Department of Peace - Ideas for Change in America: "Amazing Grace"

"Amazing Grace" - Lessons for Social Change

Published May 30, 2009 @ 11:27AM PT

"Amazing Grace" is a movie about the abolition movement in England, but it has meaningful and inspiring messages for the modern peace movement, as well. It's also a darned good movie in it's own right, especially for fans of period pieces. I give it five peace signs, easily.

One of the early scenes shows the protagonist - William ("Wilber") Wilberforce - holding a meeting at his estate with very few attendees, much to his dismay. How many of us peace activists have held such meetings, with our hearts full of passion for the cause and in need of an audience? Without giving too much away, his later meetings have larger attendance.

Other scenes emphasize the importance of the slave-industrial complex to the British economy, and the reluctance of politicians to support abolition because of the negative economic impacts on their constituents. The parallel to the importance of the violence-industrial complex to the US economy, and the impediment this poses for progress toward a more peaceful society, is obvious. The abolitionist come up with a creative legal move around this - I hope advocates for nonviolence will come up with a similarly creative approach to break the stranglehold of the violence industry.

One of my favorite lines from the film comes in a scene where a young fan of Wilber's efforts is consoling him during a bout of discouragement after years of campaigning have yielded (apparently) no results. The British Empire is in a sustained period of war with America and France, and the public is too distracted by the wars to pay attention to anything else. Any voice of opposition to the Crown on any topic - including that of abolition - is considered sedition. Wilbur's new friend reassures him that “when people stop being afraid they rediscover their compassion.” This thought, along with other encouragements, gives Wilber the strength to carry on.

The modern peace movement can learn a lot and gain much strength from the story of William Wilberforce. Whether you're campaigning for a Department of Peace, or for the Youth PROMISE act, or for any significant change that will reduce violence, you can be assured that the momentum of history will eventually lead society to the logical conclusion. Carry on!

Visit DoPeace

Comments

For discussion...

1) If you've seen the movie, what are your favorite recollections?

2) What other activist-related movies would you recommend?

Posted by Ted Nunn on 05/30/2009 @ 11:42AM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by Ted
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
Dear Ted:

I didn't even know this movie existed until I read your posting! So now I very much want to see it. Where can it be found?

Evie

Posted by Evie Romero Montoya on 06/02/2009 @ 05:42AM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- Like
I bought my copy of "Amazing Grace" from Amazon ($15):
http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Grace-Ioan-Gruffudd/dp/B000VNMMQG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1243947200&sr=8-1

Posted by Ted Nunn on 06/02/2009 @ 05:55AM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Like
Reply to thread
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by Evie
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
Thanks, Ted!

Posted by Evie Romero Montoya on 06/02/2009 @ 06:52AM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by Evie
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
Thanks, Ted!

Posted by Evie Romero Montoya on 06/02/2009 @ 06:52AM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by Evie
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
This too is one of my all-time favorite movies, a life-affirming film too sadly and often overlooked amidst the escapist shoot-em-up-horrorfest-potty-mouth-humor that makes up most of our moviegoing choices.

For me, the most inspiring part is how Wilbur and his colleagues at more than one point or another hit what I'll call "the wall" where they simply want to give up everything and quit the work entirely. But always, the passion of others--friends, family, other activists, victims--reignites their willingness to serve.

I also LOVE that the author of the song that inspired the title, a man who is one of Wilbur's friends and mentors, is a repentant slave ship captain. I celebrate those who were once part of the problem who recognize it and then become part of the solution.

Finally, I continue to hold faith in the ability of the human spirit to see the error of its ways. Just as slavery was once considered an economic imperative until people came to see it wasn't worth the cost and that there was a better way, so will the violence-industrial complex.

Our work, like Wilbur's and his colleagues, is to continue to stand and to speak and to organize and to be the change. And to recognize it's OK to be tired and need a break. Just get better when you can, and get back to it.

Not always easy, but oh so worth it.

Posted by Wendy Greene on 06/03/2009 @ 12:03PM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- 1 person likes this comment. Like
Thanks for sharing your favorite parts of the movie, Wendy. So many inspiring examples!

Posted by Ted Nunn on 06/03/2009 @ 02:05PM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Like
Reply to thread
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by Wendy
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply

Add a Comment

For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

Comment

Check Spelling

Email me when there are new posts to this thread
Comment Policy

Comments on Change.org are meant for further exploration and evaluation of the ideas covered in the posts. To that end, we welcome constructive comments. However, we reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive, abusive, or off-topic; that contain ad hominem attacks; or that are designed to subvert or hijack comment threads rather than contribute to them. Repeat offenders may be permanently removed from the site at our discretion.