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Nonviolence is a philosophy and strategy for social change that rejects the use of physical violence. The term anti-war usually refers to the opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. Organised opposition to a possible future military attack against Iran by the United States (US is known to have started during 2005-2006 There has been significant opposition to the Iraq War across the world Opposition to the 2001 Afghanistan War consisted of tens to a hundred thousand protestors in the United States and the United Kingdom. See also War on Terrorism Criticism of the War on Terrorism (also named the War on Terror) addresses the issues morals Ethics, efficiency economics The International Campaign to Ban Landmines is a coalition of Non-governmental organizations whose goal is to abolish the production and use of Anti-personnel mines Opposition to US involvement in the Vietnam War is significant because domestic protest in the U Nuclear disarmament is the proposed dismantling of Nuclear weapons. Opposition to World War II was most vocal during its early period and stronger still before it started while Appeasement and Isolationism were considered viable diplomatic World War I was mainly opposed by Left-wing groups but there was also opposition by Christian Pacifist groups Opposition to the Second Boer War in Britain was modest when the war began on 11 October 1899 and was always less widespread than support for it let alone Popular opposition to the American Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865 was widespread This article concerns Loyalists in the American Revolution. For information on the role of those Loyalists in Canadian history after their emigration see United Empire In order to facilitate organized opposition to war Anti-war activists have often founded anti-war organizations A conscientious objector (CO is an individual who on religious moral or ethical grounds refuses to participate as a combatant in war or in some cases to take any role that would support A draft dodger, draft evader or draft resister, is a person who avoids ("dodges" or otherwise violates the Conscription policies of the A peace movement is a Social movement that seeks to achieve ideals such as the ending of a particular war (or all wars minimize inter-human violence in a particular place or Peace churches are Christian churches groups or communities advocating Christian pacifism. Peace camps are a form of physical Protest camp that is focused on Anti-war activity Anti-imperialism, strictly speaking is a term that may be applied to or movement opposed to some form of Imperialism. Antimilitarism is a doctrine commonly found in the Anarchist and more globally in the Socialist movement which may be both characterized as Internationalist Pacificism is the general Ethical opposition to War or Violence, except in cases where force is deemed absolutely necessary to advance the cause of Satyagraha ( Sanskrit: सत्याग्रह satyāgraha) is a philosophy and practice of Nonviolent resistance developed by Mohandas In the context of Revolutionary struggle vanguardism is a strategy whereby an organization (usually a Vanguard party) attempts to place itself at the center of the An anti-war book is a book that is perceived as having an Anti-war theme An anti-war film is a Film that emphasizes the pain horror and human costs of armed conflict An Anti-war Song is a Musical composition that either states anti-war sentiments directly or one which is perceived (by the public and/or critics as having Violence is the exertion of force so as to injure or abuse The word is used broadly to describe the destructive action of natural phenomena like Storms and Earthquakes As such, nonviolence is an alternative to passive acceptance of oppression and armed struggle against it. Practitioners of nonviolence may use diverse methods in their campaigns for social change, including critical forms of education and persuasion, civil disobedience and nonviolent direct action, and targeted communication via mass media. Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency Persuasion is a form of Social influence. It is the process of guiding people toward the adoption of an idea attitude or action by rational and symbolic (though not always Civil disobedience is the active refusal to obey certain Laws demands and commands of a Government, or of an occupying power, without resorting to physical Direct action is political action which happens outside normal political channels via indirect actions such as electing representatives.

Sometimes, the term "nonviolence" is often linked with or even used as a synonym for pacifism. However the two concepts are demonstrably different. Proponents of nonviolence may reject violence for purely practical reasons (e. g. "the other side has all the guns"), whereas a pacifist may reject the use of violence on moral or spiritual grounds.

In modern times, nonviolence has been a powerful tool for social protest. Mohandas Gandi led a long nonviolent struggle against British rule in India. This movement helped India win its independence in 1947. About 10 years later, Martin Luther King Jr. adopted Gandi's nonviolent methods in his struggle to win civil rights for African Americans. Then in the 1960's Cesar Chavez organized a campaign of nonviolence to protest the treatment of farms workers in California. These three leaders proved that people can bring about social change without using violence. As Chavez once explained, "Nonviolence is not inaction. It is not for the timid or the weak. It is hard work, It is the patience to win. " ^[1]

Contents 1 How it works 2 Why nonviolence? 3 Methods 4 Living nonviolence 5 Green politics and nonviolence 6 Revolution and nonviolence 7 Criticism 7.1 Property or people? 8 Defining nonviolence 9 References 10 Organizations promoting nonviolence 11 See also 12 Further reading 13 External links 13.1 Other

How it works

Advocates of nonviolence believe cooperation and consent are the roots of political power: all regimes depend on compliance from citizens, bureaucratic and financial institutions, and armed segments of society (such as the military and police) to implement their policies. On a national level, the strategy of nonviolence seeks to undermine the power of rulers by encouraging people to withdraw their consent and cooperation. If the military or police attacks the nonviolent resisters, the structural violence of society is exposed, thus making the oppressors, instead of the resistors (the oppressed), look bad. Structural violence, a term which was first used in the 1960s and which has commonly been ascribed to Johan Galtung, denotes a form of violence which corresponds with the If the resisters are persistent, the military or police will be forced to accept the fact that they no longer have any power over the resisters. Often, the willingness of the resisters to suffer has a profound effect on the mind and emotions of the oppressor, leaving them unable to commit such a violent act again.

