Gene Sharp, "Waging Nonviolent Struggle: 20th Century Practice and 21st Century Potential"

"In a world of many acute conflicts, widespread oppression, and great violence, the technique of nonviolent struggle has considerable potential to be applied with success than ever before in a wide range of situations."

"Waging Nonviolent Struggle" is an in-depth investigation into the power of nonviolent action in various conflicts, and the potential of that power if strategically applied by its participants. The book begins with a brief overview of what is meant by nonviolent struggle (e.g. it has to do with action rather than belief) as well as some misconceptions (e.g. nonviolence does not equate to passivity), how it works against institutions of power, and the various methods, relying greatly on historical instances, of how nonviolent action is and has been practiced. Part two of the book contains historical cases, which Sharp readily admits are examples that were not always successful, not always absent of violence, and often devoid of strategic planning. What these cases provide is an insight into nonviolent struggle in its various forms and against its various opponents, and how these struggles have played out in the past. Part three and four of the book could be said to be the heart of the book, since it provides analysis into the dynamics of nonviolent struggle as well as strategic ways to wage struggle. This book is fascinating in that it provides an academic foundation for study, practice, and future research into how nonviolent struggle can and has been waged, much like one might expect from military science which espouses the methods of violence for engaging in conflicts.

Links:
The Albert Einstein Institution

Citation Information:
Sharp, G. (2005). Waging nonviolent struggle: 20th century practice and 21st century potential. Boston: Extending Horizons Books.

See Also:
Sharp, G. (1973). The politics of nonviolent action, Pt. 1-3. Boston: P. Sargent.

Sharp, G. (2003). From dictatorship to democracy: A conceptual framework for liberation.. Boston: Albert Einstein Institution. (.pdf document)

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "Why We Can't Wait"

"Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. It is a weapon unique in history which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals."

"Why We Can’t Wait" is a document of the African American struggle in 1964 to gain equality and social justice in a country that promised these gains 100 years prior according to the Emancipation Proclamation. The focus of the book is on Birmingham, Alabama: a city that epitomized the discrimination, segregation, and brutality of racism, as well as the silent indifference of the well-meaning majority. King describes the deliberate strategizing that went into the struggle, of marches and songs of freedom, of sit-ins at various institutions and of boycotts to local businesses. While the opposition in Birmingham violently beat, overpowered with fire hoses, released dogs upon, bombed homes of, and overfilled jails to quell the nonviolent resisters, they did not succumb to the violence perpetrated upon them. The effect of this key moment in a growing movement of discontent was that it reopened old and unhealthy wounds for a renewed healing process in the United States. White America was confronted with an ugly area of its own civil life and needed to answer not only for the overt brutality of fellow citizens, but also for the apathetic negligence of abhorrent social wrongs. King’s descriptions of these events and their rationale display his uncompromising and inspired leadership in a strategic struggle for a future of equality and kinship between all Americans, regardless of differences on the surface of our shared humanity.

Links:
The King Center
MLK Online
Video Footage of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Citation Information:
King, M. L. (1968). Why we can't wait. New York: New American Library.

See Also:
King, M. L., & Carson, C. (1998). The autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. New York: Intellectual Properties Management in association with Warner Books.

King, M. L., & Washington, J. M. (1986). A testament of hope: The essential writings of Martin Luther King, Jr. San Francisco: Harper & Row.

Mother Teresa, "A Simple Path"

"There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread but there are many more dying for a little love."

"A Simple Path" contains the words of Mother Theresa as well as many other sisters, brothers, fathers, and volunteers regarding prayer, faith, love, service and peace. More than a compilation of platitudes, Mother Teresa with the help of friends gives insight into the simplicity of life in the service of God and humanity. Prayer, faith, service, peace and love are all interconnected, each baring the fruits of another. Acts of love and charity as well as silence in prayer seem to be the foundation for any individual seeking a more holistic personhood, regardless of their faith or lack thereof. Through the words and experiences portrayed in this book, the simple and profound life to be found in loving service to those in need becomes approachable for anyone looking to fulfill themselves beyond the material level.

Links:
Missionaries of Charity Fathers
Missionaries of Charity Brothers

Citation Information:
Teresa, Mother (1995). A simple path. New York: Ballantine Books.

See Also:
Egan, E. (1985). Such a vision of the street: Mother Teresa-the spirit and the work. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday.

Teresa, Mother (1997). Mother Teresa: In my own words. New York: Gramercy Books.

Michael Nagler, "The Search for a Nonviolent Future"

"The task is to create loving community, and the way to understand and address that is through nonviolence. Whoever we are, there is a way to do this."

