Sunday Service, January 1-“Laughing at the Devil” by Donne Hayden

An exploration of examples and resources for one of the most powerful tools of non-violent social change:  humor.  Advocates for social change from Jesus to Gene Sharp have effectively applied humor to defeat tyrants and topple dictators, “using humor to get people involved, to make oppressors look silly, and, most importantly, to break down the barriers of fear.”  Service Leader:  Linda Amspaugh.

(Humor has been used as a tool in social movements for centuries, but only recently gained an official terminology: Laughtivism . . . first defined by an organization called CANVAS, the Center for Applied Nonviolent Actions and Strategies. CANVAS is an educational institution that provides teaching, training, free online literature and advice, and workshops to support and educate nonviolent pro-democracy activists around the world…”)