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Nonviolent Sanctions News from the Albert Einstein Institution Volume I Number 3 Winter 1989/90 Nonviolent Struggle Discussed in Moscow Nonviolent struggle was among several topics discussed at two recent international conferences in Moscow. Gene Sharp, president of the Albert Einstein Institution, presented separate papers on the historical and ethical significance of nonviolent struggle to each forum. The Institute of General History of the USSR Academy of Sciences organized an international round table concerning “The Twentieth Century: Main Problems and Tendencies in International Relations,” held November 21-23, 1989. Scholars from East Germany, Finland, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Einstein Institution board member Joanne Leedom-Ackerman opens the National the United States, the USSR, and West Conference on Nonviolent Sanctions in Conflict and Defense at the Royal Sonesta Hotel Germany presented analyses of 20th in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Vin Catania) century international conflicts. Dr. Sharp, in his presentation, argued that nonviolent struggle has been an important political Nonviolent “People Power” Movements factor throughout this century and that its importance is growing. The nonviolent Focus of Einstein Institution Conference pro-democracy movements that swept across Eastern Europe are only the most More than 180 people from twenty- Nonviolence; Johan Jørgen Holst, recent examples of the role nonviolent seven states and sixteen countries partici- Former Defense Minister of Norway; struggle has played in altering political pated in the National Conference on Patrick Lekota, United Democratic structures and international relations in Nonviolent Sanctions in Conflict and Front, South Africa; Li Lu, Chinese this century. Defense, February 8-11, in Cambridge, student leader; Raymundas Rayatskas, A second conference on the “Ethics of Massachusetts, sponsored by the Albert Lithuanian Academy of Sciences; Tom Nonviolence” was held November 27-29 Einstein Institution. Wicker, The New York Times; and U Tin in Moscow. Jointly sponsored by the The conference brought together Maung Win, Committee for the Restora- Ethics Section of the Institute of Philoso- scholars, journalists, activists, foundation tion of Democracy in Burma. ❏ phy of the USSR Academy of Sciences, executives, religious leaders, and military the Center for Ethics of Nonviolence, the strategists to discuss the increasing Soviet Association Znaniye, the Soviet political significance and growing use of NEXT ISSUE Peace Committee, and the International nonviolent methods of struggle in conflicts The next issue of Nonviolent Foundation for Survival and Development around the world — in the USSR, China, Sanctions: News from the Albert of Humanity, this conference brought Burma, Poland, South Africa, the Israeli- together scholars and activists from occupied territories, and elsewhere. The Einstein Institution will feature Austria, Canada, England, France, Poland, conference also addressed the applicability highlights from the National the United States, the USSR, and West of nonviolent resistance to national Conference on Nonviolent Sanc- Germany. Among the Soviet participants defense. tions in Conflict and Defense, were scholars from Azerbaijan, Latvia, Featured speakers included: Mubarak February 8-11, 1990. and Lithuania. Awad, Palestinian Center for the Study of (Continued on p. 2) News from the Albert Einstein Institution 1 Nonviolent Struggle Discussed Center for Ethics At Moscow Conferences of Nonviolence nonviolence. formed in Mos- Furthermore, Sharp criticized cow the tendency of participants to A group of Soviet scholars have link nonviolent established a research and education action with Center for Ethics of Nonviolence in “peacemaking.” Moscow. The center plans “to promote Nonviolent investigations of social activities based on action, Sharp principles of nonviolence” and to popular- argued, was not a ize the “ideas and principles of nonvi- substitute for olence in order to calculate them into the conciliation or mass consciousness of Soviet society,” negotiations, but for violent according to the center’s charter. Included conflict. In this in this agenda is the intention “to research Red Square in Moscow. From left to right: St Basil’s Cathedral, regard, nonvio- various forms of violence and nonviolence Lenin’s Tomb, and the Kremlin wall. (Photo by Roger Powers) lent struggle in human history” and “to disseminate the provides a way ideas of nonviolence and the experience of (Continued from p. 1) out of the “ends-means” dilemma often nonviolent resistance by publishing Conference participants offered varied confronted in politics, that is, of adhering academic and