Nonviolence seen in the Occupy movement,

from concepts in Metta’s glossary

“Nagler’s law”

Nagler’s law is quite simple:

NV + V = V. (Nonviolence plus violence equals violence)

A small amount of violence can subvert the nonviolent character of a movement or demonstration, especially if, as is commonly the case, the violence is focused on in the media. An example of this was during the Occupy Oakland general strike held on November 2^nd with an astonishing, peaceful turnout. Several protesters left with tears of joy after its success, but the beauty displayed that day was replaced by a violent confrontation against the police in the early morning. After a day of an estimated 100,000 person nonviolent march, protesters started fires, swarmed vacant buildings and used homemade bomb launchers to fire M80’s at police. This incident carried about by a few protesters separate from the Occupy demonstration ruined the all day effort to remain nonviolent.

 Nonviolent Moment

A nonviolent campaign can build up to an open confrontation where its nonviolence is pitted against the violence of an oppressor.  Nonviolent actors actually welcome and sometimes plan for such a confrontation, confident that nonviolence will always prevail in the long run.

In Occupy demonstrations, UC, Berkeley students were beaten by police and UC Davis demonstrators were needlessly pepper-sprayed.  These cases actually served to point up the increasing militarization of the country, and raised the standing of the students, who remained nonviolent throughout the attacks.

A few articles below explain the effects a nonviolent moment can have:

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/uc-davis-pepper-spray-incident-reveals-weakness-up-top-20111122

http://blogs.berkeley.edu/2011/11/25/what-is-nonviolence/

Person Power

In contrast to “people power,” where the emphasis is on numbers, we can use this term to describe the core energy at the heart of a movement, which is the nonviolent commitment of the individuals (or individual) within it.  A million people marching in streets will not confer nonviolent power if they lack discipline and are harboring violence.  The Occupy movement, by teaching nonviolence and allowing individuals to adopt its methods, has provided good examples of person power.

Integrative Power

In order to offset the common misconception that nonviolence is a ‘non-something,’ peace theorist Kenneth Boulding developed the model of “three faces of power:” threat power, exchange power, and integrative power that comes into play when one is authentic and truthful, having the long-term effect of bringing parties together.  When a large group of students at Davis were confronted by a small but threatening group of police the students offered them a “moment of peace” to peacefully withdraw, which they did.

Trusteeship 

Trusteeship was proffered by Gandhi as an alternative to outright ownership.  Not only donations of money but cooking utensils, “the peoples library,” and technological equipment are good examples of things held in trust and used for the common good on the camping sites.  Importantly, talents and capacities that occupiers make freely available to the movement also exemplify trusteeship.

In Zuccotti Park a young woman called “ketchup” was given a laptop for her work.  Some occupiers complained, but she explained that the computer was not hers but rather a tool for her use on the site.

Boulding’s First Law

Because of the prevailing paradigm, most people find it difficult to believe that nonviolent events have happened even if they’ve seen them at first hand.  Out of frustration with this obtuseness Kenneth Boulding coined this law: “If something has happened, it’s possible.”  Many did not believe that a large number of Americans could gather in protest as they have done, turning their back on consumerism to such a degree and remaining largely nonviolent in the face of serious provocation ­­– and some may not believe it yet.   But it is here (and as occupiers often say, is not going away).

“Work” vs. Work

Principled nonviolence will always have a beneficial effect on its surroundings even if it does not “work” in the sense, get what it wants in the short run.  It may seem that the Occupy movement did not “work” in the sense that it failed to change financial structures and even lost physical ground on most of the sites they tried in vain to occupy, but it has drawn badly needed attention to a serious wrong and shown a path to change.  It has also shown, of course, that people can organize spontaneously and maintain nonviolent witness to get things done.

Return to OccupyNonviolence

SEPTEMBER 10-12, 2011 (and beyond)

We intend to create beloved community as an alternative to the fear, anger and grief surrounding the events of 9/11. This will be a campaign to lift the human image and restore human dignity through nonviolence. As a nation-wide (or wider) campaign, “Love Your Enemy” is designed to create a community of partners who are both moving in their own lives toward what MLK called a “people-centered civilization” and working out a long-term strategy to reverse the war system.

