The Violence of Nonviolence: Problematizing Nonviolent Resistance in Iran and Egypt (original) (raw)
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Rediscovering Gandhi and Principled Nonviolence: An Imperative for the 21st Century
Thammasat Review, 2015
Violence is the behaviour of someone incapable of imagining other solutions to the problem at hand" Bettelheim "I oppose all violence because the good it does is always temporary but the harm it does is permanent" Gandhi. "Nonviolence is a Weapon of the Strong" Gandhi "Nonviolence is fine as long as it works" Malcolm X "Nonviolence is a flop. The only bigger flop is violence" Joan Baez "To kill one man is to be guilty of a capital crime, to kill ten men is to increase the guilt tenfold , to kill a hundred men is to increase it a hundred-fold. This the rulers of the earth all recognise and yet when it comes to the greatest crime-waging war on another state-they praise it..." Mozi, China 470-391 BC This paper argues that while strategic nonviolence is necessary for the overthrow of repressive regimes it is not sufficient for the social, economic and political transformations that follow. Many of the nonviolent revolutions that have succeeded recently in overthrowing dictators and autocrats have not been successful in initiating short, medium and long term peace dividends for the people nor a radical critique of traditional approaches to governance. This paper argues that these things will only happen if nonviolent leaders and followers have a principled approach to social change. It is this which will enable a strong service oriented social and political compass. Without a deep and principled dedication to care for the welfare of others any tactical political change will founder on the rocks of pragmatic and sectional politics.
Nonviolent Resistance: The Legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and Gene Sharp
Journal of Vytapeni , 2023
This study investigates the huge impact of legendary characters, Mahatma Gandhi and Gene Sharp in the domain of nonviolent resistance. Both figures played pivotal role in shaping the ideology and application of nonviolent resistance, leaving an indelible influence on countless movements and inspiring millions across the globe. This research thoroughly examines their distinct contributions to this field, explores the parallels and discrepancies in their ideologies, and evaluates the enduring significance of their concepts within contemporary contexts. Through an analysis of the interplay between Gene Sharp's intellectual contributions and Mahatma Gandhi's pragmatic utilization of nonviolence, this study aims to provide insights into the enduring principles of nonviolent resistance and its transformative potential in the pursuit of social and political change. Keywords- Mahatma Gandhi, Gene Sharp, Nonviolent Resistance, Non-violence, and social change.
A Gandhian approach to peace movements in the 21st century
2014
The purpose of this article is to identify factors, which may influence nonviolent discipline in nonviolent movements. Nonviolent discipline is a critical component in nonviolent movements, but has not received close scholarly attention. Empirical evidence indicates nonviolent campaigns are twice as likely to achieve their goals as violent resistance, and maintaining nonviolent discipline seems not only to contribute to securing a successful outcome but may also provide a better chance of preventing recurring conflict. To explain what drives discipline, two nonviolent movements are examined for comparative analysis: China, Tiananmen Square 1989 and South Korea, Gwangju 3 1980. Both movements took place in East Asia, where there has been a recognized increase in nonviolent movements since 1979. Three factors: the timing of events, the way space is occupied, and the role of external media appear to have influenced whether nonviolent discipline was able to be maintained in each case study.
Nonviolence, a weapon for the strong
Previous peacebuilding studies have mainly focused on violent conflicts ignoring peaceful ones which have been a minor sideline. Peace research is therefore a new academic field in peace and conflict studies. The practice of nonviolence has on the other hand developed a lot over the last 100 years (Johansen cited in Webel and Galtung 2009: 143). Mahtma Karamchand Gandhi well known as the father of nonviolence used the concept ahimsa translated as nonviolence to express that nonviolence is not a question of physical actions but a principle guiding humans in their thoughts, words and deeds. Today, non violent techniques are used in most social and political movements, peace organisations and other parts of the civil society, they are used regularly to promote their ideas and struggle for their causes. Nonviolent actions are used either to create wider support for their goals, to directly reach their aims, or in order to prevent their opponents from achieving theirs (Johansen cited in Webel and Galtung 2009: 148). The most influential use of non violence in recent decades is evident in political revolutions since the 1980's. This paper is based on discussing the nuanced views of nonviolence explaining how non violence is a preferred option to violence in conflict resolution.
