Handbook for Nonviolent Campaigns
Second Edition
The 2nd edition of the War Resisters’ International’s Handbook for Nonviolent Campaigns is a 232 page toolbox of ideas and resources to support activists to run more effective campaigns. It includes: Introduction to Nonviolence, Developing Strategic Campaigns, Organizing Effective Actions, Case Studies, Training and Exercises, plus a glossary and resource list. Published in 2014, 50 pages were added and some of the pieces revised since the 2009 edition.
You can find a PDF available online here.
About This Handbook and How to Use it
Table of Contents
Introduction to Nonviolence
- What is nonviolence, and why use it?
- Seven interlocking principles of nonviolence
- How does nonviolence work?
- Check-List for facilitating a training
- Historical uses of nonviolent action
- Historical uses of nonviolence: What works where, the role of pacifists, organizing
- Nonviolence training
- Case Study: Nonviolence training in the U.S. civil rights movement
- Gender and nonviolence and Gender awareness in a nonviolent campaign
- Violence
- Conflict
- Nonviolence and power
Developing Strategic Campaigns
- Why things don’t ‘just happen’ and Strategy
- Planning nonviolent campaigns
- Constructive programme
- Theories of change
- Stages of escalation in a nonviolent campaign
- The movement action plan
- Education is freedom: Popular education
- Mobilising for change: Building power in Nepal
Organising Effective Actions
- Sending the protest message
- Working in groups
- Affinity groups
- Consensus decision-making
- Maintaining nonviolence during an action
- Fear
- Coping with the stress and strain of taking a stand
- Burnout
- Activism in oppressive regimes
- Humour and nonviolent campaigns
- Forms of nonviolent action
- Tactic star
- Roles before, during, and after an action
- Dilemma actions
- Media
- Legal support and Responding to violence
- Jail support (MOC-Spain experience)
- Action evaluation
Case Studies: Stories and Experiences
- International solidarity campaign with South Africa
- Seabrook—Wyhl—Marckolsheim: Transnational links in a chain of campaigns
- Chile: Gandhi’s insights gave people courage to defy Chile’s dictatorship
- South Korea: The power of international solidarity
- South Korea: The use of social media in nonviolent campaigns
- Colombia: Peace Community of San Jose de Apartadó
- Turkey: Building a nonviolent culture
- ANFEM (antimilitarist feminists)
- Castor — How we mobilised people for civil disobedience
- Freedom Flotilla to Gaza — a dilemma action case study
- Israel: New Profile learns from the experience of others
- Nonviolent intervention in Kenya: Empowering community action for social justice
- West Papua: “We will be free”
- Afghan nonviolence handbook
- Diaspora solidarity for Eritrea: The Arbi Harnet campaign
Training and Exercises
- Tasks and tools for organising a training
- Parallel lines
- Brainstorming
- River of Life — gender lens
- Imagine the future: Setting goals
- 10/10 strategies
- The problem tree/healthy tree
- The pillars of power
- Power flower
- Letter from a Birmingham jail
- Risky situation
- Spectrum of allies
- Tree and wind
- Decision making
- I could do that if
- Role playing
- Spectrum and cross spectrum
- “Is it newsworthy?”
- Forum theatre
- Who has power in a school?
- Tools for grounding, protecting, and blockading
Doing Your Own Handbook – general tips
Glossary – list of terms from War Resisters’ International
Resources – list from War Resisters’ International
WRL Resources – Nonviolent Action + Campaigns
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