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Handbook for Nonviolent Action

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Handbook for Nonviolent Action HANDBOOK FOR NONVIOLENT ACTION Considering how dangerous everything is, nothing is really very frightening. Gertrude Stein Introduction This handbook comes out of a pieces. Political struggles within may not recognize them anymore. long tradition of nonviolent direct groups about certain subject areas In an attempt to give credit to all the action handbooks. It pays tribute to were often accepted as mandatory volunteers who have labored over the progressive and social change pieces in future handbooks. There handbooks we are listing below the movements that have brought us to were many landmark handbooks handbook committees of three of the where we are today. For years many that broke new ground in expanding handbooks listed above. We want to of us have lamented the fact that we areas covered. "June 14, 1982, Block- thank everyone who has contri- didn't have one handbook we could ade the Bombmakers" created for buted to the others, especially those use in an ongoing way for training the civil disobedience action for the artists and photographers whose sessions, and as a primer for people Second Session for Disarmament at work still inspires. who want to know more about non- the United Nations, organized by Throughout this handbook are violent action. We have often been the War Resisters League, has con- photographs representing a wide faced with trying to locate outdated tributed greatly to this handbook. range of nonviolent actions within handbooks from previous actions, Another which broke new ground the United States. Their diversity or having no prepared resource and is also used extensively here is shows the scope of nonviolent re- available. This handbook is an the "International Day of Nuclear sistance — from individual to mass attempt to fill that need. We Disarmament Handbook" produced actions, addressing many progres- laughingly refer to this as our by the Livermore Action Group in sive issues. Most of the photos are "generic handbook" which we hope Berkeley, California in 1983. The from the 1980's, dispelling the myth people will use, adding supple- handbook for the Supreme Court that civil disobedience and direct ac- ments as needed for specific actions. Action, "Out and Outraged: For tions are something from the past. We hope this will be useful to both Love, Life and Liberation" from They serve as an inspiration for people and organizations wishing to October 13, 1987, for the National those contemplating action. promote or learn more about non- March for Lesbian and Gay Rights, is To facilitate nonviolence training; violent action. another example furthering the the War Resisters League has a In 1978 the Clamshell Alliance boundaries of information covered. directory listing nonviolence train- produced a handbook for a civil dis- Often this new work expanded the ers from across the U.S. If you'd like obedience action at the yet unbuilt oppression and nonviolence sec- more information about nonvio- Seabrook nuclear power plant in tions of the handbooks so that we lence trainers or would like to join New Hampshire. In the following could understand the obstacles and the network, please contact War Re- years most major civil disobedience promise that our movement faces. sisters League. actions produced their own hand- books following the format of the We have not been able to give cre- first Clamshell one. It has been excit- dit to original authors in all cases. Kate Donnelly for the handbook ing to watch as each new handbook Many early handbooks were a col- committee. is produced. Many of the same arti- lective project which did not single cles have been used over and over, out specific authors, and some but each handbook committee made pieces have been so altered over the "Blockade the Bombmakers" Hand- a few important changes to classic years that even the original authors book People who worked on "Blockade Handbook Committee: the Bombmakers" handbook: Prices Peg and Belle Averill, Steve Banks, Nancy Alach, Karen Beetle, Laura Margaret Bergamini, Riley Bostrum, $3 each. Booth, Kate Donnelly, and Patt Julia Cochrane, Kate Donnelly, Ed 10-50 $1.50each;51+ $1 ea. Needham. Hedemann, Holly Hodge, Thad- (add 20% postage). Thanks to: Mavis Belisle, David deus Jurczynski, Sharon Klein- Freedman, Laura Gibbons and baum, Lauri Lowell, John Miller, Available from: Craig Simpson. Esther Pank, Susan Pines, Murray War Resisters League Edited and Designed by Kate Don- Rosenblith and John Seward. 339 Lafayette Street nelly. "International Day of Nuclear Dis- New York, NY 10012 armament" Handbook Collective: 212/228-0450 or Cover photo: Demonstrators pro- Donna Canali, Patrick Diehl, Arleen tested every day for six weeks, lying Feng, Jim Hildreth, John Lavine and Donnelly/Colt Graphix, in the road to stop trucks containing Box 188, Hampton, CT 06247 Karen Rachels. PCB-laced soil to dump in Warren "Out and Outraged: For Love, Life 203/455-9621. County, North Carolina, in 1982. and Liberation" handbook Com- Photo by Jenny Labalme. From "A mittee: First printing, 10,000 copies, August Road To Walk — A Struggle For En- 1989 Nancy Alach, Karen Beetle, Laura vironmental Justice," 1987. Avail- Booth, Katherine Diaz, Eileen Han- Second printing, 10,000 able from Regulator Bookshop, 720 sen and Jessica Shubow. copies, January 1991. Ninth Street, Durham, NC 27705. 