“Love Your Enemy” is:

• not a ‘one-off’ event but an ongoing project
• not limited to the symbolism of 9/11 though it builds on a conversion of the attention paid to that date
• not a partisan event but open to all who long for real security

That said, it is also a campaign that will grow organically, attracting people and groups with various capacities (this is what Gandhi called “the law of progression”).  Therefore it is not possible to specify all the ways that the ‘lift off’ of the tenth anniversary of 9/11 will ramify and develop.  Satyagrahis are creative people flexible enough to take advantage of opportunities as life offers them and imaginative (and bold) enough to come up with strategies of their own that accord with their basic principles.  Here, for those who would like to participate, we place before you suggestions for two types of activity: training and acting.

1. Training

• There are various ways to get grounded in the basics of principled nonviolence. We have found that two good ways for serious activists are Michael Nagler’s classic book, The Search for a Nonviolent Future, and the webcast of his year-long course at UC, Berkeley, PACS 164 A and B.  Both are available through the Metta website.  For the book, an extensive study guide is now offered on the same site; for the course, a set of learning tools will be furnished shortly.
• For those who wish to try the experiment, read Chapter 22 of Mahatma Gandhi’s classic work, Satyagraha in South Africa and see how many of the basic principles covered in the book and the course you can identify.  Tell us what you have come up with, and we will send you a certificate of completion (not to imply that we then stop learning!);
• Participate in nonviolence trainings that will be available through Metta’s nonviolence retreats and workshops.

• Constructive Programme: This means building the world you want without waiting for others to give it to you, e.g. alternative institutions, local economies, nonviolent leadership models.
• Obstructive Program: This is what Dr. King called “non-cooperation with evil.” This includes tactics such as reverse and general strikes, marches, sit-ins, boycotts, etc.
• Strategic Overview: In order to have the maximum effect, a movement needs to know when to switch between CP and OP, when to walk away from the police or when to allow for confrontation, etc.. Strategy can be strengthened by an overall commitment to nonviolence, a coherent message to share with those involved and those watching, and disciplined action.

In other words: Non-cooperation alone is not adequate. There must be a positive emphasis on implementing what we want to see. We can use non-cooperation when those exercising threat power seek to intimidate and harm us. In this way, we realize that the focus of our movement is not a series of police confrontations; it is building a new world based on respect and dignity.

Here is an example of constructive programme in action in Brazil. Keep in mind that they need to incorporate aspects of obstructive program when confronted by the government.

Return to OccupyNonviolence page

 

Sometimes in nonviolence we don’t get what we immediately set out to change, but in the long-term, the situation is more pliable, flexible and change comes more easily. Do not see short term failures as a failure of the method of nonviolence, and do not let anyone convince you that violence would be a better strategy to take. It isn’t. If one needs greater strength, one can “purify” one’s efforts. A simple way is to increase one’s commitment to nonviolence in thought and word. At this point, other practices such as meditation will be tools.

• Statistics show that even if violence “works” in the short run, in the long term, it never makes a situation better.  As Gandhi said, “violent revolution will bring about violent self-rule.”
• The more comprehensive our nonviolence, the greater effect it can have. This means that instead of focusing all of our efforts on outward change, we can learn to deepen our awareness of how nonviolence works, not only on the level of the deed, but in our words and thoughts.
• Nonviolence is a form of persuasion and dialogue, not a one-sided form of coercion. Respect the escalation curve model and always try to deescalate a conflict; avoid using the wrong strategy at the wrong time (this is where a strategic overview is essential).

• Satyagraha is a last resort strategy for a discussion  (looking for a win-win outcome) and can lead to the need for self sacrifice at the highest degree possible. Do not make this sacrifice before it is necessary e.g. promises of fasting unto death without first a willingness to try other strategies are always ineffective. Satyagraha is a method which “compels reason to be free.” We must be reasonable ourselves to awaken the reason of another; we must be willing to take risks and sacrifices (even to our ego) to open the heart of another.

Hosted at a rental home in Dillon Beach, CA, this weekend retreat was oriented around the theme “A Higher Image of the Human Being” as we worked with educators to bring nonviolence into the classroom both as content and as a personal cultivation tool. Each morning began with a beach walk and a ‘hope tank’ discussion and merged into group workshops on nonviolence core concepts, including four short talks by Michael Nagler. All meals were prepared and served as a team, followed by a book discussion on Friday night and a short film on the ‘Great Turning’ on Saturday night.  There was also a short introduction of Passage Meditation on Saturday evening.

• Here is our short video series conducted at this retreat.
• Here is the audio to talk number three:

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• Here are our two hope tanks: 

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Educators, don’t forget: you can find use our latest study guide for lesson plans and activities.

You may also want to read Tim Flinders’ chapter in Eknath Easwaran’s Gandhi the Man for a succinct overview of ahimsa and Sataygraha.

We look forward to working with you throughout the school year.