Theory and Dynamics of Nonviolent Action

Abstract

Nonviolent action is a technique of waging conflict. For centuries, diverse groups of people have used this technique and its wide array of methods—including boycotts, strikes, demonstrations, civil disobedience, and the establishment of alternative institutions—to fight for freedom, justice, rights, and equality. Groups engaged in nonviolent struggle, defined as the use of nonviolent action to wage a conflict, have been far more successful at achieving their objectives than is often recognized. This under-recognition is due in part to misunderstandings about how nonviolent action works. The notion that unarmed citizens can successfully overcome the challenges of contesting power from armed and well-financed opponents is baffling to many. Yet, as the cases in Civil Resistance and others throughout history attest, this is exactly what has happened in many parts of the world. To understand how nonviolent movements work, one must understand the theory and dynamics of nonviolent action.