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Want long-term stability? Civil disobedience is the answer.
Think non-violent movements are passé? Are Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Betty Williams oh-so yesterday? (Do you even know who Betty Williams is?) If you think creating political, economic, and social change through non-violent resistance is only for people in vegan-leather sandals gnawing on raw almonds, think again.
Research examining 323 campaigns from 1900 to 2006 against dictatorships and foreign occupation or those promoting territorial self-determination revealed that non-violent resistance succeeded about 54 percent of the time, compared to 26 percent for violent campaigns. Yes, non-violent campaigns are twice as likely to succeed compared to their violent counterparts. And, yet, the primary response to conflict in Syria, Nigeria, Yemen, Ukraine, etc., etc., is to provide “military assistance.” GC360 encourages our readers to get off the bus to crazy town and, instead, revisit the power of blockades, boycotts, digital activism, and other forms of non-violent civil disobedience. This month’s recommended reads show that history is on the side of non-violence.
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While Rambo-esque, gun-toting, dictator-toppling militias capture headlines, grassroots activists who agitate for change are the true — albeit unsung — heroes. Research shows that democratic regimes that experienced non-violent resistance during the transition phase survive substantially longer than regimes without this characteristic. So why aren’t we supporting grassroots, civil society actors who promote democratic, accountable governance? Stephan and Mazursky make a solid case for providing additional and more appropriate assistance to those who are best able to promote democracy. (We don’t mean to ruin the ending, but it’s not the international community.)
Source: Waging Nonviolence
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In a world obsessed with militarization and violence, we tend to forget instances of civil disobedience that brought about important social and political change. Richard Seymour reminds us by briefly discussing (a mere) five of these key events. Take a quick trip down memory lane.
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So why does civil resistance work? First, it attracts the support of everyday citizens, often in very large numbers since civil resistance is less risky in terms of physical and moral participation. Second, citizen activism -- in the form of protests, boycotts, civil disobedience, and other forms of nonviolent noncooperation -- helps to separate regimes from their main sources of power like business elites, security forces, etc. Twice as effective as their violent counterparts, non-violent forms of resistance have brought about remarkable social and political change even in Iran, Burma, the Philippines, and the Palestinian Territories. Perhaps more importantly, Chenoweth and Stephan posit that successful nonviolent resistance ushers in more durable and internally peaceful democracies that are less likely to regress into civil war.
No time to read the book? Then watch Erica Chenoweth hold forth on youtube.
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