Image from RiveraSun.com
Rivera Sun with her novel, “The Dandelion Insurrection.”
Rivera Sun, author of “The Dandelion Insurrection,” a powerful novel on nonviolent change — has chosen Fayetteville as one of more than 40 cities she will visit in a national tour that will canvas the West Coast, Rocky Mountains, East Coast, and the Great Lakes Region.
“Fayetteville has been on my list of places to visit since the inception of the Fayetteville Free Zone, which has published the companion essays to my novel ‘The Dandelion Insurrection’ alongside some truly remarkable stories of courageous local activism, reflections and expressions of the meaning of life in these turbulent times,” Sun said. “It is an honor to be welcomed into the Fayetteville community and to have the opportunity to share skills and stories. I chose to stop in Fayetteville on my nationwide Seeds of Change tour because this community is blessed by dedicated organizers and deep heart: two necessary ingredients of change. If my stories and workshops provide strategies and inspiration for citizens and organizers, then I will feel humbled and grateful to have been able to contribute in this way.”
Her appearance is cosponsored by the Omni Center for Peace, Justice and Ecology, and Fayetteville community radio KPSQ 97.3 FM.
On May 13, Sun will be at Nightbird Books, at 205 W. Dickson St., for a reading and book signing from 7:15 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sun will read from “The Dandelion Insurrection” and speak about the movements for change sweeping the nation.
On May 14, she will be at the Art, Creativity & Activism Workshop, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., at The OMNI Center. When art and action collide, hearts break open, minds expand, and mountains move! Sharing stories from her experience and from historic nonviolent movements worldwide, Rivera Sun’s Art, Creativity, and Activism workshop unleashes our creative energy as a force of change.
On May 15, she will host the Activism & Media: Building Our Own Media Workshop, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at The OMNI Center. This workshop explores how we build citizen media teams, cover our stories, publish our message, and get it far and wide using the tools we have to leverage the change we need. Rivera Sun shares skills and strategies she uses as a writer whose articles have been published on Truthout, Occupy.com, Popular Resistance, among other journals; and as the social media coordinator for Campaign Nonviolence, a nationwide movement to build a culture of nonviolence.
On May 16, the ONMI Center will host Building Nonviolent Campaigns Workshop, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. From the problem to the solution, learn strategies for change and apply them in your community. This workshop covers the basic dynamics and strategies of nonviolent action. Participants discover how to envision and build campaigns, become familiar with the 198 Methods of Nonviolent Action, the Pillars of Support, the Spectrum of Allies, and basic elements of campaign design. Explore messaging, constructive programs, and escalation of nonviolent tactics. This is a workshop for everyone, youth, elders, experienced organizers or brand new enthusiasts.
On May 17, from noon to 9 p.m., Sun will be signing her novels, “The Dandelion Insurrection,” and “Billionaire Buddha,” at the Block Street Block Party.
Rivera Sun’s other novels are Steam Drills, Treadmills, and Shooting Stars. She is the cohost of Occupy Radio, and the cofounder of the Love-In-Action Network. She is also the social media coordinator for Campaign Nonviolence and Pace e Bene. Sun attended the James Lawson Institute on Strategic Nonviolent Resistance in 2014 and her essays on social justice movements appear in Truthout and Popular Resistance. www.riverasun.com
The Omni Center is at 3274 N. Lee Ave., Fayetteville. Phone 479-935-4422.
Dawn Jones, Omni Center Media & Community Outreach ~ dawn.jones56@gmail.com
479-935-4415 / 479-422-8321 cell
