States and rulers have traditionally occupied center stage in the world’s political discourse, law, policy planning, and punditry. Strategy is conventionally equated with statecraft, and with military (including insurgency) leadership. Power is identified with coercive violence, actual or potential. Legitimacy is associated with governmental authority.

A new perspective is coming into view, placing new forces and actors, and new forms of action, on the main stage. Civilian-based nonviolent action demands attention as a force in winning freedom, human rights, and more democratic, accountable government. For decades the record of accomplishment of nonviolent civic resistance has significantly exceeded that of change attempted under violent auspices – the latter showing a far lesser record of success, while incurring much greater loss of life and property, and achieving very little in terms of forging democratic societies with enduring freedom for their citizens.

Berel Rodal