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Politics of Nonviolent Action: Part Two: Methods of Nonviolent Action By: Gene Sharp

Gene Sharp’s work on the study of nonviolent action can be viewed as an accumulation of the belief systems and work of other political leaders. Some major influences on Sharp were Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, Rosa Parks, or Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. Of course he drew from other examples, but these people show different sides of the nonviolent spectrum; both religiously and socially. He respected and appreciated the work of Martin Luther King Jr. so much, he had Coretta Scott King write an introduction to one of his books. He chooses to elaborate what is also behind nonviolent action, “includes…nonviolent resistance, satyagraha, passive resistance, positive action, and nonviolent direct action” In volume two or part two, Sharp uses the experiences and history of many historical figures to gather the best methods of nonviolent action. Like the hundreds of nonviolent leaders and campaigns mentioned in his book, Sharp states close to 200 methods of nonviolent techniques. Of these 200 methods, they can be grouped into three general categories: protest and persuasion, noncooperation, and intervention. Of these general categories, there are sub-groups with more specific techniques. The chapter by chapter break down is methods of nonviolent protest and persuasion, social noncooperation, economic noncooperation: Boycotts, economic noncooperation: Strikes, political noncooperation, and nonviolent intervention. This particular volume provides a historical overview of successes and failures of nonviolent action around the entire world. To be outlined will be the methods of nonviolent action and the people that influenced or created such actions.

Gandhi One very notable force behind this book was definitely Gandhi; partially because he influenced other nonviolent leaders to do what they did throughout history. Gene Sharp simply puts, “It was Gandhi who made the most significant personal contribution in the history of the nonviolent technique”. He was known to experiment with many nonviolent techniques such as “the use of noncooperation, disobedience and defiance to control rulers, alter government policies, and undermine political systems”. Following Gandhi was someone known as the “Frontier Gandhi”, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. He continued and spread Gandhi’s mission of nonviolent protest through India, during their struggle for independence. Khan’s members/followers were seen as some of the most daring, brave, and reliable nonviolent protestors of their time.

Method 1: Nonviolent Protest One of the most symbolic techniques is nonviolent protest due to its purpose to produce an awareness of the existence of dissent. The effect of nonviolent protest will be greater or less effect depending on the regime of the state. Sharp states that tyrannical governments create the possibility of a circumstance of a nonviolent protest, thus have a deeper/greater impact. As history has shown, many of these protests include marches, pilgrimages, picketing, vigils, “haunting” officials, public meetings, teach-ins, walk-outs, renouncing honors, protest emigration, distributing protest literature, and humorous pranks. Due to the numerous sit-ins throughout history, their purpose has been concretely defined. The purpose may be to establish a new pattern, which could be opening particular facilities to excluded persons, or to create a protest not directly connected with the facilities being occupied. The Civil Rights movement used the sit-in method numerous times. Like sit-ins, sit-downs were and are still has common. A sit-down would involve protestors sitting down on a street, road, ground, or floor and then refusing to leave voluntarily for a period of time. Sit-downs are great example of civil disobedience. Depending on the timing and regime, each of these nonviolent protests could have different effects, successful or not. A powerful religious or spiritual nonviolent protest that has occurred is a vigil. A vigil is similar to picketing because people are remaining in one single space, but what sets it apart is the extended period of time and the religious aspect of the protest. The strength of student led strikes is becoming more bountiful and effective. Students may refuse to attend classes or refuse to cooperate in a boycott related way. At the University of Madrid in 1965, students started a campaign for an independent student union, in which they refused to pay attention. Student strikes in China have shown the ability of this modern invention. Students in China have refused to take exams, usually in protest against the lack of impartiality of the examiners.

