Pacifism is not an alternative to non-violence; it is a principled form of non-violence. Alternatives to non-violence include armed resistance, military intervention and other uses of physical force, while alternative non-violent approaches include negotiation, civil resistance and peacebuilding.
This distinction belongs to the Peace and Conflict thematic study for both SL and HL, particularly the contested meanings of peace, conflict, violence and non-violence.
Pacifism is the moral or political rejection of war and violence. By contrast, strategic non-violence avoids violence because peaceful methods are judged more effective, legitimate or sustainable, not necessarily because all violence is considered morally wrong.
| Approach | Relationship to non-violence | Contemporary example |
|---|---|---|
| Pacifism | Rejects violence on moral, religious or political grounds | After Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, some Russian conscientious objectors refused military service because they opposed participation in war. |
| Strategic civil resistance | Uses protests, strikes, boycotts or civil disobedience to shift power | Sudanese protesters used mass demonstrations and strikes in 2019, contributing to President Omar al-Bashir's removal. |
| Negotiation and mediation | Attempts to resolve incompatible interests without force | The Colombian government and FARC signed a peace agreement in 2016 after negotiations intended to end decades of armed conflict. |
| Armed resistance | Uses organized violence against another political actor | Ukraine used military force to defend its sovereignty following Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. |
| Military intervention | External actors use or threaten force to change political behaviour | ECOWAS threatened military action in The Gambia in 2017, helping secure Yahya Jammeh's departure after he rejected an election result. |