WHAT IS NONVIOLENT CONFLICT?

Nonviolent conflict is a powerful way for people to fight for their rights, freedom, justice, self-determination, and accountable government.

When people wage nonviolent conflict, they withdraw their cooperation from an oppressive system by using tactics such as strikes, boycotts, and mass protests. These actions can disrupt the capacity of rulers to control events and can shift the support and loyalties of the system’s defenders to the side of the movement. Decisive, even historic, change has then often been the outcome.

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THE RECORD OF NONVIOLENT CONFLICT

Civil resistance movements and campaigns are far more successful than is often assumed.  In every decade of the past century, on six continents, popular movements using nonviolent strategies overthrew oppressive regimes, successfully resisted military occupation, and brought justice and freedom to their societies.

Research supports this claim.  A 2005 study entitled "How Freedom is Won" found that nonviolent civic action was a key factor in driving 50 of the 67 transitions from authoritarianism between 1972 and 2005. Furthermore, it was found that freedom and stability were far more robust in societies where civil resistance played a key role in a creating a democratic transition.

NONVIOLENT CONFLICT TODAY

Many who struggle against oppression recognize the potential of nonviolent strategies to produce more open and just societies.

In the first decade of the 21st century, civilian-based movements successfully ousted authoritarian and corrupt governments in Serbia (2000), Georgia (2003), Ukraine (2004) and foreign troops were ousted in Lebanon (2005). 

Civilian-based movements also enforced election results in Madagascar (2002), restored democratic rule in Nepal (2006) and the Maldives (2008), and have aggressively contended for political rights in Burma, Iran, and Zimbabwe.