Book Summary of Exploring Nonviolent Alternatives by Gene Sharp
Citation:
Gene Sharp. Exploring Nonviolent Alternatives. Boston: Porter Sargent, 1970, 162 pp.
This Book Summary written by: Conflict Research Consortium Staff
Exploring Nonviolent Alternatives examines potential for techniques
of nonviolent resistance to replace reliance on violence as the
means of final resort in conflict.
Exploring Nonviolent Alternatives will be of interest to those
seeking alternatives to violent conflict. This work is divided into
seven chapters with an introduction. In his first chapter Sharp discusses
briefly the limitations of several traditional methods of dealing with national
and international conflicts. Traditional methods include use of democratic
institutions, removal of causes of conflict, compromise, negotiation and arbitration,
avoidance of provocation, even war and
revolution. Each of these approaches is undesirable or insufficient in some
regard. Sharp then describes uses of nonviolent action in Cuba, Norway
under Nazi occupation, colonial India, El Salvador in 1944, and
in Montgomery, Alabama. Sharp suggests general areas were such
nonviolent action may be effective.
Chapter Two examines the techniques of nonviolent action.
Nonviolent actions seeks to "deny the enemy the human assistance and cooperation
which are necessary if he is to exercise control over the
population."[29] Nonviolent actions fall into three broad categories.
Nonviolent protest include such events as sit-ins, marches, vigils, and "humorous
pranks." Nonviolent noncooperation refers to boycotts,
strikes, and "mutiny." Nonviolent intervention has
elements of the first two categories, but challenges the opponent more directly
by nonviolent obstruction and invasion. Nonviolent action
brings about change via three mechanisms: conversion, accommodation,
and nonviolent coercion. Sharp sketches the history of
nonviolent action, discussing Gandhi in particular.
Chapter Three explores the possibility of national defense without
armaments. Sharp begins by arguing that defense capacity is not the same as military power, and that
military occupation does not entail
political control. Instead Sharp suggests a model of civilian
defense. "Civilian defense aims to defeat military aggression by using
resistance by the population as a whole to make it impossible for the enemy to
establish and maintain political control over the country."[50] Past uses
of civilian defense are examined. Sharp suggests way to implement civilian
defense, and assesses its effectiveness as a deterrence to military aggression.
Chapter Four provides an overview of needed research in the study of
nonviolent action. Sharp suggests particular issues for investigation, and
groups these issues under five general headings: nonviolent techniques,
internal nondefense uses, civilian defense, consequences of nonviolence,
and the nature of threats and conflicts. Chapter Five follows
by listing eighty-five cases wherein nonviolent action was used
effectively in response to a wide variety of grievances. Chapter Six is
contributed by William Watson, and outlines an eight part series of courses in
civilian defense. Courses would examine the method and dynamics of
nonviolent action, the topic of civilian defense, the history of resistance, the
moral and political bases of nonviolence, the relation between violence,
aggression and self-defense, the politics of defense, the
post-military society, and techniques of nonviolent confrontation. Chapter
Seven concludes this text with a selected reading list for further study of
nonviolent action.
Exploring Nonviolent Alternatives is an intriguing investigation
into the past uses and future potential of nonviolent action.
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