Manhattan Nonviolence Initiative has officially started its Season of Nonviolence in which they reach out to Manhattan citizens to strengthen their relationships around them.

Between the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi on Jan 30 and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination on Apr. 4. MNVI puts on an annual Season of Nonviolence where they practice nonviolence in its many different possibilities.

“[We use these dates] to commemorate an honor those two great leaders of non violence,” Susanne Glymour, director of MNVI, said. “So it’s a way to book and highlight the principles of nonviolence, the concepts of violence, the importance of attaining peace in personal life as well as globally through nonviolent action.”

On Friday, MNVI will be host an Author Talk with book author Dawn Downey.

Downey is an author who writes books about spreading happiness and kindness throughout the communities and the world. MNVI thought it would strengthen the message if someone like Downey would speak out about practicing nonviolence in a few ways and spreading her world around MNVI’s community. Her books include

“Searching for my Heart: Essays about Love,” “From Dawn to Daylight Essays” and “Stumbling Towards the Buddha.”

As of Friday, Downey’s presentation be held at the UFM Community Learning Center, at 7 p.m. The cost of the event is $15, including one of her books with a signature and some refreshments.

Between now and the events leading up to April 13, MNVI will also host an Empty Bowl Fundraiser. The Empty Bowl is an event they serve to fight hunger in their community with empty bowls. MNVI is raising money for Common Table and Cats Cupboard.

Any age who is willing to join and do this fundraiser to help make bowls for the hungered is welcome to help.

As a whole, they’d like to see more high school students participate because not only does it help fight nonviolence around you, it helps with community service hours. This organization isn’t only for adults. It’s for teenagers and any age younger or older to join.

“[High school students should join] because I think high schoolers are living a life surrounded by people every day for eight hours a day,” Glymour said. “People are messy and communication is challenging, and relationships are complicated. The more young people can learn how to navigate especially complicated relationships more constructively, more positively, the greater their lives will be.”