pacifism
Blog: Nonviolent Struggle & Religious Pacifism: Not Wed Together
“An apostle of nonviolence.” “Preaching nonviolence”. We hear these
expressions so often, we don’t question them. But there is a crucial
difference between soporific preachifying and nonviolent action. So
let's clear this up.
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Blog: The Whole World Stopped Watching (Part II): How "Diversity of Tactics" offers neither
Nobody can argue against the proven benefits of using a diversity of well-chosen tactics to wage successful struggles. The sequencing of multiple creative tactics ranging from protests to legislative pressures, from secondary boycotts to civil disobedience, has been a fundamental feature of countless successful campaigns. A wide variety of tactics lies at the core of the emphasis nonviolent activists have put for decades on knowing a repertoire of at least 198 methods of action, and on clever ways to sequence them.But dangerous slips of logic have presided over a protest framework known as "Respect for a Diversity of Tactics". I believe the failure of protests such as the one at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul (USA) last September is inherent in the Diversity of Tactics approach.
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Blog: The Whole World Stopped Watching: "Diversity of Tactics", Repression, and the RNC protests in St. Paul, Minnesota (Part I)
Photo: Diana Jou
On September 1, 2008, several hundred protesters from across mainland USA tried to stop delegates from attending the Republican National Convention at the Xcel Center in the business district of Saint Paul, Minneapolis, where they were going to crown presidential hopeful John McCain.
"Crash the Convention" was the order of the day. But politically and number-wise, whose side really got smashed and crushed?
Over 800 people arrested. Many more detained and released. House raids in the middle of the night. Eight organizers facing "Conspiracy to Commit Riot in Furtherance of Terrorism", a second degree felony charges. Maximum penalty: seven and a half years in prison.
Deep police infiltration. Pre-emptive searches and seizures. Baton rounds. Concussion and Sponge grenades. Tasers. Pepper spray. Tear gas.
The intense brutality of the crackdown in the Twin Cities was an awful, a hydra monster of gross violations. Outrage and indignation. These are healthy, vital reactions.
But once the emotion subsides, what should be the question?
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Blog: So the whole world can watch
From the video "We were warriors".
From
behind the stools, white men start taunting the mixed row of mostly
black students who had the audacity to sit there. "He's so dark the
whole room is darkened." "Nobody ain't gonna sit beside them dirty
niggers." Those on the swiveling seats at the counter answer only with
an unshakable look of dignity. Frustrated, the men from behind start
pushing and shoving. Still no response from those on the stools. Then
they launch the attack: hurling obscenities, throwing milk shakes and
live cigarette buts, grabbing and punching. Lenses capture the scene.
The whole world watches in shock.
Blog: Nine ways nonviolent action workshops make better activists
In
the yard behind Christian Peacemaker Teams' headquarters in Chicago,
trainees stage a realistic role-playing exercise to prepare for
nonviolent accompaniment work in Hebron. Photo cc: delayed gratification.
The goal of training in nonviolent conflict is to prepare activists and supporters politically, physically, and psychologically to wage powerful campaigns and actions. Here are nine ways nonviolent action workshops help individuals hone their skills and nurture the courage and resilience they need to withstand the pressures of unarmed struggle.
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Blog: Nonviolence training, what is it good for?
photo cc: treviño
There's an idea out there that anyone can take to the streets and make themselves heard. You just head out and start demonstrating to confront power. It's a beautiful idea.
Sooner than later, however, any assertive form of mass mobilization will cross path with agents of authority, be they security guards, police, or military. These forces are armed, and trained.
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