In his book, The Search For a Nonviolent Future, Michael Nagler explains how nonviolence works, how violence does not, gives many examples of nonviolence, describes how anyone can start nonviolence in their family and community, and much more.

Gene Sharp, in his book The Politics of Nonviolent Action, suggests that the absence of nonviolence from mainstream historical study is because elite interests are not served by the dissemination of techniques for social struggle that rely on the collective power of a mobilized citizenry rather than access to wealth or weaponry. Gene Sharp (born 21 January 1928) is known for his extensive writings on nonviolent struggle he has been called both the "Machiavelli of nonviolence" and

Most advocates of nonviolence draw their inspiration from religious or ethical beliefs, or from political analysis. Religious or ethically based nonviolence is sometimes referred to as principled, philosophical or ethical nonviolence, while nonviolence based on political analysis is often referred to as tactical, strategic, or pragmatic nonviolence. Commonly, both of these dimensions may be present within the thinking of particular movements or individuals. ^[2]

Love of the "enemy", or the realization of the humanity of all people, is a fundamental concept of principled nonviolence. Thus, this kind of nonviolent actor does not so much seek to defeat the "enemy", as to win them over to create love and understanding between all.

By contrast, the fundamental concept of pragmatic nonviolence is to create a social dynamic or political movement that can effect social change without necessarily winning over those who wish to maintain the status quo. ^[3]

Why nonviolence?

In modern industrial democracies, nonviolence has been used extensively by political sectors without mainstream political power such labor, peace, environment and women's movements.

Less well known is the role that nonviolence has played and continues to play in undermining the power of repressive political regimes in the developing world and the former eastern bloc:

In 1989, thirteen nations comprising 1,695,000,000 people experienced nonviolent revolutions that succeeded beyond anyone's wildest expectations . . . If we add all the countries touched by major nonviolent actions in our century (the Philippines, South Africa . . . the independence movement in India . . . ) the figure reaches 3,337,400,000, a staggering 65% of humanity! All this in the teeth of the assertion, endlessly repeated, that nonviolence doesn't work in the 'real' world.
— Walter Wink, as quoted by Susan Ives in a 2001 talk

As a technique for social struggle, nonviolence has been described as "the politics of ordinary people", reflecting its historically mass-based use by populations throughout the world and history. Prof Dr Walter Wink (born 1935 is Professor Emeritus at Auburn Theological Seminary in New York City. Struggles most often associated with nonviolence are the non co-operation campaign for Indian independence led by Mohandas Gandhi, the struggle to attain civil rights for African Americans, led by Martin Luther King Jr., and People Power in the Philippines. The term " Indian independence movement " is diffuse incorporating various national and regional campaigns agitations and efforts of both Nonviolent and Militant Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી moɦən̪d̪äs kəɾəmʧən̪d̪ gän̪d̪ʱi (2 October 1869 – 30 January African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Martin Luther King Jr ( January 15, 1929 April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, Activist and prominent leader The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP

Also of primary significance is the notion that just means are the most likely to lead to just ends. When Gandhi said that "the means may be likened to the seed, the end to a tree," he expressed the philosophical kernel of what some refer to as prefigurative politics. The term prefigurative politics is widespread within various activist movements and in short it describes modes of organization and tactics undertaken that accurately reflect the future Martin Luther King, a student of Gandhian non-violent resistance, concurred with this tenet of the method, concluding that ". . . nonviolence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek. " Proponents of nonviolence reason that the actions taken in the present inevitably re-shape the social order in like form. They would argue, for instance, that it is fundamentally irrational to use violence to achieve a peaceful society.

Some proponents of nonviolence advocate respect or love for opponents. It is this principle which is most closely associated with spiritual or religious justifications of nonviolence, as may be seen in the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus urges his followers to "love thine enemy," in the Taoist concept of wu-wei, or effortless action, in the philosophy of the martial art Aikido, in the Buddhist principle of metta, or loving-kindness towards all beings, and in the principle of ahimsa, or nonviolence toward any being, shared by Buddhism, Jainism and some forms of Hinduism. In the Gospel of St Matthew, the Sermon on the Mount is a compilation of Jesus' sayings epitomizing his moral teaching. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Taoism (pronounced /ˈdaʊɪzəm/ or /ˈtaʊɪzəm/ also spelled '''Daoism''') refers to a variety of related Philosophical and Religious traditions Wu wei ( is an important tenet of Taoism that involves knowing when to act and when not to act is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies philosophy and religious beliefs Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Mettā meditation the practice of loving-kindness Mettā signifies Friendship and Non-violence as well as "a strong wish for the happiness of others" Ahimsa ( Devanagari: sa अहिंसा IAST ahiṃsā is a Sanskrit term meaning Non-violence (literally the avoidance of violence - Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Respect or love for opponents also has a pragmatic justification, in that the technique of separating the deeds from the doers allows for the possibility of the doers changing their behaviour, and perhaps their beliefs. Martin Luther King said, "Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him. " Focus on both nonviolence and forgiveness of sin can be found in the story of Abel in the Qur'an. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran Liberal movements within Islam have consequently used this story to promote Jewish ideals of nonviolence. Progressive Muslims have produced a considerable body of liberal thoughts within Islam (in Arabic: الإسلام الاجتهادي PLEASE TAKE NOTE************