Nonviolence Is Who? Gene Sharp and Gandhi
Peace & Change, 2003
There appear to be two approaches to nonviolence. They have been termed "principled," where emphasis is on human harmony and a moral rejection of violence and coercion, and "pragmatic," where conflict is seen as normal and the rejection of violence as an effective way of challenging power. Failure to distinguish between the two strands can lead to a diminution in the effectiveness of nonviolent action and can cause confusion among the audience. The acknowledged leading figures representing these approaches are Mahatma Gandhi and Gene Sharp. Sharp was once an idealistic seeker after Gandhi, yet his later work is characterized by hard-bitten realism. He now champions a "technique approach" to nonviolent action, arguing that it should be used for pragmatic rather than for religious or ethical reasons. Depending on how one looks at it, Sharp either has gone beyond Gandhi, making nonviolence a more practically available method of struggle, or has ditched key elements of Gandhi's philosophy in action in a way that diminishes nonviolence. Perhaps rather than debating the merits of each approach, they can be seen as indicating alternative paths to the traveler who does not want to use violence. GANDHI AND SHARP: AN INTRODUCTION Before Sharp became known as the preeminent theorist of nonviolent activism, it already was acknowledged that, broadly speaking, there appeared to be two approaches to nonviolence. These approaches were set out most clearly by Judith Stiehm in a perceptive essay titled "Nonviolence is Two." 1 One strand, based on human harmony and a moral rejection of violence and coercion, she termed "conscientious." The other strand, which sees conflict as normal and the rejection of violence as an effective way of challenging power, she called "pragmatic." She noted that they "are different in their motivation, their assumptions,
Inspired by Gandhi: Mahatma Gandhi's Influence on Significant Leaders of Nonviolence
History in Flux, 2020
The leader of the Indian independence movement, Mahatma Gandhi, left an invaluable legacy: he proved to the world that it was possible to achieve political aims without the use of violence. He was the first political activist to develop strategies of nonviolent mass resistance based on a solid philosophical and uniquely religious foundation. Since Gandhi’s death in 1948, in many parts of the world, this legacy has been received and continued by others facing oppression, inequality, or a lack of human rights. This article is a tribute to five of the most faithful followers of Gandhi who have acknowledged his inspiration for their political activities and in choosing nonviolence as a political method and way of life: Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Martin Luther King, Louis Massignon, the Dalai Lama, and Malala Yousafzai. This article describes their formative leadership and their significance and impact on regional and global politics and history.
International Critical Thought, 2017
Until now, the history of the non-violence movement has been written by commentators who have no intention of hiding their sympathies for the movement. However, Domenico Losurdo’s Non-violence: A History beyond the Myth is one of the first texts to confront this topic with seriousness, using scientific methods and a comparative historiographic approach. Losurdo does not limit himself to a history of the ideas of the movement’s leading figures—from the American Christian abolitionists to Gandhi and Luther King—but instead analyses their theories, political opinions, contradictions, moral dilemmas and concrete behaviours in the context of great historical crises and transformations. Losurdo’s book also dedicates plenty of space to current events, analysing how the West today uses non-violence as a way to discredit its enemies. The delegitimation of the People’s Republic of China and the so-called “colour revolutions” demonstrate that even a noble ideal like non-violence can be easily exploited with a malicious intention. It is preferable, then, according to Losurdo, to fight for a “democratisation of international relations” that will inevitably lead to the strengthening of the front of less developed countries and to battling against the oxymoronic “humanitarian wars” or “wars for peace.”