Exploring Nonviolent Conflict

Youthink! sat down with Hardy Merriman, Director of Programs and Research at the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC), to ask a few questions about ICNC and how to fight without violence.

Youthink!: What does the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict do?

Hardy Merriman: Well, we are an independent, non-profit, educational foundation that does research, creates materials, and spreads information about non-military strategies to fight oppression.

This information can be used by activists, organizations, educational institutions and others to better understand how nonviolent action can be used to fight for freedom, human rights, justice, and equality.

YT!: If you were to give some examples of noteworthy nonviolence campaigns, what would they be?

HM: There are many great examples, ranging from struggles against dictatorships, corruption, and foreign occupation, to struggles for self-determination, human rights, environmental protection, labor rights, rights for minorities and indigenous peoples, and women's rights.

In addition to the US Civil Rights Movement and the Indian Independence Movement, which many people already know about, here are a few other examples of nonviolent struggles:

• the Polish Solidarity movement of the 1980s that ended Soviet control of Poland;
• the nonviolent movement that ousted the brutal Chilean dictator, Augusto Pinochet, in 1987;
• the student-led movement that nonviolently ousted Serbian dictator Slobodan Milosevic in 2000; and
• the nonviolent movement that helped bring down the Apartheid government in South Africa in the early 1990s.

YT!: What does a nonviolent movement require to succeed?

HM: There are many important aspects of a successful nonviolent movement, but I'll list just three here:

1. Unity. The nonviolent movement must be united. Divided opposition groups exist all over the world. It is only when people are able to unite around a set of achievable objectives that they are able to make real progress;
2. Planning. Waging nonviolent struggle means that you're waging a conflict. Organization and strategy matter. Groups that do realistic analysis of their situations and then create concrete strategic plans based on that analysis are far more likely to succeed;
3. Nonviolent discipline. To be successful, nonviolent movements need to stay nonviolent. Too often, the temptation to physically threaten or intimidate, or to burn buildings or other property, or to throw rocks or resort to other weapons, ends up alienating potential supporters and justifying a massive crackdown against opposition groups. For these and other reasons, a movement committed to nonviolent discipline will vastly increase its chances of success.

YT!: Tell us about the game, "A Force More Powerful."

HM: A Force More Powerful is the first interactive teaching tool in the field of nonviolent conflict.

In the game, you assume the role of the chief strategist for a nonviolent movement that is challenging oppression. There are different scenarios in the game that represent different applications of nonviolent action, so, for example, you could be fighting against a dictator, or fighting corruption, or fighting for women's rights, etc. There is also an option that allows people to create their own scenarios using the specific details of their own situations. Some of the tactics you might use are strikes, boycotts, civil disobedience, and other actions to wage your struggle.

What people learn from the game is how to analyze their situation and how to think strategically about how to achieve their objectives. I think that these skills are cross-applicable with real life, and so the game is really a training tool that is designed to help people understand how nonviolent movements work, how they can be strategically planned, and how they could be applied in various situations. The game is for use by activists, civil society organizations, educational institutions, and anyone else who wants to learn more about nonviolent conflict.

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