Finally, the notion of Satya, or truth, is central to the Gandhian conception of nonviolence. Satya is a Sanskrit word that loosely translates into English as " Truth " or "correct Gandhi saw truth as something that is multifaceted and unable to be grasped in its entirety by any one individual. All carry pieces of the truth, he believed, but all need the pieces of others’ truths in order to pursue the greater truth. This led him to believe in the inherent worth of dialogue with opponents, in order to understand motivations. On a practical level, willingness to listen to another's point of view is largely dependent on reciprocity. In order to be heard by one's opponents, one must also be prepared to listen.

The central tenets of nonviolent philosophy exist in each of the major Abrahamic religious traditions (Islam, Judaism and Christianity) as well as in the major Dharmic religious traditions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism). For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The Sanskrit term ( Devanāgarī: धर्म Pali transliteration dhamma) is an Indian spiritual and religious Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India. Sikhism ( IPA: or; ਸਿੱਖੀ sikkhī, IPA:) founded on the teachings of Nanak and nine successive gurus in fifteenth century It is also found in many pagan religious traditions. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world Nonviolent movements, leaders and advocates have at times referred to, drawn from and utilised many diverse religious basis for nonviolence within their respective struggles.

Likewise, secular political movements have utilised nonviolence, either as a tactical tool or as a strategic program on purely pragmatic and strategic levels, relying on its political effectiveness rather than a claim to any religious, moral or ethical worthiness.

People come to use nonviolent methods of struggle from a wide range of perspectives and traditions. A landless peasant in Brazil may nonviolently occupy a parcel of land for purely practical motivations. If they don't, the family will starve. A Buddhist monk in Thailand may "ordain" trees in a threatened forest, drawing on the teachings of Buddha to resist its destruction. A waterside worker in England may go on strike in socialist and union political traditions. All the above are using nonviolent methods but from different standpoints.

Nonviolence has even obtained a level of institutional recognition and endorsement at the global level. On November 10th, 1998, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the first decade of the 21st century and the third millennium, the years 2001 to 2010, as the International Decade for the Promotion of a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the first decade of the 21st century and the third millennium the years 2001 to 2010 as the International Decade for the Promotion

Methods

“	We will wear you down by our capacity to suffer.	”
	— Martin Luther King Jr, 1963 [4]

Nonviolent action generally comprises three categories. Martin Luther King Jr ( January 15, 1929 April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, Activist and prominent leader The first, Acts of Protest and Persuasion, which include protest marches, vigils, public meetings and tools such as banners, placards, candles, flowers and the like; secondly, Noncooperation, the deliberate and strategic refusal to co-operate with an injustice; and thirdly, Nonviolent Intervention, the deliberate and often physical intervention into a perceived unjust event, such as blockades, occupations, sit-ins, tree sitting, truck cavalcades to name a few.

Hunger strikes, pickets, candlelight vigils, petitions, sit-ins, tax refusal, go-slows, blockades, draft refusal and public demonstrations are some of the specific techniques that have been deployed by nonviolent movements. A hunger strike is a method of Non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political Protest, or to provoke feelings of A candlelight vigil is an outdoor assembly of people carrying Candles held after Sunset. A petition is a request to change some thing most commonly made to a government official or public entity A sit-in or sit-down is a form of direct action that involves one or more persons nonviolently occupying an area for a Protest, often to promote political social A tax resister resists or refuses payment of a Tax because of opposition to the institution collecting the tax or to some of that institution’s policies Throughout history, these are some of the means used by ordinary people to counter injustice or reveal oppression or bring about progressive change.

Tactics must be carefully chosen, taking into account political and cultural circumstances, and form part of a larger plan or strategy.

A useful source of inspiration, for those seeking the best nonviolent tactics to deploy, is Gene Sharp’s list of 198 methods of nonviolent action, which includes symbolic, political, economic and physical actions. In early Greece, Aristophanes' Lysistrata gives the fictional example of women withholding sexual favours from their husbands until war was abandoned. Aristophanes (Ἀριστοφάνης ˌærɪˈstɒfəniːz in English ca Lysistrata ( Attic Greek: Λυσιστράτη Lysistratê, Doric Greek: Λυσιστράτα Lysistrata) loosely translated to "she

Activist/researcher George Lakey says there are three applications of nonviolent action, being for:

• social defense (as in protection of a neighborhood or country from outside invaders);
• social change (its most known form, for advocating either reform or revolutionary changes); and
• third-party nonviolent intervention.

As a method of intervention across borders to deter attack and promote peaceful resolution of conflicts, the latter has met with several failures (at least on the level of deterring attack) such as the Human Shields in Iraq because it failed to ascertain the value of the goal compared with the value of human life in its context of war; but also many successes, such as the work of Project Accompaniment in Guatemala. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest Several non-governmental organizations are working in this area including, for example: Peace Brigades International, Christian Peacemaker Teams and the Nonviolent Peaceforce. Peace Brigades International ( PBI) is an NGO, founded in 1981 which "protects Human rights and promotes nonviolent transformation of Christian Peacemaker Teams ( CPT) is an international organization set up to support teams of peace workers in conflict areas around the world The primary tactics are unarmed accompaniment and human rights observation and reporting.

