@@thihalwin3488 Erica Chenoweth's book "How Civil Resistance Works" may be helpful as would any of Gene Sharp's books or writings. Many others may also be useful. There is a large library of works about the techniques of nonviolence: Martin Luther King, Mohandas Gandhi, Cesar Chavez, are among the more famous, but there are many others with more recent experience. Please look into the work of nonviolent peace teams such as the Nonviolent Peaceforce, for example.
I'm here because of class assignment. I absolutely loved this! The idea if Gandhi and King being taught first and not a after fact? Sheesh !!! & this video was 9 years ago? Where has this gem been?
@@FelipeNovaesRocha remember the statistics! an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind! Ghandi looked right in the face of opposition and it worked, don't make the same mistake as so many others.
“In this cause I, too, am prepared to die, but my friends there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill. Whatever they do to us we will attack no one, kill no one, but we will not give our fingerprints not one of them. They will imprison us. They will fine us. They will seize our possessions. But they cannot take away our self respect if we do not give it to them. I am asking you to fight. To fight against their anger, not to provoke it. We will not strike a blow, but we will receive them. And through our pain we will make them see their injustice. And it will hurt, as all fighting hurts. But we cannot lose. We cannot. They may torture my body, break my bones, even kill me. Then, they will have my dead body, not my obedience.”
I have Why Civil Resistance Works in paperback and audiobook, and I recommend it almost daily. An incredibly important work, and a desperately needed counter to the increasingly violent narrative on all sides. I’m very glad to have this shorter presentation to post.
She nails it on the head, our education system has failed us, as well as our parents. We need to start getting people to realize there's nothing super natural about not killing each other.
As we look at the social unrest we are facing today, this would be a wonderful time to bring back this Talk, to infuse it in the actions that we are taking. I believe that change needs action n order to occur - but I want that in a non-violent way.
Pretty cool talk, but one problem with it is this binary between violent vs non violent resistance. In at least some important cases they are intertwined. For example, during the earlier days of the Syrian revolution, armed groups would prevent the army from entering the area that non violent protests were taking place. This after the Syrian army dealt with non violent protests by shooting demonstrators en masse.
Better to distinguish between active and passive resistance, where nonviolence is only one form of active resistance, and can be observed in use alongside violent active resistance
Syrian revolution was successful until Russia and Iran China entered the game, so it's a geopolitical problem now, with more complications added every day
I maybe buy the idea that non violence resistance is more effective in building better societies after the change but I would ask you to dig deep into the conditions and cultures that would leverage non-violence options to violent ones. In most african countries, the dictatorial leadership is inplanted and financed by Western "democratic" countries and therefore they are not answerable to their people in anyway. Any non violent action is met with state violence..... how do you promote non violence tactics in such an environment? Congo Kinshasa has not succeeded, SA did not succeed with Non violence alone, most French speaking African countries cannot succeed, Egypt did not succeed because the violent option overturned the non violent spring,...... we are really in a messy world.
I like Nelson Mandela’s approach to it. If non-violent protests are allowed, use them. If the government outlaws or prohibits non-violent resistance, then your only option in violence
I always wondered how could people allow such atrocities when the majority was against and now I know. I am an Amerindian living in Venezuela and when I compare over 500 years of struggle with contemporary history I now understand that a NATION where everyone defends only his/hers interests in no match against a group of people however small in numbers that stick together for a common interest.
These are difficult issues and I certainly have no answers. For me though, the main takeaway from this Talk has to do with numbers, diffusion and penetration; i.e., as the numbers (of those involved in resistance) grow, they increasingly permeate more broad spectra of society. As this happens, more and more people have closer interests in the resistance (or change-seeking, revolution, whatever you want to call it--it doesn't matter) and are thus drawn into it, either in support or in opposition. For example, she mentioned that no State operative, however brutal their job might be (e.g., the East German Stazi) (sp?) is completely disconnected from the society in which that person lives and operates. That, IMO, is a crucial point. She also talked about people who may be sympathetic but 'risk-averse,' who, when they see many others demonstrating, et al, become more willing to join in--the 'safety-in-numbers' idea. I can understand how, Once a certain 'critical mass' is reached (and I do think that this minimum proportion is essential), the growth of the movement (resistance, revolution, et al--whatever) almost certainly will increase exponentially, simply because of the multitude of social and other ties that connect virtually all individuals within any given society. Chris Hedges, who covered a multitude of violent and non-violent revolutions, emphasizes something like this in his own commentary on resistance/revolution/change. He provides examples of this dynamic working in many instances, including Czechoslovakia and East Germany; when those charged with firing on the crowds have family members in those crowds, well, the effect of that is obvious. I remain skeptical about the efficacy of this in any and all situations; I think each is unique, and requires its own strategies and tactics. And, although I don't like the idea, I do think that in some instances, the strategic or tactical use of some acts and levels of violence may become necessary. Even Chris Hedges acknowledges this, although, as he points out, when violence becomes an absolute necessity, the results are always tragic, everyone loses. All extremely complex, certainly from a moral perspective, and from a strategic perspective. I doubt there are any absolute answers--I certainly have none. But I do feel certain of one thing: we must do Something--act, preferably in a non-violent manner, but act, express resistance to the status quo, or nothing will change.
Pacifism is a tactic, liked all tactics they have a place and time, like all tactics they do not work in every situation, In all cases resistance has fractions that perform different functions and no one fractions actions can be attributed to the totality outcomes.
I do think that just one century might be too short, considering the major conflicts that dominated the first half of it being the most destructive in human history. This might explain the shift towards the end of it, people were tired of violence period. I cannot help but think that property rights are themselves based on violence, and thus, all societies have violence inherent to them. IE. Who gave you that land? Your grandfather? Where did he get it? His grandfather? And him? Eventually, you reach a point where ownership/property sprang from violence (or at the very least; attendance). And thus, living in a place, or near a place, for some period of time precludes others from using it to sustain themselves? Thus, violence. Though...I think it is interesting. Her facts are strong, and there is no denying that the trend is continuing. So for now, I support this as the primary tool in our new, evolving society.