Method 2: Nonviolent Cooperation If planned correctly with large numbers, the method of nonviolent noncooperation could prove to present a government with the most difficulties. If large amounts of people take part in noncooperation, this could halt the economy, governmental process, or society. This method has many subcategories such as social noncooperation, economic boycotts, strikes, and political noncooperation. Social noncooperation can be described as the “ostracism of persons”  or simply a social boycott. Economic boycotts could include international trade embargo, rent refusal, traders’ boycott, or consumers’ boycott. A strike could be very general or more specifically strike by resignation, industry strike, a go-slow, or an economic shutdown. Political noncooperation would be anything that involves the political environment/government such as a boycott of government employment, boycott of elections, withholding allegiance, administrative noncooperative, mutiny (more drastically, severing diplomatic relations), or civil disobedience. Throughout history, boycotts, strikes, and civil disobedience of varying degrees have been used when necessary.

Method 3: Nonviolent Intervention Another category with commonalities with the other methods is nonviolent intervention. This method apart is set apart because it can “pose a more direct and immediate challenge”. If a group of protestors remain disciplined and true to their cause, relatively small numbers could prove to be just as successful as a larger group. Methods of nonviolent intervention would be sit-ins, nonviolent obstructions, nonviolent invasion, reverse strikes, fasts, and parallel government. There can also be social interventions such as Guerilla Theater, establishing new social patterns or institutions. The economic interventions would be nonviolent land seizures or establishing alternative transportation systems. With all these methods, many factors need to be considered before deciding on which method to use in a situation. Gandhi was one of the first leaders to pay greater attention to the technicality methods and choice of methods. These factors would include the type of issue involved, the nature of the opponent, his aims and strength, the type of counteraction he is likely to use the depth of feeling both among the general population and among the likely actionists, the degree of repression the actionists are likely to be able to take, the general strategy of the overall campaign, and the amount of past experience and specific training the population and actionists have had. Each given situation will call upon different methods or technique to get the point across. The issues being protested in most situations, when using nonviolent protest and persuasion, are usually based on deep personal feelings or moral condemnation on political or social issue. When methods are chosen to protest with, the sentiment trying to be expressed may be morally, religiously, or spiritually more important. When the correct method is chosen, the movement needs preparation and care. One of the more modern movements was the one in Egypt; and by Sharp’s standards of methodology and preparation, the Egyptians did it right. A good amount of planning was put into removing Mubarak from power. Syria did not, and still has not received Sharp’s stamp of approval. If a nonviolent movement does not have a plan, the intent will not be reached and could end up hurting the movement and the people apart of it.

