Achieving  Change  Through  Nonviolent  Action  Principles  and  Philosophy  

Adam  Jones    Clark  Hatheway  Ashley  Litzenberger  Audrey  Martino  

Principles of Nonviolence:

1. It is a conscious action of active resistance. It is a common misconception that nonviolent resistance is “passive” or cowardly. In fact it demands far more courage from participants than violent resistance for it requires them to knowingly accept brutality or legal penalties as a result of their actions.1 2

2. Nonviolent Resistance is only truly nonviolent if you can first seriously consider the violent option and consciously choose not to use it. Your choice to use nonviolence must not be due to fear of the opponent or the inability to use violence.3

3. Nonviolent Resistance is most effective when those who use it possess a higher moral or spiritual calling and/or the faith in the inherent justice of the universe. This gives nonviolent activists the confidence that their cause will eventually succeed and allows them to focus on the means by detaching them from the immediate results of their actions.4 5

4. Do not retaliate physically or verbally in any way and under any circumstances. In order for nonviolent resistance to be effective it is essential for all participants to follow this creed. Only as a unified force will nonviolence succeed.6 7

5. You can hate the evil acts of injustice, but never those who commit these acts. Nonviolent resistance is a fight against injustice, not the perpetrators of injustice. Nonviolent actions made with anger or hatred towards the opposition are not truly nonviolent; instead they should be made with understanding and goodwill.8

6. The goal of nonviolence is to reconcile with your opponent, thus redeeming them and winning them over as friends. Seek equality with your opponent, do not humiliate them9 10

1 “Nonviolence is not a weapon without cost, but had its price that its users must pay. In the case of India, where unarmed people resisted the military, sometimes the price is equivalent to the price that is expected to the price in instances of violence, because the privileged don’t give up their privileges without a struggle” Smiley, How Nonviolence Works, P 57 2 Documentary “A force more Powerful” 3 Ibid 4 I think every person who believes in nonviolent resistance believes somehow that the universe in some form is on the side of justice.” King, Martin Luther Jr. The Power of Nonviolence. 1957. http://www.TeachingAmericanHistory.org/library/index.asp?documentprint=1131 5 “Do not depend on the hope of results”. “As you get used to the idea, you start more and more to concentrate not on the results, but on the value, the rightness, the truth of the work itself ”. Merton, Thomas. Nonviolence in America: A Documentary History. Letter from Thomas Merton to James Forest. Lynd & Lynd ed. Orbis Books. 2005. 325. 6 “That person alone practices the law of nonviolence who voluntarily and with love refrains from inflicting violence on anyone.” Dear, John. Essential Writings by Mahatma Gandhi. Orbis Books. New York. 2005. 103 7 A proper translation of Jesus’ teaching would be, “Don’t strike back at evil (or, one who has done you evil) in kind”. “Do not retaliate against the one who is evil”. Wink, Walter. Jesus and Nonviolence – A Third Way. Fortress Press. Minneapolis. 2003. 11 8 “do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” How transforming power has been used in the past by early Christians. Lawrence S. Apsey, 35 Holmes and Gan 9 “Islam reminds us that we are all individual expressions of god created in one soul. The spiritual principal of equality the makes no distinction between black and white, man and woman, noble and

7. Nonviolent resistance involves accepting suffering and thus appealing to the hearts of your opponents and neutral/uninvolved onlookers in order to unmask the inherent evil of the system. This inevitably requires the assumption of a “conscience” in everyone, even the oppressor.11 12

8. No thing is too small to be ignored, and so any injustice must be addressed no matter its size or nature. Similarly no group of dissenters is too small to have an effect. Every movement starts with the individual.13 14

Steps for Action:

1. Recognize the problem, recognize it needs to change, and recognize that you have the power to change it. Pursue all reasonable legal means to address and change the injustice before resorting to nonviolence. Nonviolent action is an extreme measure to use when normal means fail.15 16

2. Purification. Realization of that inherent justice in the world and a greater purpose in acting nonviolently. A casting off of violent tendencies and the creation of a sense of good will towards the opponent instead of hate. 17 18

3. Offer training/education in nonviolent resistance, both the philosophy and practical application of nonviolence.19

humble, rich and poor, weak and strong….. Islam strongly encourages compassion, tolerance, and love toward all human beings.” Nonviolence in Islam, Wasim Siddiqui, p. 39 Homes and Gan. 10 “The aftermath of nonviolence is reconciliation and the creation of a beloved community.” How Nonviolence works, Glen Smiley p. 57 11 “The punishment of evil doers consists in making them feel ashamed of themselves by doing them a great kindness.” Excerpt taken from The Hindu Kural and quoted by Leo Tolstoy in A letter to a Hindu. 12 “The pursuit of truth did not admit of violence being inflicted on one’s opponent but that he must be weaned from error by patience and sympathy… and patience means self-suffering. So the doctrine came to mean vindication of Truth not by infliction of suffering on the opponent but on one’s self.” –Mohandas Gandhi. Mohandas Gandhi Essential Writings. John Dear. Pp. 86 13 “An injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere.” -Martin Luther King. Letter from Birmingham Jail. Holmes and Gan pp. 102. 14 “Even a tiny grain of true nonviolence acts in a silent, subtle , unseen way and leavens the whole society.” –Mohandas Gandhi. Nonviolence in Theory and Practice. Holmes and Gan. Pp. 82 15 “In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: Collections of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purifications; and direct action.” –Martin Luther King. Letter from Birmingham Jail. Holmes and Gan. Pp. 102 16 “Emphasis was laid upon understanding the viewpoint of their orthodox opponents, and upon winning them over through persuasion… Among the efforts made to negotiate a settlement was a deputation to State authorities.” Joan Bondurant. Nonviolence in Theory and Practice. Holmes and Gan. Pp. 86 17 “If people only freed themselves from this terrible accumulation of futile exercises of our lower capacities of mind and memory… the simple law of love, natural to man, accessible to all and solving all questions and perplexities, would of itself become clear and obligatory.” –Leo Tolstoy. A Letter to a Hindu. 18 “The hardest moment comes when our own internal oppressor meets the outside reality that it supports. It is not out there, but in me, that the oppressor must die.” –Walter Wink. Jesus and Nonviolence: a Third Way. Pp. 80-81

4. Establish short term and long term goals. Do not ask for everything at the beginning but instead start small and expand your objectives as the movement progresses.20

5. Act in such a way as to provoke a response that is witnessed and guaranteed to reveal the true nature of the injustice that you’re fighting against.21 22

6. Upon reaching an agreement for social or institutional change, be humble and implement changes in such a way as to promote friendship or cooperation among former opponents.

19 Documentary “A force more Powerful” 20 “A long list of grievances tends to make the opposition draw the wagons in a circle and holt out. Even if you have long term goals. Do not voice them in the beginning. Start small.” How Nonviolence works, Glen Smiley p. 57 21 “This message […] unmasks its essential cruelty and to burlesque its pretensions to justice, law, and order.” Wink, Walter. Jesus and Nonviolence – A Third Way. Fortress Press. Minneapolis. 2003. 21. 22 Martin Luther King - Documentary “A force more powerful”