Major point Major point
There have been many, but usually little known, lives to guide us about nonviolence.
to remember. to remember.
When is nonviolence most effective?
To be nonviolent requires not just knowing tactics but having a clear, firm philosophy, a value or belief system and a nonviolent lifestyle if we are to be most effective.

Let us now consider "To Be Nonviolent or Not to Be"

To Be Nonviolent or Not to Be, John Looney
File Size: 18 kb
File Type: doc
Download File
Watch the video to learn the six stages of moral development through the discussion of the Heinz Moral Dilemma

In these historical cases are men you may have read about but do you know how they inspired others to act? 

Case Studies:

"John Who?" 
He paved the way to freedom for slaves.

Most Americans would probably contend that the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln ended slavery. Most probably never heard of John Woolman. Yet John Woolman, who lived in the 18th century, probably did more to end slavery than Abraham Lincoln. How?

He dedicated his life and his energy to overcoming the injustice of slavery. His first act was to refuse to write a will for a man in New Jersey who wanted to bequeath his slaves. He travelled extensively through the colonies talking and acting against slavery. He wouldn’t wear the traditional blue Quaker hat and overcoat because the indigo was raised using slave labor.

As a result of Woolman’s efforts and the efforts of those who followed him, the political climate was such that seventy years later Abraham Lincoln could end chattel slavery in the United States.

See The Journal of John Woolman.

John Woolman was a visionary in pursuing rights for slaves in the United States. Dorothy Day, in the following reading, refers to the inspiration of the early community building around a cause and this is what John Woolman was all about. The philosophy of Barbara Deming can be found in the full downloadable file below. She relates to this case because of her belief that rights, as taken from the Declaration of Independence, is most essential to nonviolent advocates. 

"Following a Higher Law"
Thoreau’s civil disobedience.

Henry David Thoreau felt the Mexican War was unjust and did not want either the Mexicans or the Americans to suffer from it. The only effective protest he could see was to refuse to pay the tax being used to finance it. He knew tax resistance would lead to his arrest, and it did.

Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience inspired Gandhi many years later. Not obeying an unjust law, or obeying a divine law which is in conflict with a secular law, is part of the non-violent technique of civil disobedience. One must realize the consequences, however, and be willing to suffer them in order to inspire and educate others.

See ”Which Way the Wind” (AFSC film) and Disobedience (Thoreau).

Richard Gregg said that "Nonviolence, in essence, means taking a stand in favor of life and refusing to delegate individual moral responsibility to another person or group; it means taking control of ones life and aiding others in doing like-wise." This is restated in the readings below. Thoreau does just this, takes individual responsibility. 

This passage also notes that David Thoreau inspired Gandhi and this shows the importance of gaining knowledge about successful nonviolent figures, "by association."  This was pointed out in the reading above, "To Be Nonviolent or Not to Be." 

Here are the philosophies of historical leaders in nonviolence.

A more modern author who describes active nonviolence, 
Richard Gregg:

Nonviolence cannot then be understood as passivity for indifference to the dynamic of life (i.e., communications between men). It is not the posture of removing oneself from conflict that marks the true nonviolent man, but quite on the contrary, it is placing oneself at the heart of the dynamic. Nonviolence means taking the responsibility for aiding the direction of human communication and brotherhood. Nonviolence means an active opposition to those acts and attitudes that demean and brutalize another, and it means an active support of those values and expressions that foster human solidarity. 
Nonviolence, in essence, means taking a stand in favor of life and refusing to delegate individual moral responsibility to another person or group; it means taking control of one’s life and aiding others in doing likewise. Nonviolence is an attempt to find truth and love even in the midst of hatred, destruction and pride.

As the means cannot be separated from the desired ends, nonviolence cannot be separated from peace, for it is the value system and the dynamic that makes peace possible.

One of the greatest 20th century nonviolent world leaders writes eloquently about his beliefs,
Mohandas Gandhi:

Whatever may be the result, there is always in me a conscious struggle for following the law of nonviolence deliberately and ceaselessly.

Such a struggle leaves one stronger for it. Nonviolence is a weapon of the strong. With the weak it might easily be hypocrisy. Fear and love are contradictory terms. Love is reckless in giving away, oblivious as what it gets in return. Love wrestles with the world as with the self and ultimately gains mastery over all other feelings. My daily experience, as of those who are working with me, is that every problem lends itself to solution if we are determined to make the law of truth and non-violence the law of life. For truth and nonviolence are, to me, faces of the same coin.

The law of love will work, just as the law of gravitation will work, whether we accept it or not. Just as a scientist will work wonders out of various applications of the law of nature, even so a man who applies the law of love with scientific precision can work greater wonders.
For the force of nonviolence is infinitely more wonderful and subtle than the material forces of nature, like, for instance, electricity. The men who discovered for us the law of love were greater scientists than any of our modern scientists. Only our explorations have not gone far enough and so it is not possible for everyone to see all its workings. Such, at any rate, is the hallucination, if it is one, under which I am laboring. The more I work at this law the more I feel the delight in life, the delight in the scheme of this universe. It gives me a peace and a meaning of the mysteries of nature that I have no power to describe.

