Making Nonviolent Revolution


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Why Civil Resistance Works


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For more than a century, from 1900 to 2006, campaigns of nonviolent resistance were more than twice as effective as their violent counterparts in achieving their stated goals. By attracting impressive support from citizens, whose activism takes the form of protests, boycotts, civil disobedience, and other forms of nonviolent noncooperation, these efforts help separate regimes from their main sources of power and produce remarkable results, even in Iran, Burma, the Philippines, and the Palestinian Territories. Combining statistical analysis with case studies of specific countries and territories, Erica Chenoweth and Maria J. Stephan detail the factors enabling such campaigns to succeed and, sometimes, causing them to fail. They find that nonviolent resistance presents fewer obstacles to moral and physical involvement and commitment, and that higher levels of participation contribute to enhanced resilience, greater opportunities for tactical innovation and civic disruption (and therefore less incentive for a regime to maintain its status quo), and shifts in loyalty among opponents' erstwhile supporters, including members of the military establishment. Chenoweth and Stephan conclude that successful nonviolent resistance ushers in more durable and internally peaceful democracies, which are less likely to regress into civil war. Presenting a rich, evidentiary argument, they originally and systematically compare violent and nonviolent outcomes in different historical periods and geographical contexts, debunking the myth that violence occurs because of structural and environmental factors and that it is necessary to achieve certain political goals. Instead, the authors discover, violent insurgency is rarely justifiable on strategic grounds.







Revolutionary Nonviolence


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A persuasive account of the philosophy and power of nonviolence organizing, and a resource for building and sustaining effective social movements. Despite the rich history of nonviolent philosophy, many people today are unfamiliar with the basic principles and practices of nonviolence––even as these concepts have guided so many direct-action movements to overturn forms of racial apartheid, military and police violence, and dictatorships around the world. Revolutionary Nonviolence is a crucial resource on the long history of nonviolent philosophy through the teachings of Rev. James M. Lawson Jr., one of the great practitioners of revolution through deliberate and sustained nonviolence. His ongoing work demonstrates how we can overcome violence and oppression through organized direct action, presenting a powerful roadmap for a new generation of activists. Rev. Lawson’s work as a theologian, pastor, and social-change activist has inspired hope and liberation for more than sixty years. To hear and see him speak is to experience the power of the prophetic tradition in the African American and social gospel. In Revolutionary Nonviolence, Michael K. Honey and Kent Wong reflect on Rev. Lawson's talks and dialogues, from his speeches at the Nashville sit-in movement in 1960 to his lectures in the current UCLA curriculum. This volume provides a comprehensive introduction to Rev. Lawson's teachings on how to center nonviolence in successfully organizing for change.







Nonviolent Revolutions


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In the spring of 1989, Chinese workers and students captured global attention as they occupied Tiananmen Square, demanded political change, and were tragically suppressed by the Chinese army. Months later, East German civilians rose up nonviolently, brought down the Berlin Wall, and dismantled their regime. Although both movements used tactics of civil resistance, their outcomes were different. Why? In Nonviolent Revolutions, Sharon Erickson Nepstad examines these and other uprisings in Panama, Chile, Kenya, and the Philippines. Taking a comparative approach that includes both successful and failed cases of nonviolent resistance, Nepstad analyzes the effects of movements' strategies along with the counter-strategies regimes developed to retain power. She shows that a significant influence on revolutionary outcomes is security force defections, and explores the reasons why soldiers defect or remain loyal and the conditions that increase the likelihood of mutiny. She then examines the impact of international sanctions, finding that they can at times harm movements by generating new allies for authoritarian leaders or by shifting the locus of power from local civil resisters to international actors. Nonviolent Revolutions offers essential insights into the challenges that civil resisters face and elucidates why some of these movements failed. With a recent surge of popular uprisings across the Middle East, this book provides a valuable new understanding of the dynamics and potency of civil resistance and nonviolent revolt.




Articles of Peace


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Civil Resistance


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Exploring both historical cases of civil resistance and more contemporary examples such as the Arab Awakenings and various ongoing movements in the United States, Civil Resistance: What Everyone Needs to Know® provides a comprehensive and engaging review of the current field of knowledge.




Nonviolent Revolution


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In an era of frequent political upheaval, understanding nonviolent resistance is more crucial than ever. Nonviolent Revolution provides key insights into how peaceful protest reshapes societies. It explores movements that have altered history without violence, offering a comprehensive look at their strategies and impact. Chapters Overview: 1: Nonviolent Revolution - The core principles of peaceful resistance and its role in political change. 2: Intifada - Palestinian uprisings and the intersection of violence and nonviolence. 3: Velvet Revolution - Czechoslovakia’s peaceful shift from communism and its influence on Eastern Europe. 4: Protest - Various protest forms and their effectiveness in opposing political systems. 5: Rose Revolution - The Georgian movement that ousted Shevardnadze, heralding democratic transitions. 6: Civil Resistance - Theory and tactics used in global civil resistance movements. 7: Revolutions of 1989 - Nonviolent uprisings that reshaped Eastern Europe, including the fall of the Berlin Wall. 8: People Power - The role of grassroots activism in political change, emphasizing collective action. 9: Arab Spring - Anti-government protests across the Arab world and their regional impact. 10: Occupy Movement - The global challenge to economic inequality through nonviolent protest. 11: PORA - The Ukrainian campaign against election fraud, influencing the nation’s politics. 12: Kmara - Georgian youth’s critical role in the Rose Revolution and youth activism. 13: Tulip Revolution - Kyrgyzstan’s peaceful revolution and its lessons for future movements. 14: Colour Revolution - The tactics of Colour Revolutions in achieving nonviolent political change. 15: Mexican Movement of 1968 - The impact of student protests on Mexican politics and society. 16: 2009 Georgian Demonstrations - Protests underscoring nonviolent resistance post-Soviet Georgia. 17: Impact of the Arab Spring - The long-term political effects in the Middle East and North Africa. 18: 2011 Georgian Protests - The nonviolent fight for democratic reforms in Georgia. 19: Srđa Popović - A key figure in modern activism and nonviolent resistance. 20: Centre for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies - Promoting effective nonviolent strategies globally. 21: 2000 Uprising in Egypt - Nonviolent resistance against authoritarianism in Egypt. Nonviolent Revolution is essential for anyone interested in how peaceful methods fuel political change. This book illustrates why nonviolence is not just a strategy but a potent force for societal transformation. Discover the power of peaceful protest to shape a better world.