What is nonviolent action and who should consider using it?
We use “nonviolent action” to refer to human behavior that seeks to resolve conflicts outside of the courts, electoral systems and legislative bodies without imposing physical or psychological violence (or the threat of it) upon others.
Nonviolent Action is NOT passive, cowardly, ineffective, just symbolic or requiring love for an opponent. It is rather an effective method of pushing one’s social and economic goals in society.
Why Should We Consider Using Nonviolent Action?
1) Killing or wounding our fellow citizens creates obstacles to long term success. We need a future that includes all in our society and welcome healthy conflict and differences.
2) Nonviolent Action has a more successful record at achieving a more empowered and democratic society than armed struggle or coups d’états (undemocratic change of elites).
Why should you bother studying this material?
Helplessness is a common cause for apathy in any society. One may be inclined to accept the behavior of her rulers because she believes “there is nothing I can do about many of the problems around me.” Helplessness leads to the tendency to see oneself as a powerless victim of the society’s problems, rather than an effective agent for change in society.
And of course, nothing makes opponents happier than to hear people say that nonviolent action “is of no use and won’t make a difference, so why take a risk?”
Nonviolent Action provides a way to being powerful and ending your isolation, and we have created an online resource center here where you can learn from others’ experiences and get new insights and tools into being effective nonviolent activists and begin to make a difference within weeks.
Center for the Study of Strategic Nonviolent Defense is an apolitical online educational resource center. Part of our program involves providing this curriculum, translations and videos. The backbone of our curriculum is based on the latest edition of Center for Applied NonViolent Action and Strategies (CANVAS)’s Student Curriculum, which our center has fully translated into Farsi. In addition, should you have any questions about various obstacles you may face at any point throughout this curriculum, we are capable of providing you and your movement or campaign with advice. If you and your fellow activists have questions about any part of this curriculum or want our advice on a decision that you have to make, contact us and we’ll try to help.