Interesting comment. I have been taken with the ideas of the movement based on the works of Henry George, 19th century American political economist and social philosopher who traces the failure of the economic system to benefit everyone more or less equally because owners of land and natural resources extract an unearned income from everyone else for their right to access the hoe planet. His suggested solution of land value taxation is an ecellent idea too.
we have those every day in France. As a result you cannot make any solid plans for anything because you are not even sure you will have subway or a bus to go to work. Reason #1346 I left the country.
This talk makes it seem like these two types of resistance are mutually exclusive, which is definitely not the case throughout history nonviolent and violent civil resistance are usually very closely tied for understandable reasons, and it allows for both the broader appeal of nonviolent resistance and the force of violent resistance. Examples of both non-violent and violent resistance in a movement are the civil rights movement in the US as well as the Russian Revolution, which had many years of non-violent demonstrations, with violent retaliation from the Tsar against mass protests from people like the priest Georgy Apollonovich Gapon in Bloody Sunday, all leading to the Russian Revolution.
This topic needs more research. Gandhi and his 20 year-plus civil disobedience and protesting for Indian independence is not actual "revolution"; it's a political evolution. Revolutions are much shorter.
It is easy to talk about the hope of non-violent revolutions coming from positions of privilage. People who come from positions of struggle and survival do not have the privilage to wait peacefully while the State that rules over them loses legitimacy (that is if it ever gets noticed by NGOs)... and then what? a neocolonial US/Euro supported regime takes over? This is not to say I disagree with her arguments completely. The "long-run" point has a lot of strength to it. ...but I think revolution needs to go beyond the violent/non-violent question and search and answer "What is violence?"
Best response to the comments above. The more detail one has about her arguments (and evidence to back those arguments up), the better one can make informed criticism of them. Otherwise--just speculation and opinion.
Watching this now, during a pandemic when labor can’t show up to work and the US economy is tanking just lends more evidence to the ability of a mass strike to cripple power until it listens.
Belarus 2020 non-violent resistance has failed, though has engaged around 10%. The 3.5% role does not always work if the is a decisive and defiantly violent suppression by the despot.
0:07 "i would like you to imagine that you live in an extremely repressive country": don't need to, i am already living in one, hello form Vietnam everyone.
Probably because the amount of unaccountable government and private security forces have grown exponentially in the last few decades. The thing is... we're all on the list.
Such a great presentation ! But please could you allow people to add more translations, I would really love to translate it in French ! And I swear my request is made in a very peaceful manner !
This video was refreshing and reassuring as I continue to peacefully protest against racism. LET US END RACISM. LET US PROTEST. And most importantly, LET US EDUCATE.
Diego Alejandro Suarez Titze OAS has yet to release an OFICIAL report on the so called fraud in the elections. National and International Press has not been repressed until the new Bolivian “transitional” government stepped in. The protest were never peaceful; paramilitary groups governed the streets of Cochabamba and Santa Cruz, because there was no police in streets because they were in mutiny. People reported to those paramilitary groups, if you so much as expressed disagreement you were bullied, insulted, and sometimes even physically attacked. In 21 days of protest against Evo Morales 3 people were killed during confrontations between opposition and oficialista protesters. In 10 days since the coup d’etat 31 people were killed by the military with impunity given by the self proclaimed new president of Bolivia.
@@transientuniverse0 First of all, are you Bolivian? Those facts are so twisted and misleading as so no one wold try to refute them so. Coming from someone who participated in the protests and saw first hand how things went trough even under heavily evo regime controled media I'll try to wrap your head around it.
@@transientuniverse0 While the official OEA report was indeed released after evo was overthrown, but preliminar results were already released during his mandate, results wich already pointed for fraud, not only that, even as early as during the election multiple international regulators noted the terrible handling of the elections. On the side note, Evo said he would respect the result of the OEA report but doing the same as the 21f referendum he turned a blind eye and ignored it when the results stoped favouring him. Besides, do you really believe reelection is a human right? Thats a joke.
Interesting but I wonder if something as complex as revolutions can really be quantified with any real precision. Are we seeing a causal link here or just a correlative one. Suppose for example that certain regimes are more prone to failure and due to these same weaknesses are more likely to allow the proliferation of a peaceful uprising? It is also a bit of an omission that we're never told what qualifies as a "mixed" revolution, meaning one with both violent and nonviolent elements. Would the American Civil Rights movement have counted? Though we cherish the story of Dr. King's pacifism we tend to forget that his famed marches took place over a backdrop of race riots and mounting fears of a militant uprising. There's certainly a lot here to reenforce the idea that nonviolence shouldn't be so readily ruled out, however, unless I'm misreading the subtext, it seems to go further to suggest that violence can be ruled out, which is a stretch. What about the most vigilant autocracies? Could a nonviolent resistance movement have stopped Fascist Italy or Nazi Germany? Even at the height of their power and control? After all just because something is statistically more effective doesn't mean it can't be situationally less effective.
Honestly, it doesn't matter; peoples dealing with tyrannical situations have the right to decide for themselves how they want to wage their wars against their tyrants, and neither non-violence or violence is morally wrong. It really should depend on the circumstances and the resisters themselves should make the determination -- if some of them want to use violence, the non-violent ones have no right to stop them and are not only being immoral by doing so, they're hurting their own causes by turning against allies and turning their own movements in on themselves, making them self-destruct. The idea that people believe that strict adherence to non-violence is more important than the issue in question or the rights and autonomy of the resisters is sickening.
Many of the points are agreeable, BUT violence has a role. IMHO, non-violence has to work with violence to achieve the best result. Violence has to be used to counter the violence used by the authority, but non-violence shows the authority a possible peaceful future. Besides, every situation is different, and it is potentially upsetting to see stats being thrown around for advocating non-violence!