There are also many other great nonviolence leaders and theorists who have thought deeply about the spiritual and practical aspects of nonviolence, including: Leo Tolstoy, Lech Wałęsa, Petra Kelly, Thich Nhat Hanh, Dorothy Day, Ammon Hennacy, Albert Einstein, John Howard Yoder, Stanley Hauerwas, David McReynolds, Johan Galtung, Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Ida Ford, Daniel Berrigan, Bacha Khan, Mario Rodriguez Cobos (pen name Silo) and César Chávez, Leanne Perry. Leo Tolstoy, or Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy ( –) (Лев Никола́евич Толсто́й, was a Russian Writer widely regarded Petra Karin Kelly ( November 29, 1947 &ndash October 1, 1992) a politician was instrumental in founding the German Green Party, Nhat Hanh ( Vietnamese: Nhất Hạnh; tʰǐk ɲɜ̌t hɐ̂ʔɲ (born October 11 1926 in central Vietnam) is an expatriate Dorothy Day ( November 8, 1897 – November 29, 1980) was an American Journalist turned anarchist, social activist Ammon Hennacy ( July 24 1893 – January 14 1970) was an American pacifist, Christian anarchist, vegetarian Albert Einstein ( German: ˈalbɐt ˈaɪ̯nʃtaɪ̯n; English: ˈælbɝt ˈaɪnstaɪn (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955 was a German -born theoretical John Howard Yoder ( December 29 1927 – December 30, 1997) was a Christian theologian ethicist and Biblical scholar Stanley Hauerwas (b July 24, 1940) is a United Methodist Theologian, Ethicist, and professor of Law. David McReynolds (born October 25, 1929) is an American democratic socialist and pacifist activist who described himself as "a peace movement Johan Galtung (born October 24, 1930, in Oslo, Norway) is a Norwegian Sociologist and a principal founder of the discipline of Martin Luther King Jr ( January 15, 1929 April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, Activist and prominent leader Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી moɦən̪d̪äs kəɾəmʧən̪d̪ gän̪d̪ʱi (2 October 1869 – 30 January Daniel Berrigan, SJ (born May 9, 1921) is a poet American Peace activist, and Roman Catholic Priest. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan ( Pashto / Urdu: خان عبد الغفار خان Hindi: ख़ान अब्दुल ग़्फ़्फ़ार ख़ान Mario Luis Rodríguez Cobos (born January 6 1938 in Mendoza Argentina) pen-name Silo, is a writer and spiritual leader César Estrada Chávez ( March 31, 1927 – April 23, 1993) born in Yuma Arizona, was a Mexican-American farm worker Labor

Many leftist and socialist movements have hoped to mount a "peaceful revolution" by organizing enough strikers to completely paralyze it. With the state and corporate apparatus thus crippled, the workers would be able to re-organize society along radically different lines.

Living nonviolence

The violence embedded in most of the world's societies causes many to consider it an inherent part of human nature, but others (Riane Eisler, Walter Wink, Daniel Quinn) have suggested that violence - or at least the arsenal of violent strategies we take for granted - is a phenomenon of the last five to ten thousand years, and was not present in pre-domestication and early post-domestication human societies. Riane Tennenhaus Eisler is an Austrian born American scholar writer and social activist Prof Dr Walter Wink (born 1935 is Professor Emeritus at Auburn Theological Seminary in New York City. Daniel Quinn (born 1935 in Omaha Nebraska) is a US Writer. He is best known for his book Ishmael (1992 which won the This view shares several characteristics with the Victorian ideal of the Noble Savage. In the eighteenth-century cult of " Primitivism " the noble savage, uncorrupted by the influences of civilization was considered more worthy more authentically noble

For many, practicing nonviolence goes deeper than withholding from violent behavior or words. It means caring in one's heart for everyone, even those one strongly disagrees with, that is who are antithetical or opposed. By extrapolation comes the necessity of caring for those who are not practicing nonviolence, who are violent. Of course no one can simply will themselves to have such care, and this is one of the great personal challenges posed by nonviolence - once one believes in nonviolence in theory, how can the person live it?

Green politics and nonviolence

Part of the Politics series on Green politics

Topics Green politics Green party List of Green topics Schools Bright green environmentalism Deep ecology Eco-feminism Eco-socialism Green anarchism Green conservatism Green liberalism Green libertarianism Green syndicalism Social ecology Organizations Global Greens Global Young Greens Africa Americas Asia-Pacific Europe Federation of Young European Greens Green Parties Principles Four Pillars ecological wisdom social justice grassroots democracy nonviolence Politics Portal ·  v • d • e

