Power can be seen in two ways, monolithic or social. Power in the monolithic view is where people are dependent upon the goodwill and support of the government or other hierarchical power. In the social view it is where the power of government is dependent upon the obedience of its citizens. For the purpose of this narrative we will use the social definition of power where the legitimacy of a state is dependent on its people.
This definition of power means that power doesn’t just exist but instead is granted to the state by its people. Once this power is granted/won in order for the power of the state to continue it requires obedience. Obedience is therefore at the heart of political power. Some argue that the reason why many governments remain in power for so long is due to the natural habit of the people to obey, even when they are oppressed. However, when disobedience is at hand and people act as independent bodies their capacity to control those in power will be strong. It is in this space of disobedience that nonviolent resistance shines.
Nonviolent Resistance
To understand what nonviolent resistance is one must understand a few other terms such as civil society and civil resistance.
Civil Society is defined as the space of interaction between an individual and the collective subjects of the state. At a larger scale this means every social interaction between an individual or family unit and the state. At a smaller scale this means the interactions within non-state occupied spaces between voluntarily organized groups and an individual which facilitate interpersonal trust and cooperation.
Civil Resistance is a type of political action with a civil quality in which the interests and hopes of the group are shared. What makes this political action different than others is that it relies on the use of nonviolent action. Within these nonviolent actions are a range of widespread and sustained activities that challenge a particular power, force, policy or regime.
Nonviolence is often associated with passivity and avoidance of issue at hand but it is actually the opposite. It is not passive or inactive instead it is an active fight for change that challenges the system often times within the system or by taking power away without the need of taking up arms.
The state itself employs violence which is seen in a bad light, therefore, its opponents believe that the way to succeed against the state is by avoiding violence. This is done by never considering violence as an option or backup plan. Nonviolence works to weaken the opponents by using other forms of resistance against the states’ oppressive norms.
The strength of nonviolence comes from casting off fear in front of their opponents. This casting off of fear starts with the leadership of the movement. To this end it is important that the original leaders of the movement don’t desert in the face of fear. Because of its dismissal of violence as a tactic leaders of nonviolent struggles are less likely to become tyrants and in turn another oppressive regime is less likely. This is all largely due to the techniques used through the movement which work to create autonomous citizens/members.
Gene Sharp, as well as others, believe that members of the nonviolent movement should be trained. They believe that it is only through training and acknowledgement of clear objectives that the movement will work. On top of this, the knowledge of strategy make it so that the courage, sacrifice, and numbers of the movement are seen which in turn makes a greater impact. When past security forces join the movement, their old tactics cannot be used.
Nonviolence exists in many different forms. Gene Sharp finds that there are 198 effective forms of nonviolent resistance. While some see fleeing as a way of avoiding conflict, Gene Sharp sees fleeing as a form of resistance. In his mind, leaving the state prevents the state from controlling oneself and slowly chips away at the state's legitimacy.
As with all things, there are downsides to nonviolent resistance.
The first being the possible lack of inclusivity and control of power within groups. Some groups oftentimes don’t include everyone’s voices as leaders tend to follow their own interests. While Sharp and others suggest ways to prevent this, nothing can truly stop it. In groups where there is an illiterate majority or a group of people who do not the language of the system there exists an inherent power dynamic. Those incapable of representing themselves are dependent on their more educated and socially connected leaders. In a perfect world they would take back their support of these leaders but there is the fear that by doing so their interests will not be represented or protected.
Another fault of nonviolent resistance is the idealism that exists behind it. Nonviolent resistance can have ambiguous outcomes. Not all nonviolent movements succeed and even if there is success it doesn’t look the same everywhere. The biggest downside to nonviolence is that it can take time and this can cause it to fail or for people to turn to violence.
“Nonviolence as a weapon of the resourceful”
The reasons for joining a nonviolent movement may be personal and not all can be explored. However, there are three that instantly jump out.
The first being the fewer amount of lives lost. This makes people more willing to join and support because instead of being at risk every day there is a separation between violence and the supporter. This all depends on timing as sometimes it is safer to be part of a nonviolent movement than other times.
Joining a nonviolent movement also has a safety net in the fact that all the weight isn’t on one person, therefore one is not the only target. Instinctively one prefers that others bear the cost of driving change which is possible if a movement is big enough.
Finally the existence of a nonviolent movement makes sense from a financial point of view. The actions of a nonviolent movement do not require the funding for arms as most of the actions are mostly free. Therefore, it is also easier to maintain and keep going.