Yes but people might be choosing non violence because they already sense that the zeitgeist has swung in their favour, it doesn't mean you can 'reproduce' it by choosing non-violence, based on a study, and have it work the same way.
This video has been used to promote peaceful opposition in Venezuela. The data may be correct in the lecturer's suggestion of no violence in order to achieve meaningful change. However, the forces of evil tend to fall because dictators don't perform their own studies on how to win over benign forces, in a scientific and systematic fashion. Many dictatorial forces that she mentions in the video have fallen because of this lack of scientific effort. But that has not been the case with the Castros in Cuba, who have been in power for over 50 years (not mentioned in the video). They practice their power with a high level of knowledge, and have put in practice what works best in the science of repression. The problem is that this is the mayor source of support for the government of Venezuela, with all the power and might of the Cuban intelligence. So I agree that there is great success based on the data and on study, but that may well depend of who is better educated in their purpose, the dictator or the people.
She's addressing all social change, not just the rise and fall of governmental regimes. Evil is a subjective term and you would do well to remove it from your rhetoric as it reveals religious undertones. You last point about education is really a key topic. Education, and access to information can shape the way these changes manifest. The more educated and informed, the less violent and short termed the shift will be.
The collapse of the Soviet system had literally nothing to do with protests or protesters. It was a political collapse between a factional struggle between incompetent reformers and Stalinist hardliners in the Government. This is why the collapse of the system is seen as so sudden. Because it came from the top down, not the bottom up.
The "opposition" in Venezuela are the upper-class white minority who call themselves Spanish who were overthrown through Democratic elections and I system Jimmy Carter called "the best in the world". Venezuela offered to sell the world unlimited oil at $50 a barrel when it was over $100. We have instigated 5 failed coups to put into place a man most venezuelans have never heard of and are currently starving their people to death with sanctions. We even Threatened india for attempting to do business with them. Stop believing US/Western propaganda and research. This is about BP and Exxon being angry they can no longer take venezuelan oil for free while the countries majority starblve
@@KironVB no it wasnt. It was an economic collapse tied with Gorbachev, whom i believe may have been covertly US supported, wanting to end the system and turn Russia into a hypercapitalist state. Which failed and gave rise to the oligarchs and Russians rejection of the suffering involved and thus putting Putin in power. For all of yeltsins bravery the KGB eventually won through the polls
Since one of the two situations researched was "territorial liberation" was the almost exclusively peaceful collapse of the British empire considered? Maybe I am being simplistic, but it seems the period of time researched was non-standard in this aspect.
Thank you for your insightful response. Indeed, Britain was very civilized about their decline, which may be different from some situations the world faces today.
first, teach your kids the way of success: find their talents-build them! Keep out of public schools! And away from negativity: News, TV, Phones, games.
Here's the thing: What's the definition of "success"? I'm not being specious here, or nit-picking over semantics. Consider, arguably the most successful, mobile and well funded activists are the environmentalists, who can claim a long series of successes over the last 40 or so years. But during those same decades, the environmental regulatory bodies have been gutted, underfunded, and essentially rendered useless. The environment has deteriorated hand over fist. Winning battles but losing the war is not success. Or The Arab Spring- which, after the dust had settled was little more than a window dressing, a change in leadership while the larger machinations continued uninterrupted.
Her parameters for success on non-violent movements are really strange, why is “achieving their demands” considered a good criteria for judging how well protest really changes things?
Help Russians please. We are poor. People in government takes our money for their family. They ignore our rights and move mans with different political view into prison
tell your friends and family to stop believing their own lies, as that's where the problem really comes from; the reason why the government is so corrupt is because the people are also corrupt
I am from Syria, governed by one of the most repressive regimes in the 21st century. This video proves that it would have been wiser id oir revolution remained peaceful. The problem is, oppressed people do not know the tools of non violent resistence, thus they get excited and avengeful and seek the route they know well, violence.
So, in one sentence: "Nonviolent movements are more likely to succeed today because they draw more people." Maybe, then, the problem is the discouragement from violent movements in the first place.
Violent movements are also more likely to wind up as dictatorships. Violence against your political enemies doesn't tend to just be a switch that you flick on and off; people get accustomed to imposing their will on others by force.
I wouldn't be an American if my Grandmother did not flee the Philippines, with my mom and two of her nine siblings, when Marcos was turned from a democratically elected president to the infamous ruthless tyrannical dictator he became (with the backing of US Corporate/International Banking interests). Millions of Filipinos peacefully protesting wasn't the only factor that caused Marcos to pack as much money, and as many of his wife's shoes, as fast as he could before fleeing to Hawaii. A small military coupe also took place. There was some violence. It could have been much worse. At that point in time, Marcos was already on his way out. Ironically, the massive peaceful protest, and the military coupe most likely saved Ferdinand's life. Most people, including the vast majority of Filipinos, don't know that the ruthless dictator, "President" Ferdinand Marcos, did one great thing for the Filipino People. Not long before he was forced out, he refused to sign over perpetual rights to the resources of The Philippines to the International Bankers. Keyword: "Perpetual," as in "forever." Marcos was a dead man walking as long as he remained in power after this. He would have suffered the same fate as Sadaam, Gadhafi, Allende, and many other foreign leaders that refused to play ball with the banksters. John Perkins outlines this detail, as he explains the methods of US Foreign Policy in his book, Confessions of an Economic Hitman. Peaceful protest might be effective in bringing about change. When 3.5% of a sizeable population is gathered together, it will definitely be noticed. 3.5% of the population in the US (334,183,570) is nearly 11.7 million people. It would be hard for the media to hide that from the world. How would the media spin an event like that, though?
It's so sad that Serbia is an example used, and I'm from Serbia, watching this cause I want to better understand protests that are happening right now, because that repressive country mentioned at the beginning really is the state I live in. So.. we were that example when I was born, and so are we now, 20 years after.
