Nonviolent Resistance

Over the course of the 20th century, nonviolent resistance became known as a powerful political force around the globe. It may be defined as an extrainstitutional technique of sustained political, social, psychological, and/or economic action used to apply power in a conflict without the threat or [Page 1234]use of violence. During the last century, the frequency and success rates of nonviolent resistance campaigns increased. They also succeeded, on average, twice as often as their violent counterparts. In the early years of the 21st century, the effects of nonviolent resistance continue to reverberate from the Middle East to Ukraine and from Hong Kong to Burkina Faso. Both principled and pragmatic reasons drive people to employ nonviolent resistance to achieve maximalist as well as policy goals. At ...