Nonviolence has been a central concept in green political philosophy. Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions Green politics is a Political ideology which places a high importance on ecological and environmental goals and on achieving these goals through broad-based Green politics is a Political ideology which places a high importance on ecological and environmental goals and on achieving these goals through broad-based A Green party' or ecologist party is a formally organized Political party based on the principles of Green politics. This list of Green topics includes people parties organizations and ideas associated with Green politics. Bright green environmentalism is an ideology based on the belief that New technologies and Social innovation provide the most successful path to Sustainable development Deep ecology is a recent branch of ecological Philosophy ( Ecosophy) that considers Humankind an integral part of its environment. Ecofeminism is a social and political movement which attempts to unite Environmentalism and Feminism, with some currents linking Deep ecology and Eco-socialism, Green socialism or Socialist ecology is an Ideology merging aspects of Marxism, Socialism, Green politics Green anarchism is a school of thought within Anarchism which puts an emphasis on Environmental issues. Green conservatism is a term used to refer to conservatives who have incorporated green concerns into their Ideology. Green liberalism is a term used to refer to liberals who have incorporated green concerns into their Ideology. Green libertarianism is a Political philosophy that has developed in the United States. Green syndicalism has been used as a name for the philosophy of the green guild or sustainable trades movement Social Ecology is a philosophy developed by French geographer and anarchist Élisée Reclus and revived by Murray Bookchin in the 1960s The Global Greens is a global network of Green parties and political movements The Global Young Greens (GYG is an emerging global organisation supporting and consolidating the efforts of young people working towards Social justice, Ecological sustainability The Federation of Green Parties of Africa is the organization of Green parties in Africa, similar to other continental Green Party groupings like in the Americas The Federation of the Green Parties of the Americas is the organization of Green parties in North America and South America. The Asia-Pacific Green Network is a federation of national Green parties in countries in the Pacific Ocean and Asia, and is a member of the Global Greens The European Green Party (or European Greens or EGP) is the Green Political party at European level. The Federation of Young European Greens AISBL is a federation of green youth organisations from all over Europe (both EU and non-EU The Four Pillars of the Green Party are a foundational statement of Green politics and form the basis of many Worldwide Green parties. The term ecological Wisdom, or Ecosophy, is a philosophy of ecological harmony or equilibrium Social justice, sometimes called civil justice, refers to the concept of a Society in which Justice is achieved in every aspect of society rather than Grassroots democracy is a tendency towards designing political processes where as much decision-making authority as practical is shifted to the organization's lowest geographic It is included in the Global Greens Charter. The Global Greens Charter is a document that 800 delegates from the Green parties of 72 countries decided upon a first gathering of the Global Greens Greens believe that society should reject the current patterns of violence and embrace nonviolence. Green Philosophy draws heavily on both Gandhi and the Quaker traditions, which advocate measures by which the escalation of violence can be avoided, while not cooperating with those who commit violence. These greens believe that the current patterns of violence are incompatible with a sustainable society because it uses up limited resources and many forms of violence, especially nuclear weapons, are damaging for the environment. Violence also diminishes one and the group.

Some green political parties, like the Dutch GroenLinks, evolved out of the cooperation of the peace movement with the environmental movement in their resistance to nuclear weapons and nuclear energy. GroenLinks ( GL, English: GreenLeft) is a Dutch Green Political party. A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Nuclear Energy is released by the splitting (fission or merging together (fusion of the nuclei of Atom (s

As Green Parties have moved from the fringes of society towards becoming more and more influential in government circles, this commitment to nonviolence has had to be more clearly defined. In many cases, this has meant that the party has had to articulate a position on non-violence that differentiates itself from classic pacifism. The leader of the German Greens, for example, was instrumental in the NATO intervention in the Kosovo, arguing that being in favour of non-violence should never lead to passive acceptance of genocide. The Alliance '90/The Greens ( Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) the German Green party, is a Political party in Germany whose regional Similarly, Elizabeth May of the Green Party of Canada has stated that the Canadian intervention in Afganistan is justified as a means of supporting women's rights. Elizabeth May, OC (b June 9 1954, Hartford Connecticut) is the current leader of the Green Party of Canada. The Green Party of Canada is a Canadian federal Political party founded in 1983 with around 9000 registered members as of November 2007. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت,

This movement by Green leadership has caused some internal dissension, as the traditional pacifist position is that there is no justification ever for committing violence.

Revolution and nonviolence

Certain individuals (Barbara Deming, Danilo Dolci, Devere Allen etc. Barbara Deming (1917 - 1984 was an American Feminist and advocate of nonviolent social change Danilo Dolci ( Sesana, June 28, 1924 – Partinico, PA, December 30, 1997) was a Social activist ) and party groups (eg. Socialist Party USA, Socialist Resistance or War Resisters League) have advocated nonviolent revolution as an alternative to violence as well as elitist reformism. The Socialist Party USA (SP USA is one of the heirs to the Socialist Party of America of Eugene V Socialist Resistance is an Ecosocialist network in Britain which publishes a Marxist Periodical of the same name The War Resisters League (WRL was formed in 1923 by men and women who had opposed World War I. A nonviolent revolution is a Revolution using mostly nonviolent protest against governments seen as entrenched and Authoritarian to advocate Democracy This perspective is usually connected to militant anti-capitalism. Anti-capitalism describes a wide variety of movements ideas and attitudes which oppose Capitalism.