My experience, daily growing stronger and richer, tells me that there is no peace for individuals or for nations without practicing truth and nonviolence to the uttermost extent possible for ’man.’ The policy of retaliation has never succeeded.

India, December 15, 1927

Now a woman of the Catholic Worker Movement who has made such a difference using nonviolence, Dorothy Day:
Nonviolence cannot then be understood as passivity for indifference to the dynamic of life (i.e., communications between men). It is not the posture of removing oneself from conflict that marks the true nonviolent man, but quite on the contrary, it is placing oneself at the heart of the dynamic. Nonviolence means taking the responsibility for aiding the direction of human communication and brotherhood. Nonviolence means an active opposition to those acts and attitudes that demean and brutalize another, and it means an active support of those values and expressions that foster human solidarity. Nonviolence, in essence, means taking a stand in favor of life and refusing to delegate individual moral responsibility to another person or group; it means taking control of one’s life and aiding others in doing likewise. Nonviolence is an attempt to find truth and love even in the midst of hatred, destruction and pride.
Complete Readings on Nonviolent Philosophy
File Size: 48 kb
File Type: odt
Download File

The following information about religious views around the world show that the teachings of peace remain consistent and a vision of inspiration for Alternatives to Violence seekers.

Here to move slide

All religions pray for peace; many participate in a yearly day set aside for the world to pray at the same time. Here are example world position "Prayers for Peace"

ASSISI, Italy, Oct. 27 (AP) Representatives of 72 major faiths took part here today in the ’’World Day of Prayer for Peace.” Here are excerpts from some of their prayers, as supplied by the Vatican.

BUDDHIST May all beings everywhere, plagued with sufferings of body an mind, obtain an ocean of happiness and joy.

HINDU May God protect us; may He nourish us. May we work together with energy. May our studies be fruitful. May we love each other and live in peace.

JAINIST Peace and universal brotherhood is the essence of the gospel preached by all the enlightened ones of the past and of the future.

MOSLEM And the servants of the Most Gracious are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say, ”Peace.”

SHENTO Although the people living across the ocean surrounding us, I believe, are all our brothers, why are there constant troubles in this world? Why do winds and waves rise in the ocean surrounding us? I only earnestly wish that the wind will soon puff always all the clouds which are hanging over the tops of the mountains.
AFRICAN ANIMIST Almighty God, the Great Thumb we cannot evade to tie any knot, the Roaring Thunder that splits mighty trees, the All-Seeing Lord up on high who sees even the footprints of an antelope on a rock mass here on earth: You are the one who does not hesitate to respond to our call. You are the cornerstone of peace.

NATIVE AMERICAN In smoking the pipe, I invite my family to smoke with me and you, my friends, to pray with me in thanksgiving for this day and for world peace. I will pray that we all may commit ourselves to pray and to work for peace within our families, our tribes, and our nations. I pray for all our brothers and sisters walking our mother earth.

JEWISH Our God in heaven, the Lord of Peace will have compassion and mercy upon us and upon all the peoples of the earth who implore his mercy and his compassion, asking for peace, seeking peace.

CHRISTIAN I say to you that hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from him who takes away your cloak do not with hold your coat as well. Give to everyone who begs from you; and of him who takes away your goods do not ask them again. And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.

Here is an example of "peaceful action" bringing together two different religious groups:

"Candlelight Vigil"

Review and Reflect

Major Point to Remember:

There have been many, but usually little-known, lives to guide us about nonviolence.

To Reflect: Optional Activities
Materials located on the "Extra" page for applications #1 & #2

#1: Analyze at least two Case Studies: 10B, 10C, 10D
#2: Movie Assignment: View "Gandhi" (180 minutes)
#3: Application: 

Having a good role model is something we wish for our children and young adults. Have you ever thought about your own role models? In this session, we read about and listened to writings of people who have lived and practiced active nonviolence daily. Perhaps you can find an article about someone using the principles, attitudes, and skills this course is advocating. Here is a write-up about one such example:

"As the John Looney Intern of 2012/2013, I was reminded of my responsibility to uphold the legacy and reputation left by John Looney when I read the newspaper article entitled “Benefactor’s Bold Action Helps Anger in Check,” published in the Akron Beacon Journal on December 28, 2012. This story has been read by so many people years after John Looney’s death and this shows that a strong conviction, a good deed, and an act of nonviolence can transcend a lifetime to have vast, even immeasurable, positive outcomes 40 years later. Even though this story is just one man’s kind and fair treatment of another, it truly represents the lessons that are expressed in the Alternatives to Violence course. After completing this course, I understand why John Looney’s tactics were so successful and how to use nonviolent responses against adversity in my own life. This article is an inspiration and a model for my future." -Elizabeth Rose

Click here to view the article online
Case Analysis of "Benefactor's Bold Action Helps Anger in Check" Article
File Size: 18 kb
File Type: doc
Download File

    Session 6 Survey
Please remember to participate in the forum.
Reviewed April 2022