popular books and periodi- perspectives on “nonviolence” during the to ethical beliefs while acting with cals.” The center intends to support three day meeting. Moral, religious, and political effectiveness. In acute conflicts, students researching nonviolence, to pacifist positions were expressed along- lethal force can be replaced by nonviolent develop contacts with foreign research side Dr. Sharp’s arguments for a strategic struggle. Submission or resort to violence centers, and to conduct conferences and approach to nonviolent struggle. The are not the only alternatives, Sharp workshops on nonviolence and conflict director of the Ethics Section of the concluded. resolution. The center, which is to be Institute of Philosophy, Dr. Abdusalam The “Ethics of Nonviolence” conference completely independent of the Academy Guseinov, stated that the conference received much attention in the Soviet of Sciences or any other institution, will organizers had hoped to gain a broad media. The nightly news program, establish its own library on nonviolence. survey of the “field” through the differing Vremya, televised a short piece on the -- Bruce Jenkins perspectives. He explained that Soviet opening day of the conference. On scholars were new to this area (“the November 30, Pravda carried a report on Russian tongue must learn to speak this the conference which contained specific In Memoriam word nonviolence again”); hence, they references to the work of the Einstein wanted to see what was “out there.” Institution. CONSTANCE GRICE In his presentation, Dr. Sharp argued for The Ethics Section of the Institute of a strict delineation between practical Philosophy plans to expand its Russian Constance Grice, executive director nonviolent struggle and “principled” language resources on nonviolence, of the Albert Einstein Institution from forms of nonviolence, stating that the two beginning with the Ethics of Nonviolence, 1985 to 1988, died on January 17, 1990 are most often quite separate phenomenon. a soon to be published collection of essays after a long bout with cancer. She was He refuted the contentions of several on ethics, religious nonviolence, and 41. conference participants that people must nonviolent struggle. Dr. Guseinov also Connie played a major role in the first adopt “nonviolence” as a way of life discussed the possibility of translating growth and development of the Ein- before acting nonviolently, or that ethical, some of Dr. Sharp’s works into Russian. stein Institution. Her joyous spirit and moral or religious belief in nonviolence Possible translation projects include the deep commitment to the work of the was necessary to maintain nonviolent forthcoming book, Civilian-based De- Institution inspired us all. discipline. Sharp used recent examples fense: A Post-Military Weapons System, a A special fund has been established from the German Democratic Republic, future abridged version of The Politics of in her memory: the Constance Grice Czechoslovakia, and the Baltic states to Nonviolent Action, and a dictionary of Educational Fund of the Albert Ein- reveal that mass nonviolent action was terms on nonviolent action. ❏ stein Institution. indeed distinct from personal belief in — Bruce Jenkins 2 Nonviolent Sanctions The Women’s Rosenstraße Protest in Nazi Berlin by Nathan Stoltzfus Many people believe that it was loved ones had also been kidnapped and shouted something—maybe he gave a impossible for the Germans to resist the imprisoned there. A protest broke out. command. I didn’t hear it, it was drowned Nazi dictatorship and the deportations of The women who had gathered by the out. But then they cleared out and the German Jews. However, a street protest in hundreds at the gate of the improvised only sound was silence. That was the day early 1943 indicates that resistance was detention center began to call out together it was so cold that the tears froze on my possible, and indeed, successful. in a chorus, “Give us our husbands back.” face.” Until early 1943, Nazi officials ex- They held their protest day and night for a The headquarters of the Jewish section empted Jews married to Gentiles or week, as the crowd grew larger day by of the Gestapo was just around the corner, “Aryans” (the Nazi term for German non- day. within earshot of the protesters. A few Jews) from the so-called Final Solution. On different occasions the armed guards salvos from a machine gun could have In late February of that year, however, between the women and the building wiped the women off the square. But during a mass arrest of the last Jews in imprisoning their loved ones barked a instead the Jews were released. Joseph Berlin, the Gestapo also arrested Jews in command: “Clear the street or we’ll Goebbels, in his role as the Nazi Party intermarriages. This was the most brutal