The Realm of Action Nonviolence
In the embedded circles of our research template for nonviolence research, “action” is located between the wider realm of “campaign” and the narrower realm of “intercultural.” The Realm of Action invites inquiry into the events of an hour or a day, usually in the context of a campaign.
Thoreau: On the Duty to Civil Disobedience
Once upon a time, a person refused to pay taxes that supported slavery and the US invasion of Mexico. Reflecting on his night in jail, Thoreau wrote, “what is once well done is done for ever.” Gandhi and King, inspired by Thoreau, incorporated jail as a tactic of conscience. (Project Gutenberg eBook)
Walkout in Crystal City, TX
“A former teacher from Crystal City, Texas, remembers the student walkout that helped launch the Latino civil rights movement 40 years ago” (Barrios. Learning for Justice, Issue 35, Spring 2009)
Ploughshares
In 1980, “[Dean] Hammer and seven other Christian activists, known as the Plowshares Eight, trespassed onto a General Electric facility in King of Prussia, Pa., where they vandalized nuclear warheads in a nonviolent direct action. The eight, which included the prominent peace activists Daniel Berrigan, S.J., and his brother, Philip Berrigan, took seriously the command of the Prophet Isaiah: “And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (2:4). The protest at General Electric inaugurated the Plowshares movement, which for nearly four decades has led several dozen nonviolent actions in opposition to nuclear proliferation and the ever-present threat of war. (Di Corpo. “Plowshares Activists.” Oct. 17, 2019. (America: The Jesuit Review.)
Students Respond Nonviolently to Pepper Spray
Read the analysis by Smithey and Kurtz in “‘May the Excessive Force Be With You’: How Activists Can Manage Repression to Win.” (International Center on Nonviolent Conflict. Nov. 5, 2018)
And be sure to watch the eight minute video:
Further Inquiry
What are some nonviolent actions in the news?
What nonviolent actions inspire you?
What are some key source materials?
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