Criticism

Leon Trotsky, Frantz Fanon, Reinhold Niebuhr, Subhash Chandra Bose and Malcolm X were fervent critics of nonviolence, arguing variously that nonviolence and pacifism are an attempt to impose the morals of the bourgeoisie upon the proletariat, that violence is a necessary accompaniment to revolutionary change, or that the right to self-defense is fundamental. Leon Trotsky ( Russian:, Lev Davidovich Trotsky, also transliterated Leo, Lyev, Trotskii, Trotski, Trotskij Frantz Fanon ( July 20, 1925 – December 6, 1961) was a Psychiatrist, philosopher, revolutionary and author from Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhr ( June 21, 1892 &ndash June 1, 1971) was an American theologian. Subhas Chandra Bose (সুভাষ চন্দ্র বসু (born January 23, 1897; presumed to have died August 18, 1945 Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little; May 19 1925 February 21 1965 also known as El-Hajj Malik El- Shabazz, was an African American The proletariat (from Latin la ''proles'' "offspring" is a term used to identify a lower Social class; a member of such a class is proletarian

In the midst of violent repression of radical African Americans in the United States during the 1960s, Black Panther member George Jackson said of the nonviolent tactics of Martin Luther King, Jr.:

"The concept of nonviolence is a false ideal. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa The Black Panther Party (originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was a Marxist / Maoist African-American organization established George Jackson ( September 23, 1941 &ndash August 21, 1971) was a Black American militant who became a member of the Black Panther Martin Luther King Jr ( January 15, 1929 April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, Activist and prominent leader It presupposes the existence of compassion and a sense of justice on the part of one's adversary. When this adversary has everything to lose and nothing to gain by exercising justice and compassion, his reaction can only be negative. "

Malcolm X also clashed with civil rights leaders over the issue of nonviolence, arguing that violence should not be ruled out where no option remained:

"I believe it's a crime for anyone being brutalized to continue to accept that brutality without doing something to defend himself. "^[5]

Lance Hill criticises nonviolence as a failed strategy and argues that black armed self-defense and civil violence motivated civil rights reforms more than peaceful appeals to morality and reason (see Lance Hill's "Deacons for Defense")[1].

The efficacy of nonviolence was also challenged by anti-capitalist protesters advocating a "diversity of tactics" during street demonstrations across Europe and the US following the anti-World Trade Organization protests in Seattle, Washington in 1999. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. American feminist writer D. A. Clarke, in her essay "A Woman With A Sword," suggests that for nonviolence to be effective, it must be "practiced by those who could easily resort to force if they chose. Feminism is a discourse that involves various movements theories, and Philosophies which are concerned with the issue of Gender difference, advocate D A Clarke has been a radical feminist essayist and activist in the United States of America since 1980 " This argument reasons that nonviolent tactics will be of little or no use to groups that are traditionally considered incapable of violence, since nonviolence will be in keeping with people's expectations for them and thus go unnoticed. Such is the principle of dunamis (from the Greek: δύνάμις or, restrained power).

Niebuhr's criticism of nonviolence, expressed most clearly in Moral Man and Immoral Society (1932) is based on his view of human nature as innately selfish, an updated version of the Christian doctrine of original sin. Advocates of nonviolence generally do not accept the doctrine of original sin (though Martin Luther King, Jr. , did accept a modified version of Niebuhr's teachings on the subject).

Property or people?

One minor, but commonly debated issue is whether the destruction of or damage to non-living objects, as opposed to people is actual "violence". In much nonviolence literature, including Sharp, various forms of sabotage and damage to property are included within the scope of nonviolent action, while other authors consider destruction or destructive acts of any kind as potentially or actually a form of violence in that it might generate fear or hardship upon the owner or person dependent on that object. Property damage (or in the United Kingdom, criminal damage) is damage to or the destruction of public or private Property, caused either by a

Other authors or activists argue that property destruction can be strategically ineffective if the act provides a pretext for further repression or reinforces state power. Lakey, for instance, argues that the burning of cars during the Paris uprising of 1968 only served to undermine the growing working and middle-class support for the uprising and undermined its political potential.

Sabotage of machinery used in war, either during its production or after, complicates the issue further. Is saving a life by destroying property that will later be used for violence a violent act, or is passively allowing weapons to be used later the violent act (i. e. non-violence that leads to violence)? At a less abstract level, if someone is being beaten with a stick, it is usually not considered an act of violence to take the stick away, but if the stick falls to the ground and you break it, is that still considered a violent action?

In all of these debates it is relevant to consider the question of whether the perpetrator or victim of violence determines what is "violent. " Also, relative power of parties and the type of "weapon" being applied is relevant to the issue. Palestinian children throwing rocks at Israeli tanks as an example cited. Force itself here becomes a relative measure of power and petty violence by the disenfranchised may be violence, but ultimately is not the same as overarching "power" to destroy.

