Does nonviolent power work only against humane opponents or only in a society that has some degree of political space for organizing?
Not at all. Some of the last century’s harshest oppressors were undermined and removed through nonviolent conflicts. There was little that was humane about General Pinochet’s practice of torturing and killing dissidents, but a nonviolent strategy ousted him. The apartheid regime in South Africa forbade public assemblies in black townships and tried to silence or assassinate nonviolent organizers, but they subverted its base of support. And the Solidarity trade union opened up political space in Poland where none existed before, through strikes and mass mobilization. Those who do not understand nonviolent conflict tend to dismiss its achievements, but many who no longer live under communism in Europe or under military dictators in Latin America would not agree.
Related Questions
- Does nonviolent power work only against humane opponents or only in a society that allows some degree of political space for organizing?
- Does nonviolent power work only against humane opponents or only in a society that has some degree of political space for organizing?
- How does political power affect society?
