that time, the "No Harm to Ants club" seemed to have been forgotten. In Third grade, Kuang decided to bring back the "No Harm to Ants Club" and renamed it the "National Association of Non-Violent Peoples (NANP)" He then wrote a constitution, but it was soon lost. In fifth grade, he wrote a constitution again, but it was lost too. These things he told me only recently.
A while ago, he suddenly told me he had a small organization, in the beginning I did not take it seriously. This Summer, he and several children in China (including a girl with a web name Small Potatoe) were doing a “pen pal” project. At the end of his letter, he referred to NANP, and asked the children to join the organization. At this point, he told me more about NANP’s history. So I asked him to rewrite the lost onstituiton in ordrer to show me. So he picked up a pen, and wrote the constitution of the "National Association of Non-Violent Peoples”. Although it onlt had three articles, it was a very decent first draft. When I saw it, I was surprised. When his pen-pals gave their replies,everyone expressed their willingness to join. Kuang was so happy that he immediately prepared for the translation of the constitution into chinese and then he could send it to all his pen-pals.
One day, I talked to Small Potatoe’s mother, a Chinese democratic movement activist on the internet, I learned that the little girl always dreamed to come to the US and explore the Times Square, ever since she was 6 years old when she read a book”the Little Criket in Times Square”. The girl also did many good deeds and with a democratic spirit in the midsit of communist China. I made a decision, why not invite the little girl to come for summer vacation in New York City? In early July, my invitation was then verbally communicated to her through Skype, they were all very excited, and immediately accepted. The next day, they went to apply for a passport. Waiting for the passport, I began to prepare a written invitation.
As I was writing the invitation and listing the justifications for her visa, I heard Kuang and her discussing N.A.N.P. on skype. She was so passionated about it that immediatley introduced another student to join. So, I wrote to the visa officer of US Embassy in Beijing: in addition to attending Writopia writing camp, traveling, sight-seeing, and realization of her childhood dreams, she will come to New York to participate in preparatory meetings of NANP!
Kuang was also very happy about this idea, he happily made a very detailed scheduel of Small Potatoe’s trip to New York. And so, using express mail, I sent my invitation statement to the Visa Officer in Beijing, along with a copy of the latest version of the NANP Constitution.
Small Potato received her visa succesfully. Soon she arrived on August 3 in New York! Kuang and I picked up her at Newark Airport.
APPENDIX:
I. Constitution of the National Association of Non-Violent Peoples ( N.A.N.P.)
PREFACE
Embedded in this document are the founding principles of the group known as the National Association of Non-Violent Peoples ( N.A.N.P.). The members of the organization must behave according to these principles and thus, act on their basis. They shall govern not only how members act during a meeting of the N.A.N.P. but also his or her lifestyle as well. We hope that the effect of this organization will be to improve the well-being of members and those in his or her community.
Violation of these principles may result in the demotion of the member and up to forced resignation.
ARTICLE I
The first article of this constitution is based on the simple and yet commonly misunderstood principle of human harmony. It is:
Members of this organization are not permitted to commit any acts of violence whatsoever.
There are two kinds of violence that this law forbids.
a. Physical violence, meaning simply violence that one has done to another’s or oneself’s physical body, such as punching, kicking, slapping, shooting, or any other kind of action that hurts or harms another human being or oneself.
b. Emotional violence, meaning violence that arises from hurting the recipient emotionally. Members of N.A.N.P. should take care not to engage in such kinds of violence, for it has power that maybe far greater than any kind of physical violence. Emotional violence is violence that hurts the heart and the mind. While physical violence can last only a short period of time, emotional violence can last up to an entire lifetime. Emotional violence can include, first, calling someone else names that are not fit to describe him or her. Second, terrorizing someone else with the use of any kind of sly words. Third, any acts of discrimination against someone else (such as sexism or racism).
NOTE: the first article may be ignored in cases of self-defense.
ARTICLE II
The purpose of the second article is to state the principle of “rescue”. This principle is very simple:
If someone is in need, then you shall help him.
Helping is a key role to reducing violence in the world. If someone is in need, you should try to help in any way possible, whether physically or emotionally. If you cannot provide any direct help, try talking to the person to comfort him or her.
Rescue has results that are unmatched by other actions. What rescue means to do is to help someone in distress and disorder. For example, if a person is in a state of emotional upheaval, then go and talk soothing words to him or her. If someone is feeling hurt or down, help him or her get up again.
However, rescue does not always refer to others. Rescue is a phrase that one can apply to oneself. For one must learn to pull oneself together in times of seemingly hopelessness and doubt. Mastering the prospect of rescue is open to everyone, but the person must find it in himself or herself first.
ARTICLE III
This article is reserved to the ones that have mastered the articles listed above. It is the sacred article that this organization is founded on. And yet, it is the least important of the entire constitution...
CONCLUSION-- You must act according to what you have learned in this organization
With this constitution comes a larger responsibility, a responsibility to take into action what you have learned. But fear not if you cannot fully satisfy this article. If you were able to master this, then you would be a perfect human, which is difficult to achieve.
And so it is with this parting statement that this constitution draws to a close. May peace and prosperity rain down upon you all!
I agree with this constitution and would like to become a member of the National Association of Non-Violent Peoples:
X sigh here
If you want to join NANP, email us at:
nanporganization@gmail.com
II.THE First NANP official email:
Dear members,
On The document attached is the final draft of the NANP constitution. It is finally finished after being revised and edited by members of NANP, several professors and scholars. If you have any comments, then contact NANPorganization@gmail.com.
This week, NANP hosted it's first ever organization convention. Over nine members attended this convention, and together, we discussed many points of NANP. If you have missed the convention, here is what we discussed.
A. We read the constitution and fixed it's flaws and weak points.
B. we discussed the articles listed in the constitution.
C. We related the articles into how we can use them in real life.
D. We talked about how to deal with real bullies and aggressors in real life.
E. We reviewed on what basis must we use self defense in order to prevent the hurting of ourselves and others.
F. We also did many other things...
For the rest of the week, conventioneers will focus on developing a forum for NANP members so that we can talk to each other wherever they are and the development of the NANP blog and website. Thank you for reading this email.
Sincerely,
Kuang Ye Wang
Co-founder of the National Association of Non-Violent Peoples