Defining nonviolence

As alluded to in the previous section, the term nonviolence is sometimes used to define different sets of limitations or features, as different actions are considered violent or not violent. In a Wikipedia article on the 2008 Tibetan unrest, a quotation from Dawa Tsering, an Additional Secretary in the Department of Information and International Relations of the Tibetan government-in-exile claims that actions of beating people and setting fire to a building with people holed up inside who end up being burnt to death are both scenarios of nonviolence; though, some Western definitions would clearly clash with their definition of nonviolence which appears to include everything but intentional causing of fatal harm. In an interview with Radio France International Tsering said ^[6]:

“

First of all, I must make it clear that the Tibetan (rioters) has been non-violent throughout (the incident). Radio France Internationale (RFI was created in 1975 as part of Radio France by the Government of France to serve as a broadcast vehicle for French Equatorial . . . the Tibetans rioters were beating Han Chinese, but only beating took place. After the beating the Han Chinese were free to flee. Therefore [there were] only beating, no life was harmed. Those who were killed were all results of accidents. . . . the Han Chinese all went into hiding upstairs. When the Tibetan [rioters] set fire to the buildings, the Han Chinese remained in hiding instead of escaping, the result is that these Han Chinese were all accidentally burnt to death. Those who set and spread the fire, on the other hand, had no idea whatsoever that there were Han Chinese hiding upstairs. Therefore not only were Han Chinese burnt to death, some Tibetans were burnt to death too. Therefore all these incidents were accidents, not murder.

”

References

Organizations promoting nonviolence

• Albert Einstein Institution (study and use of strategic nonviolent action in conflicts throughout the world)
• Alternatives to Violence Project
• Association for Global New Thought(promotes non-violence in thought & deed in the New Thought denominations, such as Unity, Religious Science, and Divine Science)
• The Center for Nonviolent Communication website
• Christian Peacemaker Teams
• Educators for Nonviolence
• Fellowship of Reconciliation
• Food Not Bombs
• Worldwide Green Parties Peace and justice through grassroots nonviolent means by, and for, people, communities, and nations
• Green Party US
• Get the Point
• Greenpeace
• Humanist Movement
• Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (Yasin Malik)
• Jonah House
• Nevada Desert Experience
• Nonviolence International
• Nonviolent Peaceforce
• Pace e Bene (website)
• Pax Christi
• Peace churches
• Peace Brigades International
• Peaceworkers UK British NGO providing training for potential peaceworkers in nonviolent, civilian techniques of conflict transformation
• Pentecostal Charismatic Peace Fellowship
• School Day of Non-violence and Peace (DENIP)
• Shahmai Network
• Soulforce
• United States Institute of Peace
• War Resisters' International

See also

• Ahimsa
• Anti-nuclear
• Anti-war
• Christian anarchism
• Christian nonviolence
• Civil disobedience
• Consistent Life Ethic
• Department of Peace
• Direct action
• Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
• List of nonviolence scholars and leaders
• Mahatma Gandhi
• Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Nonresistance
• Non-violent child discipline
• Nonviolent Communication
• Nonviolent Resistance
• Nonviolent revolution
• Pacifism
• People Power Revolution
• Satyagraha
• Soulforce
• Spiral of Violence
• Leo Tolstoy
• Tolstoyan
• Turn the other cheek
• Weak theology
• Quakers