What slaughter fails to analyze is the 'successful' regimes linked to super power support and how a 'successful' regime has been predominantly one petmitted to trade with the US and thus give in to US imperialsm, it is a glaring omission
قال صلى الله عليه وسلم: ( ياعائشة! إن الله رفيق يحب الرفق. ويعطي على الرفق ما لا يعطي على العنف. وما لا يعطي على ما سواه) [رواه مسلم] وقال أحد الحكماء:« ُيدرك بالرفق ما لا ُيدرك بالعنف
Civil resistance in other countries without help of foreign intelligence services like (CIA, MI6, BND, etc.) is doomed to failure. You can do many researches, analyze data and talk, but the reality is something else !!! Change can be made only with violence, or if you are "supported" by this agencies it can be done with less violence like in Serbia. This video only serve in interest of the leaders of the countries, because if the people remove the option of violence that means peaceful sleep for the rulers !!! Let's see what people in Europe will achieve with peaceful protests over there against the problems with the migrants from middle east and other problems that they have !!! Let's see the power of nonviolent civil resistance. :)
+Reality Revolution If you look at the historical data maybe my opinion is not true, but don’t forget that the historical data is not always true! Those who win they write the history! Powerful countries will not admit that their intelligence agencies were behind “successful nonviolent protest” in other countries. I am telling you this from my experience, not from data collected through my pc! I used to live in a country where those things were happening and I was somehow involved.
As a former Peace educator in schools, training both teachers and students in the ways of non-violence, I really appreciate this talk. But in this year of 2022 with the current vicious attack of Russia on the Ukrainian people, I’m challenged to suggest that they not fight back. When the dust settles and if Russia has firmly overtaken the country, it seems like there are more opportunities to overthrow a dictator with nonviolent strategies than to stop a sudden and brutal vicious attack with indiscriminate bombing on kindergartens and hospitals and homes, like we are witnessing in Ukraine now. Prayers for them all!
This is some of the most exciting work I've encountered in 45 years since becoming a nonviolence trainer.
I'm from Myanmar fighting against the junta.Can you please share me some techniques?
@@thihalwin3488 Erica Chenoweth's book "How Civil Resistance Works" may be helpful as would any of Gene Sharp's books or writings. Many others may also be useful. There is a large library of works about the techniques of nonviolence: Martin Luther King, Mohandas Gandhi, Cesar Chavez, are among the more famous, but there are many others with more recent experience. Please look into the work of nonviolent peace teams such as the Nonviolent Peaceforce, for example.
Could I please see you on facebook ?
Please reply to this person above me sir
@@thihalwin3488I hope you're doing okay
I'm here because of class assignment. I absolutely loved this! The idea if Gandhi and King being taught first and not a after fact? Sheesh !!! & this video was 9 years ago? Where has this gem been?
I'm reading the last book of Erica, "Civil resistance what everyone needs to know" I downloaded the e-book and the audiobook
I'm still showing it to my students as class material for group reflection.
We, people of Myanmar are now using your method : Nonviolence. I'll come back when the result becomes more clear.
Update : Guys, this is not working. Now we are moving to armed revolution.
@@moeeazycook Armed revolution is working?
@@FelipeNovaesRocha remember the statistics! an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind! Ghandi looked right in the face of opposition and it worked, don't make the same mistake as so many others.
“In this cause I, too, am prepared to die, but my friends there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill. Whatever they do to us we will attack no one, kill no one, but we will not give our fingerprints not one of them. They will imprison us. They will fine us. They will seize our possessions. But they cannot take away our self respect if we do not give it to them. I am asking you to fight. To fight against their anger, not to provoke it. We will not strike a blow, but we will receive them. And through our pain we will make them see their injustice. And it will hurt, as all fighting hurts. But we cannot lose. We cannot. They may torture my body, break my bones, even kill me. Then, they will have my dead body, not my obedience.”
@@BlapwardKrunkle I think you misunderstood my message. Maybe you want sent it to Moe?
I have Why Civil Resistance Works in paperback and audiobook, and I recommend it almost daily.
An incredibly important work, and a desperately needed counter to the increasingly violent narrative on all sides. I’m very glad to have this shorter presentation to post.
This knowledge and wisdom are needed now more than ever in our generation.
Her book Why Civil Resistance Works changed my view on resistance, conflict, regime change, civil disobedience, and everything inbetween
She nails it on the head, our education system has failed us, as well as our parents. We need to start getting people to realize there's nothing super natural about not killing each other.
As we look at the social unrest we are facing today, this would be a wonderful time to bring back this Talk, to infuse it in the actions that we are taking. I believe that change needs action n order to occur - but I want that in a non-violent way.
Thank you for this beautiful talk
For references and further resources, I link to a bunch of materials at my blog, Rational Insurgent.
Thank you for what you do!!
Thanks Erica. People in Myanmar are doing civil disobidence movement . Would you mind giving advice re fighting against dictatorship?
@@Eikhine86 People here in Canada we're doing the same. We're tired of Justin Trudeau destroying our lives
This really needs to go viral
Now more than EVER!
@@Joe_C. exactly
Excellent! Spreading this around Indivisible! Thank you, Erica!
Same for several years now. Folks like seeing in social threads as well.
Awesome, thanks for this inspiring and wonderful talk. Peace is the way
Fabulous!! Extremely enlightening. Thank you
Pretty cool talk, but one problem with it is this binary between violent vs non violent resistance. In at least some important cases they are intertwined. For example, during the earlier days of the Syrian revolution, armed groups would prevent the army from entering the area that non violent protests were taking place. This after the Syrian army dealt with non violent protests by shooting demonstrators en masse.
Better to distinguish between active and passive resistance, where nonviolence is only one form of active resistance, and can be observed in use alongside violent active resistance
Read "This is an Uprising" by Paul Engler and Mark Engler for a more detailed analysis of these ideas.