Critique A common critique of this book is the idealistic view that radiates from Sharp’s pages. Many political leaders and civilians disagree with the complete nonviolent approach suggested throughout his many books and research. While he may appear to be very idealistic, his work has made him feared by many leaders around the world. He has been made to sure to distinguish himself from being labeled as a peace researcher because, “I still think a lot of the peace researchers are quite naïve and romantic under the guise of science”. Even if his work may be idealistic, he makes it clear that he does not go as far as a peace researcher. Dictators, ranging from third world countries to western countries, fear the power behind his words. This fear is not centered on one single dictator because this text has been translated into more than 30 other languages. His work is attainable in opposite regions of the world. His extensive research and supplement of different approaches to nonviolent action makes dictators quiver at the power any constituent could hold in their country. The 198 methods of resistance never involve killing or destroying, yet they hold just as much power in a protest movement. His work has been, too, taught in training workshops for many modern revolutions around the world. All those involved in the protests in Egypt when through training under the words of Gene Sharp. The International Center on Nonviolent Conflict, which trains democracy activists, distributed copies of Sharp’s “198 Methods of Nonviolent Action” to many Egyptians before the movement took place. The list goes on to Zimbabwe, Estonia, Vietnam, Burma, Serbia, and Lithuania. On the subject of peace, some people believe he has done the most work to spread peace than most other people throughout history. He spread, via his written word that nonviolent social change is best type of change there is. People have encountered his work and built practices, organizations, and businesses based off his research on nonviolent action. He has changed the way people look at conflict resolution. He has simply changed the way some people think. It is suggested by many that his writings should be read in post-conflict countries to help prevent a relapse into a civil war. The demeanor and practices of Sharp do not necessarily match the modernity of his research. A lot of his research is centered on the evolving success and failures of nonviolent action. Through modernization, Sharp acknowledges what worked in the past and what works now. Yet, he has been known to not be connected with the internet or social media. Even though social media has become a more prominent revolutionary tool, Sharp does not accredit it anything. His work and research is done via books and articles. Sharp’s reaction to the social media of today’s society is not very strong. He believes “people will continue because it works. When you start withdrawing your cooperation, the regime won’t like it”. He has practiced what he has preached, such as participating in a sit-in in a luncheonette at the young age of 15. When the Korean War broke out, he practiced civil disobedience for the first time by objecting to the draft; thus being sentenced to prison for a period of time. To continue this list of his career with civil disobedience, he went to Tiananmen Square in 1989 during the uprising to talk to the protestors; then during the 1990s, he sneaked into rebel camps in Burma. The disconnection between Sharp and the internet does not discredit all the theories he has made, but it makes one question the longevity of his theories. There are extensive nonviolent protesting options, but the evolution of human kind may throw away some of the methods when its effectiveness declines. Even though Sharp’s work and influence has reached many other countries around the world, few Americans have heard of Gene. He also uses a lot of American history to base his arguments on civil disobedience and other forms of peaceful protest. With America as an example, people of other countries read and enact Sharp’s words. Not everywhere is Sharp’s work well received. In 2008, Iran created an animated propaganda video that accused Sharp of being a C.I.A. agent “in charge of America’s infiltration into other countries”. Of course, Sharp’s reaction would be something along the lines of the necessity of Iranians to further use his methods of nonviolent action. But, people need to be careful as not to prophesize him. He has released well-respected research, but it is only that and nothing more than theoretical work. HE makes the right choices from publishing a pamphlet sized book to making appearances at the right nonviolent movements around the world. He has made it clear before that his research is not morally or religiously based. His work was correctly used in some rebel camps in Myanmar. A retired Army colonel used a copy of “Politics of Nonviolent Action: Part Two: Methods of Nonviolent Action” as to try his best to avoid war in that region. For that, the colonel is grateful for Sharp’s insight on nonviolent movements. Even though many Egyptian activists have thanked Sharp for his writings and in turn his guidance on the revolution, there are some on Egypt whom do not support the praise of Gene Sharp. As'ad Abu Khalil, a Lebanese political scientist, was dissatisfied with the praise Sharp received on the success of the Egyptian revolution. “He complained that Western journalists were looking for a ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ to explain Egyptian’ success, in a colonialist attempt to deny credit to Egyptians”. Sharp receives a lot warranted and un-warranted praise and criticism for the work he has done. This praise and criticism will continue because he published another book a year ago, at the ripe age of 84.

Sharp, Gene. 1973. “Politics of Nonviolent Action: Part Two: Methods of Nonviolent Action. Manchester, NH: Extending Horizons Books, Porter Sargent Publishers Inc. Sharp, Gene. 1973. “Politics of Nonviolent Action: Part Two: Methods of Nonviolent Action. Manchester, NH: Extending Horizons Books, Porter Sargent Publishers Inc. Sharp, Gene. 1973. “Politics of Nonviolent Action: Part Two: Methods of Nonviolent Action. Manchester, NH: Extending Horizons Books, Porter Sargent Publishers Inc. Sharp, Gene. 1973. “Politics of Nonviolent Action: Part Two: Methods of Nonviolent Action. Manchester, NH: Extending Horizons Books, Porter Sargent Publishers Inc. Sharp, Gene. 1973. “Politics of Nonviolent Action: Part Two: Methods of Nonviolent Action. Manchester, NH: Extending Horizons Books, Porter Sargent Publishers Inc. Giovanni, Janine Di. "TALK; The Quiet American." The New York Times. The New York Times, 09 Sept. 2012. Web. Giovanni, Janine Di. "TALK; The Quiet American." The New York Times. The New York Times, 09 Sept. 2012. Web. Cairo., Sheryl Gay Stolberg; Andrew W. Lehren Contributed Reporting From New York, And David D. Kirkpatrick From. "Shy U.S. Intellectual Created Playbook Used in a Revolution." The New York Times. The New York Times, 17 Feb. 2011. Web.