"The Search for a Nonviolent Future" provides a very deep exploration of nonviolence and its utility for healing and humanizing our modern and violent world. Michael Nagler, a long-time peace scholar and nonviolent activist, reveals stories, incidents and acts of nonviolence that are both constructive (e.g. community building) and obstructive (i.e. nonviolent resistance) in order to show his audience that while nonviolence may not always "work" to produce immediate or expected results, it always works, having "a long-term positive effect on the whole system." The author conceives nonviolence not as an abstract concept, but as an active agent to produce a paradigm shift to replace nonviolence with our very violent, but altogether man-made, present. Such a big idea would seem daunting if it weren't for the action guide provided for the reader to begin on an individual level. The steps recommended include avoiding mass media and replacing its alternatives, taking "care of yourself spiritually," rebuilding kind human relationships, nonviolence education, and actively building peace. This book provides excellent insight for anyone grappling with various aspects of nonviolence, or doubt its simple but powerful meaning.

Links:
PACS 164A: Introduction to Nonviolence - Fall 2006 (Thank you Mike)

Citation Information:
Nagler, M. N. (2004). The search for a nonviolent future: A promise of peace for ourselves, our families, and our world. Maui, Hawai'i: Inner Ocean Publishing.

Barbara Deming, "Prisons That Could Not Hold"

"If we seek a world in which men do the least possible violence to each other (which is to state just the negative of it), then we are committed not simply to avoid violence ourselves, but to try and destroy patterns of violence that already exist."

"Prisons That Could Not Hold" contains writings from two experiences separated by 20 years of experiences, but brought together through Barbara Deming's life as an nonviolent activist for human rights. The first part of the book contains the contemplative writings of Deming while fasting in a jail cell for 27 days in Albany, Georgia with several other like minded people for participating in the Canada-to-Cuba Peace Walk of 1964. Deming's experience in jail, while filled with dirty mattresses, drunken, angry and distressed inmates, and oppressive authority figures, is one of unity, freedom, and love. And not just love for her fellow marchers, but a love for all of humanity, including her immediate oppressors on the other side of her cell's bars. Her noncooperation was not driven by spite, but rather by love and compassion that would not allow her to complacently accept violence, whether through racism, discrimination, or war. The second part of the book describes her experiences during a march of women, from the Seneca Women's Peace Encampment to a missile base in New York, in the form of a letter to a friend. Here we see a bond of women, not to alienate the male gender, but to celebrate a bond that is often neglected in our patriarchal society. What becomes clear in her account is that through nonviolence and loving, cooperative community building, these women were not symbolically marching for peace, they were demonstrating their love and compassion for humanity and the knowledge that violence aided by war and massive death dealing weapons hold the key to humanity's demise.

Citation Information:
Deming, B. (1995). Prisons that could not hold. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press.

See Also:
Deming, B. (1971). Revolution & equilibrium. New York: Grossman.

Deming, B., & Meyerding, J. (1984). We are all part of one another: A Barbara Deming reader. Philadelphia, PA: New Society.

Elise Boulding, "Cultures of Peace: The Hidden Side of History"

"The tendency of planners and policymakers to prepare for worst-case scenarios leaves societies unprepared for the opportunities involved in best-case scenarios. Nevertheless, the longing for peace has not gone away."

"Cultures of Peace" displays the past, present, and potential future for the many disparate societies and lifeforms making up the planet, often lovingly referred to as Gaia. Much of history is told through lenses of violence that perpetuate hierarchical systems of domination and oppression. Historically patriarchal norms have not only caused untold damage to life systems and cultures but are also ingrained in the culture of much of the "One-Third" world. Yet throughout history and up to the present there have been experiments in Utopian ideals and intentional communities, groups and movements that have mobilized for peace, nonviolence, social justice, the environment,etc., and cultures that have maintained peaceable relations both within and without their own social groups. By looking at the history of violence without the glory that is usually associated with it and uncovering the positive and peaceful historical threads that also contribute to our societies, Boulding imagines her own peaceful future for the audience, who she also urges to "reflect, imagine, and write down" their own imaginings. By uncovering a hidden side of history, a history that is full of women, children, minorities, indigenous peoples, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and grassroots organizations to name a few, Boulding has created a book of reference that provides an academic yet accessible look into an oft overlooked subject.

Citation Information:
Boulding, E. (2000). Cultures of peace: The hidden side of history. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.

See Also:
Morrison, M. L. (2005). Elise Boulding: A life in the cause of peace. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co.