Syrian revolution was successful until Russia and Iran China entered the game, so it's a geopolitical problem now, with more complications added every day
I also wonder what you do what "NGOs" from foreign governments intentionally implant agent provocateurs into protests.
This is talking about the majority not the exceptions.
I maybe buy the idea that non violence resistance is more effective in building better societies after the change but I would ask you to dig deep into the conditions and cultures that would leverage non-violence options to violent ones. In most african countries, the dictatorial leadership is inplanted and financed by Western "democratic" countries and therefore they are not answerable to their people in anyway. Any non violent action is met with state violence..... how do you promote non violence tactics in such an environment? Congo Kinshasa has not succeeded, SA did not succeed with Non violence alone, most French speaking African countries cannot succeed, Egypt did not succeed because the violent option overturned the non violent spring,...... we are really in a messy world.
I like Nelson Mandela’s approach to it. If non-violent protests are allowed, use them. If the government outlaws or prohibits non-violent resistance, then your only option in violence
wonderful insight. I would like to learn more
this needs more views now more than ever
we are doing exactly that in West Cameroons now. civil disobedience.
All the power too you guys and I hope you all get the change you're looking for! Hurting other people wont help anyone!
So have you succeed, or are you dead by now?
Have you succeeded?
Unfortunately, some people never even entertain the thought that violence might not be a good solution to problems.
I like your talk and thanks for all the research you have put in it! Let's pass on the message. Shared...
Relevant today
Cazerolazos! I heard many of them all over Caracas in 2016. Banging pots and pans in the evening. Powerful
They didn't work, did they?
Thank you, this was really awesome. This was shared via my nonviolent transformation on conflicts class!
I always wondered how could people allow such atrocities when the majority was against and now I know. I am an Amerindian living in Venezuela and when I compare over 500 years of struggle with contemporary history I now understand that a NATION where everyone defends only his/hers interests in no match against a group of people however small in numbers that stick together for a common interest.
Good Luck with that😁
Very timely video
We are doing this in lebanon and will stay resisting peacefully till we change our system to a non corrupted one and start aa civilised one...
These are difficult issues and I certainly have no answers. For me though, the main takeaway from this Talk has to do with numbers, diffusion and penetration; i.e., as the numbers (of those involved in resistance) grow, they increasingly permeate more broad spectra of society. As this happens, more and more people have closer interests in the resistance (or change-seeking, revolution, whatever you want to call it--it doesn't matter) and are thus drawn into it, either in support or in opposition.
For example, she mentioned that no State operative, however brutal their job might be (e.g., the East German Stazi) (sp?) is completely disconnected from the society in which that person lives and operates. That, IMO, is a crucial point.
She also talked about people who may be sympathetic but 'risk-averse,' who, when they see many others demonstrating, et al, become more willing to join in--the 'safety-in-numbers' idea. I can understand how, Once a certain 'critical mass' is reached (and I do think that this minimum proportion is essential), the growth of the movement (resistance, revolution, et al--whatever) almost certainly will increase exponentially, simply because of the multitude of social and other ties that connect virtually all individuals within any given society.
Chris Hedges, who covered a multitude of violent and non-violent revolutions, emphasizes something like this in his own commentary on resistance/revolution/change. He provides examples of this dynamic working in many instances, including Czechoslovakia and East Germany; when those charged with firing on the crowds have family members in those crowds, well, the effect of that is obvious.
I remain skeptical about the efficacy of this in any and all situations; I think each is unique, and requires its own strategies and tactics. And, although I don't like the idea, I do think that in some instances, the strategic or tactical use of some acts and levels of violence may become necessary. Even Chris Hedges acknowledges this, although, as he points out, when violence becomes an absolute necessity, the results are always tragic, everyone loses.
All extremely complex, certainly from a moral perspective, and from a strategic perspective. I doubt there are any absolute answers--I certainly have none. But I do feel certain of one thing: we must do Something--act, preferably in a non-violent manner, but act, express resistance to the status quo, or nothing will change.
Sorry I dozed off can you repeat that?
Pacifism is a tactic, liked all tactics they have a place and time, like all tactics they do not work in every situation,
In all cases resistance has fractions that perform different functions and no one fractions actions can be attributed to the totality outcomes.
@James Elmore That works unless you're banned from promoting goals, say, by the occupants.
@James Elmore I wonder what the Palestinians are doing wrong which causes them to still remain under occupation for over 60 years.
I do think that just one century might be too short, considering the major conflicts that dominated the first half of it being the most destructive in human history. This might explain the shift towards the end of it, people were tired of violence period.
I cannot help but think that property rights are themselves based on violence, and thus, all societies have violence inherent to them. IE. Who gave you that land? Your grandfather? Where did he get it? His grandfather? And him? Eventually, you reach a point where ownership/property sprang from violence (or at the very least; attendance). And thus, living in a place, or near a place, for some period of time precludes others from using it to sustain themselves? Thus, violence.
Though...I think it is interesting. Her facts are strong, and there is no denying that the trend is continuing. So for now, I support this as the primary tool in our new, evolving society.
Interesting comment. I have been taken with the ideas of the movement based on the works of Henry George, 19th century American political economist and social philosopher who traces the failure of the economic system to benefit everyone more or less equally because owners of land and natural resources extract an unearned income from everyone else for their right to access the hoe planet. His suggested solution of land value taxation is an ecellent idea too.
*****
+1 for LVT!
Excellent message.
Watching this in 2021America is interesting
2024 on these of 2025 enters the conversation
Oef such an important message. I feel the urge to and will spread this in every way I can :)
Power to the people!!!!!