2 X-523 Table of Contents Introduction 2 History of Mass Nonviolent Action 4 Nonviolent Response to Personal Violence 5 Practicing Nonviolence 6 Nonviolence Training 7 Affinity Groups 8-9 Consensus Decision Making 10 Working Together for Change 11 Legal Issues/Risking Arrest 12 Representing Yourself 14 Noncooperation 15 Jail Solidarity 16 Serving Time in Jail 17 We're All in the Same Boat 18 Oppression 19 Racism 20 Racism Guidelines 21 Anti-Semitism 22 Sexism 23 Confronting Classism 24 Agism 25 Homophobia 26 Disability Awareness 27 Peacekeepers We Make a Difference 29 Campaigns 30-32 Bibliography 33 Periodicals 34 3 History of Mass Nonviolent Action The use of nonviolence runs civil rights movement changed the feminism and nonviolence were throughout history. There have face of the South. The Congress of coming together. In November of been numerous instances of people Racial Equality (CORE) initiated 1980 and 1981 the Women's Penta- courageously and nonviolently re- modern nonviolent action for civil gon Actions, where hundreds of fusing cooperation with injustice. rights with sit-ins and a freedom ride women came together to challenge However, the fusion of organized in the 1940s. The successful Mont- patriarchy and militarism, took mass struggle and nonviolence is re- gomery bus boycott electrified the place. A movement grew that found latively new. It originated largely nation. Then, the early 1960s ex- ways to use direct action to put with Mohandas Gandhi in 1906 at ploded with nonviolent actions: sit- pressure on the military establish- the onset of the South African cam- ins at lunch counters and other facili- ment and to show positive examples paign for Indian rights. Later, the ties, organized by the Student Non- of life-affirming ways to live Indian struggle for complete inde- violent Coordinating Committee together. This movement spawned pendence from the British Empire (SNCC); Freedom Rides to the South women's peace camps at military included a number of spectacular organized by CORE; the nonviolent bases around the world from nonviolent campaigns. Perhaps the battles against segregation in Birm- Greenham Common, England to most notable was the year-long Salt ingham, Alabama, by the Southern Puget Sound Peace Camp in campaign in which 100,000 Indians Christian Leadership Conference Washington state, with camps in were jailed for deliberately violating (SCLC); and the 1963 March on Japan and Italy among others. the Salt Laws. Washington, which drew 250,000 The anti-apartheid movement in The refusal to counter the violence participants. the 80s has built upon the powerful of the repressive social system with Opponents of the Vietnam War and empowering use of civil dis- more violence is a tactic that has also employed the use of draft card burn- obedience by the civil rights move- been used by other movements. The ings, draft file destruction, mass de- ment in the 60s. In November of militant campaign for women's suf- monstrations (such as the 500,000 1984, a campaign began that in- frage in Britain included a variety of who turned out in 1969 in Washing- volved daily civil disobedience in nonviolent tactics such as boycotts, ton, D.C.), sit-ins, blocking induc- front of the South African Embassy. noncooperation, limited property tion centers, draft and tax resistance, People, including members of Con- destruction, civil disobedience, and the historic 1971 May Day traffic gress, national labor and religious mass marches and demonstrations, blocking in Washington, D.C. in leaders, celebrities, students, com- filling the jails, and disruption of which 13,000 people were arrested. munity leaders, teachers, and public ceremonies. Since the mid-70s, we have seen others, risked arrest every weekday The Salvadoran people have used increasing nonviolent activity for over a year. In the end over 3,100 nonviolence as one powerful and against the nuclear arms race and people were arrested protesting necessary element of their struggle. nuclear power industry. Nonviolent apartheid and U.S. corporate and Particularly during the 1960s and civil disobedience actions have government support. At the same 70s, Christian based communities, taken place at dozens of nuclear time, support actions for this cam- labor unions, campesino organiza- weapons research installations, stor- paign were held in 26 major cities, tions, and student groups held age areas, missile silos, test sites, resulting in an additional 5,000 occupations and sit-ins at universi- military bases, corporate and gov- arrests. ties, government offices, and places ernment offices and nuclear power We also saw civil disobedience of work such as factories and plants.
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