The Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action take place from 21 September (International Day of Peace) until 2 October (International Day of Nonviolence and Gandhi’s birthday). These days, people worldwide are encouraged to come together in solidarity to promote and celebrate nonviolence. 

Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action are part of Campaign Nonviolence Action Days which, for 13 years,  has mobilized people to build a culture of peace and active nonviolence, free from war, poverty, racism, and environmental destruction. Last year, millions of people participated in 5,640+ actions, events, and marches around the world. 

Catholics around the world were also part of this, sharing our witness of Gospel Nonviolence, our faith in action, organizing Hope and celebrating Jesus´ way of life. 

This year we invite you to participate again with our friends at Campaign Nonviolence in 2026, The Year of Nonviolent Solutions.

(For us), Jesus’ nonviolent response is the solution to war and violence. He is “the way and the truth and the life”. (John 14:6).

(For us), as christians, We have solutions! means to follow Jesus’ way, truth and life of nonviolence.

“The power with which Christ rose is entirely nonviolent; the Gospels do not hide the fact that what troubled the disciples was his nonviolent response: a path that they all, Peter first among them, contested; yet the Master asked them to follow this path to the end”. (Pope Leo XIV)

This year, we invite you to participate in the Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action, a time for Catholics around the world to witness the transforming power of Gospel Nonviolence in our communities and our world and be part through our faith of Campaign Nonviolence.

Inspired by Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, and rooted in Catholic Social Teaching, we are called to be unarmed and disarming peacemakers who actively build justice, heal relationships, and protect the dignity of every person and the integrity of Creation. During these Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action, we encourage you to share how your parish, school, religious community, organization, or local initiative is living out this Gospel call.

We especially want to highlight stories of faith put into action: restorative justice ministries, accompaniment of those on the margins, peacebuilding and reconciliation initiatives, conflict transformation in schools and communities, care for creation, support for workers and families, affordable housing, debt relief, reparative justice, hospitality to migrants, nonviolent civic engagement, and countless other ways that Christians are building a more just and peaceful world.

Every act of faithful discipleship—whether large or small—bears witness to God’s Kingdom. By sharing these stories, we can encourage one another, inspire our communities, and demonstrate that the Gospel offers concrete, hope-filled alternatives to violence and injustice.

Pope Leo XIV : “Throughout the world, it is to be hoped that every community become a “house of peace, where one learns how to defuse hostility through dialogue, where justice is practiced and forgiveness is cherished. Now more than ever, we must show that peace is not a utopia by fostering attentive and life-giving pastoral creativity”. 

 

How to participate

From September 21 (International Day of Peace) through October 2 (International Day of Nonviolence), we invite you to organize events and actions that Reflect, Educate, and Act to spread the word about nonviolent solutions and integrate one or more of these three dimensions of Christian discipleship: Pray, Learn and Witness.

Some examples: 

  1. Reflect: Hold a vigil, prayer circle, or soulful gathering that reflects on the harm caused by violence and renews the commitment to building the solution(s).  Gather your community for prayer, Eucharistic adoration, Scripture reflection, a peace vigil, rosary, pilgrimage, or other moments of communal prayer. Pray for those affected by violence, for reconciliation, and for the grace to become instruments of Christ’s peace.
  2. Educate: Through teach-ins, film screenings, workshops, discussion groups and other educational events, bring people together to learn about one or more Nonviolent Solutions. Host a study session, parish conversation, workshop, lecture, or faith-sharing gathering that explores Gospel Nonviolence, Catholic Social Teaching, or practical ways to respond to violence with the nonviolent response of justice, mercy, and love. The Peace Stories on the PCI website and the stories in Waging Nonviolence may offer some inspiration. 
  3. Act: Take visible action to practice or promote a Nonviolent Solution. This could include mutual aid or community care projects, restorative justice events, climate clean-ups, sit-ins, advocacy meetings, creative demonstrations, or other actions that share solutions with decision makers and communities alike.Take a public step that embodies Gospel Nonviolence. Where do you see creative nonviolence in your community?   Are there models of community service, restorative justice initiatives, care for creation, advocacy for policies that uphold human dignity, accompaniment of vulnerable people, creative public witness, or other actions that help build a culture of peace.How can you better celebrate these?

Fill out the form to tell us: “Yes, I’ll do something!” You don’t need to have all the details finalized yet.

 

We will share  a toolkit with liturgical resources, prayer materials, action ideas, promotional materials, and other resources to help you prepare as September approaches.

Join us and make Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action a time for witness and celebration of Gospel Nonviolence. 

Together, let us become ever more faithful witnesses to Christ’s peace, showing that Gospel Nonviolence is not only an ideal but a living way of discipleship that can transform hearts, communities, and our world.

 

Keep in touch

Share your activities and events here.

Share your reflections and witness on Gospel Nonviolence on social media.

Promote the event on social media and repost the daily action ideas between 21 September and 2 October. Keep an eye out on the following pages:

Post a photo or a video of what Nonviolence means to you, use #Nonviolence and tag @CathNonviolence.

Read more about the Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action in 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020.

Become a Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action Animator.