Why don't we perform national strikes? If everyone decided to take a sick day on the same day or two, things would change immediately.
organize a strike, comrade! :)
we have those every day in France. As a result you cannot make any solid plans for anything because you are not even sure you will have subway or a bus to go to work. Reason #1346 I left the country.
they changed in the 1970s when i was a shop steward and then the wets caved in
@DannyDaDuffyDucking Daffer Poor you, maybe if you stood up for urself instead of just whining over everything, you might achieve better wages?
People have to overcome fear, it's what is used against us to control us.
This talk makes it seem like these two types of resistance are mutually exclusive, which is definitely not the case throughout history nonviolent and violent civil resistance are usually very closely tied for understandable reasons, and it allows for both the broader appeal of nonviolent resistance and the force of violent resistance. Examples of both non-violent and violent resistance in a movement are the civil rights movement in the US as well as the Russian Revolution, which had many years of non-violent demonstrations, with violent retaliation from the Tsar against mass protests from people like the priest Georgy Apollonovich Gapon in Bloody Sunday, all leading to the Russian Revolution.
excellent point. Ward Churchill illustrates this point well in his pamphlet, Pacifism as Pathology. Highly recommend
This topic needs more research.
Gandhi and his 20 year-plus civil disobedience and protesting for Indian independence is not actual "revolution"; it's a political evolution. Revolutions are much shorter.
Thanks
It is easy to talk about the hope of non-violent revolutions coming from positions of privilage. People who come from positions of struggle and survival do not have the privilage to wait peacefully while the State that rules over them loses legitimacy (that is if it ever gets noticed by NGOs)... and then what? a neocolonial US/Euro supported regime takes over? This is not to say I disagree with her arguments completely. The "long-run" point has a lot of strength to it. ...but I think revolution needs to go beyond the violent/non-violent question and search and answer "What is violence?"
ZyTelevan it is a stalemate until one/both of us read the actual study ^.^
Best response to the comments above. The more detail one has about her arguments (and evidence to back those arguments up), the better one can make informed criticism of them. Otherwise--just speculation and opinion.
Resisting nonviolently is not waiting peacefully.
Watching this now, during a pandemic when labor can’t show up to work and the US economy is tanking just lends more evidence to the ability of a mass strike to cripple power until it listens.
Teach peace not war. As a future educator, I got you.
Learn to meditate: and teach it to kids, it really works wonders.
Belarus 2020 non-violent resistance has failed, though has engaged around 10%. The 3.5% role does not always work if the is a decisive and defiantly violent suppression by the despot.
0:07 "i would like you to imagine that you live in an extremely repressive country": don't need to, i am already living in one, hello form Vietnam everyone.
Wonderful!!
Why do I suspect that her research into violent and nonviolent uprisings put her name on a list in some government department somewhere?
Probably because the amount of unaccountable government and private security forces have grown exponentially in the last few decades. The thing is... we're all on the list.
Such a great presentation ! But please could you allow people to add more translations, I would really love to translate it in French ! And I swear my request is made in a very peaceful manner !
I see an audience of very sad people in search of something they will never find
Life’s Losers
This video was refreshing and reassuring as I continue to peacefully protest against racism. LET US END RACISM. LET US PROTEST. And most importantly, LET US EDUCATE.
Excellent points, particularly on coordinated electricity shut-offs...
Shira, 13 July, 12016 HE
Great! Thanks!
Hi XR 2019! 😊
Can we find the data and calculus details somewhere?
how dare you ... pretending to be non-violent, while supporting violent fascist system makes her feel good, your facts are just a nuisance ...
@@MichielVanKets wtf
Read her book: “Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict"
@@politicalpolitics7139 pretty sure it's sarcasm
can someone elaborate more on the "shutting down the electricity" part? what's the purpose of this? how does it help the protestors cause?
Were the end and conclusion questions supposed to make me cry?
This fits perfectly with whats going on in Bolivia right now, thank you!
Diego Alejandro Suarez Titze you fail as a human being.
@@transientuniverse0 why is that?
Diego Alejandro Suarez Titze OAS has yet to release an OFICIAL report on the so called fraud in the elections. National and International Press has not been repressed until the new Bolivian “transitional” government stepped in. The protest were never peaceful; paramilitary groups governed the streets of Cochabamba and Santa Cruz, because there was no police in streets because they were in mutiny. People reported to those paramilitary groups, if you so much as expressed disagreement you were bullied, insulted, and sometimes even physically attacked. In 21 days of protest against Evo Morales 3 people were killed during confrontations between opposition and oficialista protesters. In 10 days since the coup d’etat 31 people were killed by the military with impunity given by the self proclaimed new president of Bolivia.
@@transientuniverse0 First of all, are you Bolivian? Those facts are so twisted and misleading as so no one wold try to refute them so. Coming from someone who participated in the protests and saw first hand how things went trough even under heavily evo regime controled media I'll try to wrap your head around it.
@@transientuniverse0 While the official OEA report was indeed released after evo was overthrown, but preliminar results were already released during his mandate, results wich already pointed for fraud, not only that, even as early as during the election multiple international regulators noted the terrible handling of the elections. On the side note, Evo said he would respect the result of the OEA report but doing the same as the 21f referendum he turned a blind eye and ignored it when the results stoped favouring him. Besides, do you really believe reelection is a human right? Thats a joke.
I hope you're right and Catalonia become free soon, very soon.
Bro-
3:30 Non-violent campaigns twice as successful
Interesting but I wonder if something as complex as revolutions can really be quantified with any real precision. Are we seeing a causal link here or just a correlative one. Suppose for example that certain regimes are more prone to failure and due to these same weaknesses are more likely to allow the proliferation of a peaceful uprising?
It is also a bit of an omission that we're never told what qualifies as a "mixed" revolution, meaning one with both violent and nonviolent elements. Would the American Civil Rights movement have counted? Though we cherish the story of Dr. King's pacifism we tend to forget that his famed marches took place over a backdrop of race riots and mounting fears of a militant uprising.
