NONVIOLENT CONFLICT TODAY

aung_san_suu_kyi.jpgMany 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.

Currently, groups are waging nonviolent conflict to defend human rights in nations such as Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, Guinea, Honduras, Kenya, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria and other places countries. In places such as Tibet, West Papua, Western Sahara and the Palestinian Territories, groups are fighting nonviolently for self-determination.  (To find out more about active nonviolent conflicts, visit our "Movements and Campaigns" section.)

Nevertheless, every year tens of thousands of people around the world are recruited to fight for their rights or interests by joining groups dedicated to violent insurrection or terrorism. This occurs even though violence often fails to accomplish its users' goals and is always highly destructive to their societies.

There are several conditions that continue to push groups to adopt violent, as opposed to nonviolent, strategies for waging conflicts.  These are:

  1. Worldwide ignorance of the successes of nonviolent strategies in past conflicts;
  2. The stereotype that "nonviolence" is a religious or behavioral preference rather than an alternative means of fighting for political, social, and economic goals;
  3. The tendency of the global news media to neglect coverage of or to incorrectly report nonviolent conflict, and the related assumption that violence is always the most powerful way of waging a struggle;
  4. Low levels of attention and support from international organizations and governments for civilian-based, nonviolent movements fighting for rights and democracy; and
  5. Scarcity of practical know-how and specific skills related to strategic nonviolent action among key participants in popular movements in many places.
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