NON-VIOLENCE Nonviolence broadly describes a range of interactions between people and is central to peaceful conflict solution. It incorporates attitudinal skills like mindfulness and empowerment and offers techniques to reconnect conflicting parties. In comparison to violent conflict resolution methods it leads to faster and more sustainable solutions with a lower amount of casualties and higher public support.
Practicing these principles in everyday life can be very beneficial to nonviolent actors and for that reason, many peace organisations include similar techniques in their trainings for people to be sent into conflict regions. Combined, these principles try to make sure that all proposed and implemented solutions will be in accordance to the needs of all affected and give space for reflecting on errors and growing from them.
Nonviolent attitudes and behaviour can be learned both as an individual as well as a group. For individuals, exploring mindfulness, any kind of meditation technique and acquiring a non-judgemental and open-minded attitude are some of the most important requirements.
Service Civil International bases all its actions, including this campaign, on the understanding, that nonviolence is the only ethical and sustainable tool available for true social change. The success of this campaign therefore depends on the proper implementation of nonviolent tools. In many countries SCI has successfully helped abolish military service or at least helped to create peaceful alternatives.
For groups, communication and decision making techniques are essential to sustain nonviolent interaction. Facilitation and consensus based decision systems help hearing everybody's voice and secure that the needs of all are satisfied to the necessary degree. A failure to stay nonviolent has significant effects, the movement not only loses credibility and public support but it also provides justification to the opposing side to use violence. For that reason, Mohandas K. Gandhi provided three notions of nonviolent attitude and behaviour to prepare and practice nonviolent action:
India and the Philippines were freed from occupation using nonviolence, equal rights for people of all colours, religious beliefs and sexual orientations have been established in numerous countries thanks to the power of nonviolence. It is time we put it into practice to prevent climate change of catastrophic proportions.[1] Pierre Ceresole | Switzerland, 1927
1. Ahimsa – Do everything you do with the intention of empowering yourself and others instead of harming them. 2. Satyagraha – Be sure that you are in a nonviolent struggle for a truth that benefits all. Do not push that truth upon others violently but rather help people understand gently – also be aware that you might have mistaken an idea for truth. 3. Tapasya – If suffering is unavoidable, take it upon yourself. Do not let others suffer for your own purpose or what you think should be their purpose and struggle. [1] Further information: http://bit.ly/gandhi-nonviolence-cc
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