There's certainly a lot here to reenforce the idea that nonviolence shouldn't be so readily ruled out, however, unless I'm misreading the subtext, it seems to go further to suggest that violence can be ruled out, which is a stretch. What about the most vigilant autocracies? Could a nonviolent resistance movement have stopped Fascist Italy or Nazi Germany? Even at the height of their power and control? After all just because something is statistically more effective doesn't mean it can't be situationally less effective.
Honestly, it doesn't matter; peoples dealing with tyrannical situations have the right to decide for themselves how they want to wage their wars against their tyrants, and neither non-violence or violence is morally wrong. It really should depend on the circumstances and the resisters themselves should make the determination -- if some of them want to use violence, the non-violent ones have no right to stop them and are not only being immoral by doing so, they're hurting their own causes by turning against allies and turning their own movements in on themselves, making them self-destruct. The idea that people believe that strict adherence to non-violence is more important than the issue in question or the rights and autonomy of the resisters is sickening.
Chenoweth reported what's been most effective. Value judgments don't pertain.
Knowledge is wealth
3.5% but how long does it take? a question from Myanmar (Burma) under the Regime for 2 years now.
Many of the points are agreeable, BUT violence has a role. IMHO, non-violence has to work with violence to achieve the best result. Violence has to be used to counter the violence used by the authority, but non-violence shows the authority a possible peaceful future. Besides, every situation is different, and it is potentially upsetting to see stats being thrown around for advocating non-violence!
In other words, violence and non-violence approaches must not be regarded as mutually exclusive of each other.
I wish there was a transcript function for this video to cite it
8:10 Even when there are crackdowns, non-violent resistance is twice as effective
Tienamen square worked out awesome...
@@cdreid99999she didn’t say that pacifism is a universal success, just MORE successful today than violent ones.
Yes but people might be choosing non violence because they already sense that the zeitgeist has swung in their favour, it doesn't mean you can 'reproduce' it by choosing non-violence, based on a study, and have it work the same way.
I no longer have to imagine I live in a repressive country thanks to Cheeto Benito.
I wish i could get the information in this presentation without the BS setup that all Ted talks seem to involve
1:29 they blinked at the same time
This is amazing
This video has been used to promote peaceful opposition in Venezuela. The data may be correct in the lecturer's suggestion of no violence in order to achieve meaningful change. However, the forces of evil tend to fall because dictators don't perform their own studies on how to win over benign forces, in a scientific and systematic fashion. Many dictatorial forces that she mentions in the video have fallen because of this lack of scientific effort. But that has not been the case with the Castros in Cuba, who have been in power for over 50 years (not mentioned in the video). They practice their power with a high level of knowledge, and have put in practice what works best in the science of repression. The problem is that this is the mayor source of support for the government of Venezuela, with all the power and might of the Cuban intelligence. So I agree that there is great success based on the data and on study, but that may well depend of who is better educated in their purpose, the dictator or the people.
She's addressing all social change, not just the rise and fall of governmental regimes. Evil is a subjective term and you would do well to remove it from your rhetoric as it reveals religious undertones. You last point about education is really a key topic. Education, and access to information can shape the way these changes manifest. The more educated and informed, the less violent and short termed the shift will be.
if it worked in Poland it can work here. Communism is forbidden there.
The collapse of the Soviet system had literally nothing to do with protests or protesters. It was a political collapse between a factional struggle between incompetent reformers and Stalinist hardliners in the Government.
This is why the collapse of the system is seen as so sudden. Because it came from the top down, not the bottom up.
The "opposition" in Venezuela are the upper-class white minority who call themselves Spanish who were overthrown through Democratic elections and I system Jimmy Carter called "the best in the world". Venezuela offered to sell the world unlimited oil at $50 a barrel when it was over $100. We have instigated 5 failed coups to put into place a man most venezuelans have never heard of and are currently starving their people to death with sanctions. We even Threatened india for attempting to do business with them. Stop believing US/Western propaganda and research. This is about BP and Exxon being angry they can no longer take venezuelan oil for free while the countries majority starblve
@@KironVB no it wasnt. It was an economic collapse tied with Gorbachev, whom i believe may have been covertly US supported, wanting to end the system and turn Russia into a hypercapitalist state. Which failed and gave rise to the oligarchs and Russians rejection of the suffering involved and thus putting Putin in power. For all of yeltsins bravery the KGB eventually won through the polls
Since one of the two situations researched was "territorial liberation" was the almost exclusively peaceful collapse of the British empire considered? Maybe I am being simplistic, but it seems the period of time researched was non-standard in this aspect.
Thank you for your insightful response. Indeed, Britain was very civilized about their decline, which may be different from some situations the world faces today.
Direct action. Resist the government
first, teach your kids the way of success: find their talents-build them! Keep out of public schools! And away from negativity: News, TV, Phones, games.
This is awesome!
Here's the thing:
What's the definition of "success"?
I'm not being specious here, or nit-picking over semantics. Consider, arguably the most successful, mobile and well funded activists are the environmentalists, who can claim a long series of successes over the last 40 or so years.
But during those same decades, the environmental regulatory bodies have been gutted, underfunded, and essentially rendered useless. The environment has deteriorated hand over fist. Winning battles but losing the war is not success.
Or The Arab Spring- which, after the dust had settled was little more than a window dressing, a change in leadership while the larger machinations continued uninterrupted.
Yet most people will do NEITHER in the face of tyranny
Could be that we might reduce the amount of our national resources spent on weapons and redirect them on making a much better life for our citizens.
It depends on what country you live in
Her parameters for success on non-violent movements are really strange, why is “achieving their demands” considered a good criteria for judging how well protest really changes things?
good point. especially if the demands are limited in scope, i.e. not structural
Listen up ppl
Help Russians please. We are poor. People in government takes our money for their family. They ignore our rights and move mans with different political view into prison
tell your friends and family to stop believing their own lies, as that's where the problem really comes from; the reason why the government is so corrupt is because the people are also corrupt
@@MichielVanKets That's dangerous dude.
