SOCSCI 2 PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER IV. PEACEFUL CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION

Lesson 4: Promoting Non-Violence

Aims and Learning Objectives:
4.1 Identify the Principles and Steps in Doing Nonviolent Direct Actions
4.2 Compare and Contrast the other forms of resolving conflicts with the non-violent actions.
4.3 Make use of the concept of non-violence to current issues

Introduction
Nonviolence is the
refusal to do harm to other
humans as life is sacred and is
an absolute value. It is
anchored on the belief that
humans have potential to
change.

Nonviolence is both a Picture by: Jhanisse Vaca-Dava (medium.com)

principle and a practice. The principle of nonviolence affirms the active use of non-coercive
and non-aggressive means to create a more peaceful context. It is based on the assumption
that justice will eventually prevail, that choices should be made from a place of love rather
than hate, that the hurtful action, not the person, should be subdued and that voluntary
suffering has value as an important facet of life.

In practice, nonviolence involves ACTIVELY peaceful behaviour in the midst of conflict,

becoming an example of
consideration to those around us and
breaking the destructive cycle of
retaliation when we believe we have
been wronged. It also means
awareness of our own inner violence,
and eliminating its negative effects
Picture taken from opendemocracy.net
 SOCSCI 2 PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT

upon our own intentions. Applying these principles of non-violence can reduce conflict, anger
and violence on personal, local, national and global levels.

Nonviolence has come to be recognized as a powerful strategy for students, communities,

disenfranchised groups and whole societies in addressing and transforming conditions. During
the 20th century, the successful social movements of Gandhi in India and Martin Luther King,
Jr. in the United States led to the public’s realization of completely new dimensions of
nonviolent conflict resolution.

Different beliefs about nonviolence

Mohandas Gandhi

Picture taken from ca.style.yahoo.com

The man who led the people of India out of British subjugation held the following beliefs about
non-violence:

1. As long as people accept exploitation, both exploiter and exploited will be entangled in
injustice but once the exploited refuse to accept the relationship, refuse to cooperate
with it, they are already free.

2. Nonviolence and cowardice do not go together. Possession of arms implies an element

of fear, if not cowardice.

3. A person and his/her deeds are two distinct things. Hate the sin but not the sinner.

4. If we fight back (in a violent way), we will become the vandal and they (oppressors) will
become the law.

5. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

6. Nonviolence is more powerful for converting the opponent and opening his ears which
are otherwise shut to the voice of reason.

7. Nonviolence demands that the means used should be as pure as the ends sought. Two
wrongs will not make one right. “If the end is good the means must also be good.”
 SOCSCI 2 PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT

Martin Luther King Jr.

Picture taken from Martin Luther King, Jr. Center on Twitter.com

Believe in the same principles of Gandhi held on to. Below are additional beliefs of MLK, Jr.
held with regard to non-violence:

1. Nonviolence does not seek to defeat or humiliate the opponent but to win
friendship and understanding.

2. Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice, not people.

3. Nonviolence thrives on love rather than hatred.

4. Nonviolence requires willingness to suffer and amazing discipline in the

midst of provocation.

5. Nonviolence holds that suffering can educate and transform.

Why Nonviolence?

1. It is both an ethical and moral choice.

- Major religious and philosophical traditions teach about respect for life.
 Jainism- it is taught that a wise person “does not kill, nor cause others to kill,
nor consent to the killings by others.”
 Lao Tzu, founder of Taoism taught that “weapons are instrument of evil and
not of a good ruler.”
 SOCSCI 2 PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT

 In Buddhism, the precept “not to kill” is the foundation for all Buddhist action.
Everyone is believed to have been born with a Buddha nature so “no one has
the right to take the life of another”.
2. Destruction is not the law of humans
 Theory of Bandura & Ross – aggression is not inherent but it is learned in the
process of socialization and thus, may be
unlearned.
3. Nonviolence is a practical choice.
Tools and effects of violence are costly.
- examples: Large amount of money
buying war crafts and different fire arms.
Picture taken from pacscan.ca
4. Nonviolence works –
Examples : EDSA People Power and the Speech of Martin Luther King Jr. about equality
between white and black Americans.

Nonviolent Direct Action

Gene Sharp (2005) identified 198 methods of nonviolent action. Nonviolent action refers to
efforts to persuade with action via methods of protests, non-cooperation and intervention
without using physical violence.

Nonviolent Struggles:

1. Nonviolent Protest and Persuasion - seeks to produce

awareness of the dissent.
- Examples: Petitions, banners, posters, lobbying,
singing, marches, Prayer rallies, mock funerals and Picture taken from baltimoresun.com

vigils.
2. Nonviolent Non-cooperation - presents the opponent
with difficulties in maintaining the normal operation of a
system.
- Example: consumer’s boycott, general strike and civil
disobedience.
Picture taken from jstor.org
3. Nonviolent Intervention - challenges the opponent more directly.
- Examples: sit- ins and fasts.
 SOCSCI 2 PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT

Goals of Nonviolent Actions

According to Martin Luther King Jr:

- Nonviolent actions seek to dramatize the issue and to put pressure on the adversary to
confront the issue.
- Nonviolent direct actions seeks to create tension/crisis that would force the adversary to open
the door to negotiation.
- Nonviolent direct actions seeks to create a situation that would liberate victims from silence
and hopelessness.
- Nonviolent direct actions also seeks to gain attention, and consequently, support from the
larger community.

References:
UN.org (2019, September 21). Non-violence. Day of Peace. Retrieved from
https://internationaldayofpeace.org/get-involved/nonviolence/. July 18, 2020.

Paras, LiezelH. (2019). Non-Violence. Powerpoint Presentation.