IB Global Politics Understanding Non-violence: Key Definitions and Perspectives Notes

What is non-violence?

1. Non-violence is generally understood as the absence of physical violence
2. However, it is still a debated concept
3. The main disagreement is not over whether violence is absent, but over what counts as non-violent action and how non-violence should be practiced

Key questions in the non-violence debate

1. Can non-violence only be an active form of resistance, or can it also be passive?
2. Must non-violence be fully integrated into a person’s life, or can it be used pragmatically?
3. Can a movement still be considered non-violent if some members use violence?
4. Can sabotage or property destruction be part of non-violence?

Gene Sharp and non-violent action

1. Gene Sharp was a major theorist of non-violent action
2. He founded the Albert Einstein Institution, which studies non-violent action
3. Sharp emphasized that non-violence should not be misunderstood as weak, passive, or ineffective
4. He identified 198 methods of non-violent action
5. Sharp’s work focuses more on non-violent struggle as a political technique than on non-violence as a purely moral or religious principle

Sharp’s key arguments

1. Violence does not always work quickly
2. Non-violent struggle does not always take a long time
3. Non-violent struggle is not weak and can be very powerful
4. It can paralyze or even disintegrate a repressive regime
5. Non-violent struggle does not require a charismatic leader
6. It is a cross-cultural phenomenon
7. It does not require religious belief
8. It can succeed not only against democratic opponents, but sometimes even against brutal dictatorships
9. It is not only about “melting the hearts” of oppressors
10. It can work through pressure, disruption, and coercion

Active vs passive non-violence

1. One major debate is whether non-violence must be active
   1. Active non-violence includes:
      1. protests
      2. strikes
      3. boycotts
      4. civil disobedience