@@6000hall yes, a total lack of courage is what's wrong indeed
Stop voting for Putin.
Sorry but its so funny and mockery to ask help in that questions from WEST countries...
We have 25% of the pop tried to do non-violence campaign and fail...T.T
I am from Syria, governed by one of the most repressive regimes in the 21st century. This video proves that it would have been wiser id oir revolution remained peaceful. The problem is, oppressed people do not know the tools of non violent resistence, thus they get excited and avengeful and seek the route they know well, violence.
Why did it fail in Hong Kong?
what counts as a success according to Chenoweth's research?
she did say so in the video...either the overthrowing of a dictator or the occupation of a country
i known leaders who oppose nonviolence in non violence ways...!
What is civil resistance or nonviolent protest?
Miss Young crew represent
too bad that is not subtitled in Spanish. I'm writing from Colombia during a massive protest and I offer to do it
So, in one sentence:
"Nonviolent movements are more likely to succeed today because they draw more people."
Maybe, then, the problem is the discouragement from violent movements in the first place.
Yes, we don't have to allow any act of defence of violence by our representatives, we have to systematically condemn them!!!
Violent movements are also more likely to wind up as dictatorships. Violence against your political enemies doesn't tend to just be a switch that you flick on and off; people get accustomed to imposing their will on others by force.
Meditation is key to calming the mind, soul...learn it and see ur life improve 10x
the protesters against anti-corona measures should look at this!
spread it...we do :-)
I wonder what rioters who kill and burn to support BLM would think about this.
@@hammycrackers8521 oh no a wendy's🥺🥺🥺so sad
I wouldn't be an American if my Grandmother did not flee the Philippines, with my mom and two of her nine siblings, when Marcos was turned from a democratically elected president to the infamous ruthless tyrannical dictator he became (with the backing of US Corporate/International Banking interests). Millions of Filipinos peacefully protesting wasn't the only factor that caused Marcos to pack as much money, and as many of his wife's shoes, as fast as he could before fleeing to Hawaii.
A small military coupe also took place. There was some violence. It could have been much worse. At that point in time, Marcos was already on his way out. Ironically, the massive peaceful protest, and the military coupe most likely saved Ferdinand's life. Most people, including the vast majority of Filipinos, don't know that the ruthless dictator, "President" Ferdinand Marcos, did one great thing for the Filipino People.
Not long before he was forced out, he refused to sign over perpetual rights to the resources of The Philippines to the International Bankers. Keyword: "Perpetual," as in "forever." Marcos was a dead man walking as long as he remained in power after this. He would have suffered the same fate as Sadaam, Gadhafi, Allende, and many other foreign leaders that refused to play ball with the banksters. John Perkins outlines this detail, as he explains the methods of US Foreign Policy in his book, Confessions of an Economic Hitman.
Peaceful protest might be effective in bringing about change. When 3.5% of a sizeable population is gathered together, it will definitely be noticed. 3.5% of the population in the US (334,183,570) is nearly 11.7 million people. It would be hard for the media to hide that from the world. How would the media spin an event like that, though?
where
is the statistics to support this ???
Sources??
Well researched strategy options but doesn't seem to be much qualitative data and STILL a super shallow goal. Pass.
It's so sad that Serbia is an example used, and I'm from Serbia, watching this cause I want to better understand protests that are happening right now, because that repressive country mentioned at the beginning really is the state I live in. So.. we were that example when I was born, and so are we now, 20 years after.
Сретно Србија ^^
Wait.... Non violent opposition toppled slobodan milosevic.... there was a civil war beforehand you know....
What slaughter fails to analyze is the 'successful' regimes linked to super power support and how a 'successful' regime has been predominantly one petmitted to trade with the US and thus give in to US imperialsm, it is a glaring omission
قال صلى الله عليه وسلم: ( ياعائشة! إن الله رفيق يحب الرفق. ويعطي على الرفق ما لا يعطي على العنف. وما لا يعطي على ما سواه) [رواه مسلم]
وقال أحد الحكماء:« ُيدرك بالرفق ما لا ُيدرك بالعنف
1:50 examples of successful non-violent revolutions
Civil resistance in other countries without help of foreign intelligence services like (CIA, MI6, BND, etc.) is doomed to failure. You can do many researches, analyze data and talk, but the reality is something else !!! Change can be made only with violence, or if you are "supported" by this agencies it can be done with less violence like in Serbia. This video only serve in interest of the leaders of the countries, because if the people remove the option of violence that means peaceful sleep for the rulers !!! Let's see what people in Europe will achieve with peaceful protests over there against the problems with the migrants from middle east and other problems that they have !!! Let's see the power of nonviolent civil resistance. :)
+ogimk The historical data directly defies what u are saying. Not "OPINION" but factual data proves your position untrue
+Reality Revolution If you look at the historical data maybe my opinion is not true, but don’t forget that the historical data is not always true! Those who win they write the history! Powerful countries will not admit that their intelligence agencies were behind “successful nonviolent protest” in other countries. I am telling you this from my experience, not from data collected through my pc! I used to live in a country where those things were happening and I was somehow involved.
what does that have to do with the peaceful vs violent success?
+Reality Revolution I hope that you understand my point, if not then never-mind.
Even the non violent activists pointed out that violence is acceptable. Non violence only works to gain support at first.
As a former Peace educator in schools, training both teachers and students in the ways of non-violence, I really appreciate this talk. But in this year of 2022 with the current vicious attack of Russia on the Ukrainian people, I’m challenged to suggest that they not fight back. When the dust settles and if Russia has firmly overtaken the country, it seems like there are more opportunities to overthrow a dictator with nonviolent strategies than to stop a sudden and brutal vicious attack with indiscriminate bombing on kindergartens and hospitals and homes, like we are witnessing in Ukraine now. Prayers for them all!