Nonviolence is a ‘house with many mansions’. It is an ethical philosophy for humans wanting to live in peaceful & respectful co-existence with each other and the natural world; and it is also a powerful tool for social change. Gandhi was a celebrated practitioner of nonviolence and he based his life on the principles of ahimsa - non-harm, and satyagraha - truth force.

Nonviolent social change is based on the understanding that the power of political or corporate elites (‘opponent groups’) is unstable and ultimately dependent on the co-operation of key social groups and the wider populace.

When applied through campaigns of direct action and civil disobedience, nonviolence works because:

• it allows the ‘activist group’ to expose hidden power relations, political values and interests
• by intervening directly and openly in an unjust situation, it dramatises issues so that they can no longer be ignored
• it demonstrates people’s personal commitment to an issue or a place, and does so in a positive and powerful way which appeals to and wins the support of others
• it creates a dynamic that encourages public support to swing away from governments or other powerful interests
• if we clearly adhere to nonviolence, opponent groups are less able to discredit us by committing acts of vandalism or violence and trying to blame them on us - the public will believe us, not them!

What does nonviolence look like in action?

• Nonviolent direct action campaigns succeed best when there has been a public preparation phase involving information gathering, education and negotiation. These aspects should be ongoing throughout a nonviolent social change campaign.
• Attention is focused on values, power structures and institutions, not on attacking individuals or personalities.

• Attention is focused on a positive, up-front approach to conflict and its resolution, based on respect for our opponents as people.
• Nonviolent actions are often based around well organised affinity groups which intervene directly to prevent or interrupt or highlight an injustice.
• Affinity groups act in bold, calm and creative ways, being as open as possible in their activities.
• Affinity groups need to stand firm and remain nonviolent in the face of repression & intimidation.
• Affinity groups set the agenda in any given action; all aspects of an action are considered and planned for, and the aims of any action are clear.
• Affinity groups allocate clearly defined roles such as ‘buddies’, police and media liaison. Peacekeepers are appointed for each action, to ensure that any confrontation or aggression is managed in a creative, nonviolent manner.
• There is no physical or verbal abuse of opponents, and no acts of violence or sabotage.

How nonviolence succeeds: the underlying dynamic

One of the key techniques of nonviolence campaigns is to create a clear contrast between the values, motives and methods of the activist group and those of the opponent group/s. In a campaign or conflict situation, public support will increasingly swing towards groups who are:

• standing firm for the values & principles they believe in (especially if those values/principles are already widely understood and supported in the community e.g. environment, human rights)
• perceived to be open, vulnerable & peaceful in contrast with undemocratic, violent or unjust actions by opponent groups
• consistently remaining nonviolent and respectful in the face of increasing use of force and repression (‘sanctions’) by opponent groups

During most nonviolent campaigns, opponents will try to intimidate activists and undermine campaigns by using a variety of sanctions: physical force, arrests, fines, special laws, harassment etc. They will try to discredit and discourage activists and frighten off community support.

If the activist group is prepared for increasing sanctions, and stands firm, and continues to put out a positive clear message to the wider community, then community opinion will be aroused, support will be withdrawn from the opponent groups, and active support will increasingly be directed towards the activist group.

In this way, nonviolence campaigns create a fluid situation where people and groups who are part of, or identify with, the opponent groups, are increasingly likely to shift their support to the activist group, thus undermining the opponent group’s ability to exercise power and implement destructive and unpopular policies.

Eventually, such loss of support will translate into success for the activist campaign.

References

Gandhi thought of nonviolence on 3 levels: self-improvement; a constructive program to create a new social order; campaigns of resistance against injustice.

Gene Sharpe (US) has identified some 200 forms of nonviolent direct action, within 3 main categories: protest and persuasion; active non-co-operation; intervention.

Cummins (NZ) has charted the dynamics of nonviolence campaigns.

Movement for a New Society published the landmark "Resource Manual for a Living Revolution" (the Monster Manual) in the ‘70’s.