Further reading

• ISBN 0-87558-070-X Power and Struggle (Politics of Nonviolent Action, Part 1) by Gene Sharp
• ISBN 0-87558-071-8 Methods of Nonviolent Action (Politics of Nonviolent Action, Part 2) by Gene Sharp
• ISBN 0-87558-072-6 Dynamics of Nonviolent Action (Politics of Nonviolent Action, Part 3) by Gene Sharp
• ISBN 0-87558-162-5 Waging Nonviolent Struggle: 20th Century Practice And 21st Century Potential by Gene Sharp with collaboration of Joshua Paulson and the assistance of Christopher A. The Albert Einstein Institution is a Non-profit organization that specializes in the study of the methods of Non-violent resistance in conflicts and to explore its Alternatives to Violence Project ( AVP) was started in 1975 by a group of inmates at Green Haven Prison as a Workshop in collaboration with the Quakers Nonviolent Communication (NVC is a process developed by Marshall Rosenberg and others which people use to communicate with greater Compassion and clarity Christian Peacemaker Teams ( CPT) is an international organization set up to support teams of peace workers in conflict areas around the world Educators for Nonviolence is a joint project of the Metta Center and The Dalai Lama Foundation. The Fellowship of Reconciliation ( FoR or FOR) is the name used by a number of religious Nonviolent organizations particularly in English-speaking countries Food Not Bombs is a loose-knit group of independent collectives serving free Vegan and Vegetarian food to others A Green party' or ecologist party is a formally organized Political party based on the principles of Green politics. One of the Political parties in the United States, and similar in mission to many of the worldwide Green Parties, the Greens have been active as a third party Greenpeace, originally known as the Greenpeace Foundation, was founded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1972 The Humanist Movement is an international volunteer organisation that promotes Nonviolence and non-discrimination The Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (Yasin Malik is a break away faction of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, led by Yasin Malik. Jonah House is a faith-based community centered around the concept of "Nonviolence resistance and community" The Nevada Desert Experience is a name for the movement to stop U Nonviolence International describes itself as a decentralized network of resource centers that promote the use of Nonviolent resistance. Nonviolent Peaceforce is an international Non-governmental organization formed to create a trained international Civilian unarmed Peace force Pax Christi is an international Catholic peace movement History Pax Christi was established in France in 1945 as a reconciliation work Peace churches are Christian churches groups or communities advocating Christian pacifism. Peace Brigades International ( PBI) is an NGO, founded in 1981 which "protects Human rights and promotes nonviolent transformation of Peaceworkers UK (PWUK is part of the Peacebuilding Issues Programme of International Alert. The Pentecostal Charismatic Peace Fellowship (PCPF is a multicultural, gender inclusive and Ecumenical organization that promotes peace justice and reconciliation The Shahmai Network is a UK based spiritual organization The Network organizes retreats meetings and training in various practices including Fasting, Meditation The United States Institute of Peace or USIP, established in 1984, is an independent nonpartisan national institution established and funded by the United States War Resisters' International or WRI is an international Anti-war organization with members and affiliates in over thirty countries Ahimsa ( Devanagari: sa अहिंसा IAST ahiṃsā is a Sanskrit term meaning Non-violence (literally the avoidance of violence - The anti-nuclear movement is a loosely-linked international social movement opposed to the use of nuclear technologies The term anti-war usually refers to the opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. Christian anarchism is any of several traditions which combine Anarchism with Christianity. Christian pacifism is the theological and ethical position that any form of violence is incompatible with the Christian faith Civil disobedience is the active refusal to obey certain Laws demands and commands of a Government, or of an occupying power, without resorting to physical The Consistent Life Ethic is an ethical religious and political Ideology based on the premise that all life is sacred The Department of Peace and Non-violence is a proposed cabinet -level department of the Executive branch of the U Direct action is political action which happens outside normal political channels via indirect actions such as electing representatives. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan ( Pashto / Urdu: خان عبد الغفار خان Hindi: ख़ान अब्दुल ग़्फ़्फ़ार ख़ान Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી moɦən̪d̪äs kəɾəmʧən̪d̪ gän̪d̪ʱi (2 October 1869 – 30 January Martin Luther King Jr ( January 15, 1929 April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, Activist and prominent leader Nonresistance (or non-resistance) discourages physical resistance to an enemy and is a subdivision of Nonviolence. See also Parenting Child discipline is a topic that draws from a wide range of interested fields such as the Professional practice of behavior analysis, Nonviolent Communication (NVC is a process developed by Marshall Rosenberg and others which people use to communicate with greater Compassion and clarity Nonviolent resistance (or nonviolent action) is the practice of achieving socio-political goals through Symbolic Protests Civil disobedience, A nonviolent revolution is a Revolution using mostly nonviolent protest against governments seen as entrenched and Authoritarian to advocate Democracy Satyagraha ( Sanskrit: सत्याग्रह satyāgraha) is a philosophy and practice of Nonviolent resistance developed by Mohandas Dom Hélder Pessoa Câmara ( February 7, 1909, Fortaleza, Ceará, North East Brazil - August 27, 1999 Recife Leo Tolstoy, or Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy ( –) (Лев Никола́евич Толсто́й, was a Russian Writer widely regarded The adjective Tolstoyan (also spelled Tolstoian)refers to the author Leo Tolstoy. Turning the other cheek is to respond to an aggressor without violence (in every sense of the word The term deconstruction-and-religion describes a nontheistic mode of thought that proceeds from a Theological and Deconstructive framework Miller and Hardy Merriman
• ISBN 0-8166-4193-5 Unarmed Insurrections: People Power Movements in Non-Democracies by Kurt Schock
• ISBN 0-8006-3609-0 Jesus and Nonviolence: A Third Way (Facets) by Walter Wink
• ISBN 1-57075-315-6 Peace Is the Way: Writings on Nonviolence from the Fellowship of Reconciliation by Fellowship of Reconciliation (U. S. )
• ISBN 1-57075-547-7 American Nonviolence: The History of an Idea by Ira Chernus
• ISBN 0-679-64335-4 Nonviolence: 25 Lessons from the History of a Dangerous Idea by Mark Kurlansky
• OCLC 03859761 The Kingdom of God is within You by Leo Tolstoy
• ISBN 1-9307-2235-4 Is There No Other Way? The Search for a Nonviolent Future by Michael Nagler
• ISBN 0-8156-3003-4 Radical Pacifism: The War Resisters League and Gandhian Nonviolence in America, 1915-1963, by Scott H. Bennett, Syracuse Univ. Press, 2003.
• Nazaretyan, A. P. (2007). Violence and Non-Violence at Different Stages of World History: A view from the hypothesis of techno-humanitarian balance. In: History & Mathematics. Moscow: KomKniga/URSS. P. 127-148. ISBN 9785484010011.

External links

Other

• "Why Nonviolence? Introduction to Theory and Strategy" by Bob Irwin, 1978. A classic introduction to nonviolent action and responses to critics.
• DirectAction.org offers online resources for nonviolent organizing
• Origin of Non Violence
• Power Under: Trauma and Nonviolent Social Change -- A book by Steven Wineman
• Gandhi Autobiography and Path to Peace: The Story of My Experiments with Truth Free e-text
• Critique of Nonviolent Politics: From Mahatma Gandhi to the Anti-Nuclear Movement
• Manifesto Against Conscription and the Military System
• Socratic Method Society - Uses a "modified version" of the Socratic method to resolve interpersonal conflict nonviolently
• DENIP: School Day of Non-violence and Peace
• Nonviolent Social Change - the Bulletin of the Manchester College Peace Studies Institute- a journal on noviolent social change
• Journal of Religion, Conflict, and Peace
• Nonviolent Resistance ~ Civil Rights Movement Veterans (U. S. )
• Gandhi Quotes on Non Violence

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