Revolutionary Nonviolence: Concepts, Cases and Controversies

Description

“Revolutionary Nonviolence: Concepts, Cases and Controversies provides an advanced introduction to the central philosophy, ideas, themes, controversies and challenges of applying revolutionary nonviolence in political struggles today, with a particular emphasis on reframing nonviolence through a postcolonial lens. Bringing together an eminent group of researchers and activist-scholars, this collection focuses on a number of important questions: Is a commitment to radical nonviolence a necessity for generating revolutionary change in society? Should revolutionary movements abandon their reliance on political violence as a tool of change? What are some of the practical and theoretical challenges of adopting revolutionary nonviolence today? What can we learn from groups, actors and cases of people who have used revolutionary nonviolence to struggle against injustice? With a mix of theoretical and case study based chapters, the volume explores these and other important questions about how to generate necessary and lasting revolutionary change today.” Front Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Contents Notes on contributors Acknowledgements Introduction: the opportunities and challenges
of revolutionary nonviolence today Introduction A series of imperatives Revolutionary nonviolence: issues and challenges Overview of chapters References Chapter 1: A defence of revolutionary nonviolence Introduction Violence and realism Violence, agency, liberation Pacifism as oppression Violence, pacifism and revolution Conclusion Acknowledgements References Chapter 2: Listen, leftist! Violence is not revolutionary Bookchin, means and ends, and the left moving forward The historical limits of violence The myth of violence as necessary The myth of violence as intrinsically valuable The myth of violence as psychologically liberating Creating a nonviolent future Notes References Chapter 3: Symbolic nonviolence and the transformation of society
beyond liberal capitalism Introduction Explaining the absence of evidence Rethinking power and resistance Violence or nonviolence? Yes please! Notes References Chapter 4: Eradicating warism: our most dangerous disease Introduction Pacifism and just war Pacifism and peace The challenge of warism Conclusion Notes References Chapter 5: Social defence: a revolutionary agenda Introduction Social defence A revolutionary agenda Conclusion Acknowledgements References Chapter 6: One No against violence, many Yeses beyond violence:Zapatista dignity, autonomy, counter-conduct Introduction Thesis 1: Conventional concepts of nonviolent resistance strategies promote regime change and liberal democracy within a colonial-capitalist world-system Thesis 2: Revolutionary nonviolent strategies shift focus from the “politics of demand” within and against violent regimes, to the “politics of dignity” within-against-and-beyond the violent system Thesis 3: Despite maintaining its capacity for armed struggle, the Zapatista movement exemplifies the possibilities of revolutionary nonviolent strategies inthe world today Thesis 4: The Zapatista movement demonstrates that nonviolent politics of dignity starts with one NO in/against violence and experiments with many YESES beyond violence Thesis 5: The Zapatista movement’s struggles for autonomy occur within-against-and-beyond the capitalist market and the state Thesis 6: Zapatista struggles for autonomy make, deepen and connect “cracks” within and against the violent system and create new ways of doing beyond it Thesis 7: Zapatista struggles for autonomy are reinventing participatory democracy to create “another world in which many worlds fit” Thesis 8: Revolutionary Zapatista women engage in various forms of “counter-conduct” to critique and enhance the Zapatista struggles for autonomy Thesis 9: Revolutionary Zapatista women’s counter-conduct involves refusal of violent practices and the creation of practices without-against-and-beyond violence within the movement Thesis 10: The Zapatista movement’s struggles for autonomy and Zapatista women’s counter-conduct demonstrate that other nonviolent resistance strategies are possible Thesis 11: Scholars have hitherto only studied nonviolent resistance within the world as it is; the point is to make the world anew References Zapatista statements Chapter 7: Nonviolence within national movements: BDS and the
formal Palestinian political process Introduction Nonviolent resistance Legitimacy beyond Oslo The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement Nonviolence and the political system Conclusion Notes References Chapter 8: “Media jujutsu”: resistance and the media power of
opponents ‘Media jujutsu’: resistance and the media power of opponents The fossil fuel regime The New South Wales movement against CSG (2011–2016) Networks and power Multi-frame, multi-object, multi-actor Contesting narrative power Social media and public narrative Calling power to account: mediated cut-through Escalating tension Policy shifts Conclusion Notes References Chapter 9: Wiremu Patene and the early peace movement at
Karakariki Introduction Context Wi Patene Three Kings Karakariki Legacy Conclusion References Chapter 10: Reclaiming the role of Rongo: a revolutionary and radical form of nonviolent politics Introduction The history and political context of Parihaka Te Rā o te Haeata – The Day of Reconciliation Understanding the resistance narrative(s) of Parihaka Te Ao o Rongomaraeroa: the world of Rongomaraeroa – the Māori god of peace Passive resistance and Rongo Seeking the message of resistance in song Rapua te mea ngaro - Seek that which is lost Notes References Chapter 11: Understanding Baxter’s “Dunedin lawyer”: Alfred Richard
Barclay and the significance of Boer War opposition in
New Zealand Dunedin, Saturday 25 January 1902 The young Archibald Baxter Alfred Richard Barclay NZ opposition to the Boer War: context andhistory 1899–1902 The Hillside speech Reflections on the significance of Barclay’s speech Notes References Index