Never Violence! or Never Violence (original title: Niemals Gewalt! or Niemals Gewalt) is the title of a speech made by Astrid Lindgren in 1978, when she received the peace prize Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels (in English: Peace Prize of the German Book Trade). It is one of the most well-known and influential speeches by Lindgren. Astrid Lindgren speaks against corporal punishment of children. A year later, in Lindgren's home country Sweden, a law was passed that forbid corporal punishment of children. In 1978, the speech was first published as a book under the German title Astrid Lindgren: Ansprachen anlässlich der Verleihung des Friedenspreises des Deutschen Buchhandels (Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels). Later the book was also published in many different languages. In 2009, a German short film called Never Violence (original title: Niemals Gewalt) had been published at Children's Day and was based on the story mentioned in Lindgren's speech.

Plot

A boy watches his neighbor baking a strawberry cake. He steals the strawberry cake and eats it, but he is discovered by the neighbour. She brings him to his mother and tells her to punish her son. The mother tells her son to go outside and get a stick. When it gets dark, the boy is still not back. The mother runs into the forest and calls for him, but her son does not answer. Then she runs to the phone. Just when she wants to make a call, her son comes back and says that he is sorry. The mother explains that the most important thing is that he is back. The boy tells his mother he could not find a stick. Instead, he gives her a big stone. He adds that she could hurt him with that too. The mother looks at him in horror, puts the stone aside and hugs her boy. The stone is placed on the windowsill and the words "Never Violence" appear.