ROOTS OF NONVIOLENCE: a History of RCNV, 1976-2019  In 1981, Phil McManus, Scott Kennedy and UCSC professor David Sweet were instrumental in organizing Witness for Peace, sending US volunteers to accompany social justice activists in Nicaragua for 1 to 6 months, providing nonviolent safety from privileged Americans when the US government was funding armed “Contra” guerilla warriors in the country. Phil led delegations to Mexico, Central America and South America to meet and learn from organizers of nonviolent struggles. John Lindsay-Poland worked at RCNV with Fellowship of Reconciliation funding to staff FOR’s Task Force on Latin America. Judy Bloomgardner organized a campaign in solidarity with Brazilians resisting oppressive World Bank lending practices.  https://rcnv.org/about/history-of-rcnv/