Lesson 4

• Nonviolence - is the refusal to do harm to other humans as life is sacred and is absolute value.
• Nonviolence is both:

  • principle
  • practice
• Principle - affirms the active use of non-coercive and non-aggressive means to create a more peaceful context.
• Practice - involves actively peaceful behavior in the midst of conflict, becoming an example of consideration to those around us and breaking the destructive cycle of retaliation.
• Different beliefs about nonviolence:

  • Mohandas Gandhi
  • Martin Luther King Jr.
• Why nonviolence:

  • it is both ethical and moral choice
  • destruction is not the law of humans
  • nonviolence is a practical choice
  • nonviolence works
• nonviolent struggles:

  • nonviolent protest and persuasion
  • nonviolent non-cooperation
  • nonviolent intervention
• nonviolent protest and persuasion - seeks to produce awareness of the dissent.
• nonviolent non-cooperation - presents the opponent with difficulties in maintaining the normal operation of a system.
• nonviolent intervention - challenges the opponents more directly.
• It is both ethical and moral choice - major religious and philosophical traditions teach about respect for life.
• Jainism - it is taught that the wise person "does not kill, nor cause others to kill, nor consent to the killings of others"
• Taoism - founded by Lao Tzu taught that "weapons are instrument of evil and not for a good ruler.
• Buddhism - the precept "not to kill" is the foundation for all their action. No one has the right to take the life of another"
• Destruction is not the law of humans - Theory of Bandura and Ross says that aggression is not inherent but it is learned in the process of socialization and thus, may be unlearned.
• Nonviolence is a practical choice - tools and affects of violence are costly
• Nonviolence works - Example is EDSA People power revolution.
• Mohandas Gandhi - Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.
• Martin Luther King Jr. - Nonviolence is not sterile passitivity, but a powerful moral force which makes for social transformation.
• Gene Sharp identifies 198 methods of nonviolent actions.
• Nonviolent action - refers to efforts to persuade via methods of protests, non-cooperation and intervention without using physical violence.