Non-Violence: Effective Strategy of Marginalized Communities
By: Ayesha Rafiq
It appears that a small group of forest sages developed non-violence around three thousand years ago. Around 500 B.C., Buddha of Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhawa and the Jain Tirthankaras of India took non-violence up and advanced it. Lao Tsu in China and Socrates in Greece both preached and put specific applications of it into practice at roughly the same period. Around 30 A.D., Jesus continued to preach and demonstrate it.
Nonviolent civil resistance is much more effective than violent protests at bringing about widespread change. Simply put, violence can turn away allies. Nonviolent resistance may first appear weak and ineffective in the face of oppression, yet it has shown to be a very effective tool in the hands of marginalized communities to correct structural inequalities and attain rights to justice and self-determination.
Martin Luther King Jr. employed nonviolent civil disobedience to oppose the racist segregation policy in the US. He advocated for racial equality and used speeches and peaceful protests to spread the word and put pressure on the government to alter the status quo. King’s idea of nonviolence was based on six main points. First, those who are fearless live their lives without using violence. Second, nonviolence aims to acquire the other person’s “friendship and understanding” rather than subjecting them to humiliation. Third, nonviolence aims to eliminate injustice rather than individuals in general. Fourth, people committed to nonviolence must be prepared to endure suffering without seeking revenge, as even suffering has the potential to be redemptive. Fifth, nonviolence rejects hate and opts for love. Finally, nonviolence holds the notion that justice is supported by the world.
Similar to how Martin Luther King Jr. opposed slavery, Nelson Mandela advocated for equal rights for all South Africans through his speeches and nonviolent demonstrations. While serving as president, he was crucial in uniting the two races of South Africa and bringing the African National Congress to power.
Mahatma Gandhi, who opposed British colonial control in India, was one of the most well-known advocates of nonviolent resistance in the world. Gandhi transformed the nonviolent tool for public action known as ahimsa or ‘do no harm’, which is shared by Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. He led peaceful national campaigns and movements for the abolition of use of force, expansion of women’s rights, and the eradication of poverty. His nonviolent strategy contributed to the overthrow of British authority in India and had an impact on contemporary civil disobedience movements around the world.
The use of physical force to facilitate social or political change is rejected under the nonviolence principle. Throughout history, nonviolent civil disobedience was employed to advance social justice and project great political influence, whether under dictatorships, communism, slavery, or colonialism. This strategy was used to establish equal rights in USA, win independence for South Africa & India, and create new democracies in Tunisia and Egypt.
Ayesha Rafiq, Student of National Defense University, Islamabad, Pursuing a degree In Peace and Conflict Studies.
