Nonviolence Studies Cheat Sheet

The core ideas of Nonviolence Studies distilled into a single, scannable reference — perfect for review or quick lookup.

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Quick Reference

Ahimsa

A Sanskrit term meaning 'non-harm' or 'non-injury,' originating in Jain, Hindu, and Buddhist traditions. It refers to the principle of causing no harm to any living being through thought, word, or action, and serves as one of the oldest philosophical foundations of nonviolence.

Satyagraha

A concept coined by Mohandas Gandhi meaning 'truth-force' or 'soul-force.' It describes a method of nonviolent resistance rooted in the active pursuit of truth and justice, requiring practitioners to accept suffering rather than inflict it on opponents.

Civil Resistance

The organized use of nonviolent methods such as strikes, boycotts, mass demonstrations, civil disobedience, and noncooperation by civilians to challenge and transform political power, typically outside institutional or electoral channels.

Pillars of Support

A concept developed by Gene Sharp identifying the institutions and social groups whose cooperation sustains a ruler's power, including the military, police, civil service, business community, media, and religious institutions. Nonviolent movements succeed by withdrawing or undermining these pillars.

Strategic Nonviolence

An approach that treats nonviolent action as a pragmatic, calculated strategy chosen for its effectiveness rather than as a moral or spiritual commitment. It emphasizes tactical planning, movement organization, and exploiting the political costs that repression imposes on opponents.

Principled Nonviolence

An approach grounded in moral, ethical, or spiritual convictions that nonviolence is inherently right regardless of its strategic outcomes. Practitioners commit to nonviolence as a way of life, not merely as a tactic for specific campaigns.

Nonviolent Communication (NVC)

A communication framework developed by psychologist Marshall Rosenberg that emphasizes empathic listening, honest expression of feelings and needs, and making requests rather than demands. It aims to resolve conflicts by fostering mutual understanding rather than coercion.

Restorative Justice

An approach to justice that focuses on repairing the harm caused by wrongdoing through inclusive processes that bring together victims, offenders, and community members, rather than relying solely on punishment. It emphasizes accountability, healing, and reintegration.

Structural Violence

A term coined by Johan Galtung describing harm embedded in social structures and institutions that prevents people from meeting their basic needs, even in the absence of direct physical violence. Poverty, racism, and systemic inequality are forms of structural violence.

Conflict Transformation

An approach developed by John Paul Lederach that goes beyond conflict resolution by seeking to transform the underlying relationships, structures, and cultural patterns that give rise to conflict. It aims for long-term systemic change rather than merely ending immediate hostilities.

Key Terms at a Glance

Ahimsa:The principle of non-harm or non-injury to all living beings, originating in Jain, Hindu, and Buddhist traditions and serving as a foundational concept in nonviolence philosophy.

Backfire:The phenomenon in which repressive actions against nonviolent protesters generate public outrage and sympathy, ultimately strengthening the movement and weakening the oppressor's legitimacy.

Boycott:A form of noncooperation in which people refuse to buy goods, use services, or engage in economic relationships to pressure a target to change its behavior or policies.

Civil Disobedience:The deliberate, open, and nonviolent refusal to obey laws or governmental demands considered unjust, with acceptance of legal consequences, as a form of political protest.

Civil Resistance:The organized application of nonviolent methods by civilians to challenge power holders and achieve political objectives outside normal institutional channels.

Conflict Transformation:An approach to conflict that seeks to change the underlying relationships, structures, and cultural patterns generating conflict, aiming for long-term systemic change rather than merely ending immediate hostilities.

Constructive Program:Gandhi's strategy of building alternative institutions and self-sufficient communities alongside resistance, creating the social foundations of the desired post-liberation society.

Direct Action:Activities that seek to achieve political or social goals directly, rather than through representatives or institutional channels, including sit-ins, blockades, and occupations.

Gene Sharp:American political scientist who systematized the study of nonviolent action, cataloguing 198 methods and developing the theory of power based on consent and pillars of support.

Negative Peace:The mere absence of direct violence or war, without addressing underlying social injustices, structural violence, or the conditions that give rise to conflict.

Noncooperation:The deliberate withdrawal of cooperation, obedience, or participation from institutions, systems, or authorities, including strikes, boycotts, and tax refusal.

Nonviolent Action:A broad category of methods for waging conflict or pursuing political objectives without the use or threat of physical violence against persons.

Nonviolent Communication:A communication framework developed by Marshall Rosenberg emphasizing empathic listening, honest expression of feelings and needs, and collaborative conflict resolution.

Nonviolent Intervention:The most direct category of nonviolent action, involving physical or psychological disruption of established patterns, including sit-ins, blockades, fasts, and the creation of parallel institutions.

Pacifism:The belief that violence and war are inherently wrong and that conflicts should be resolved through peaceful means. Ranges from absolute pacifism to conditional pacifism.

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