The Study and Practice of Nonviolent Action

Over the last 100 years, how effective have nonviolent resistance

movements been to effect social and political change, compared to armed

violent uprisings? This was the question that researchers Erica Chenoweth

and Maria Stephan set out to answer as they dug deep into the historical

data on the subject over the period of 1900-2006. They conclude

empirically that nonviolent resistance campaigns were more than twice as

effective as violent ones in achieving their goals.

On this edition of Peace Talks Radio, Ms. Chenoweth talks with Carol Boss

about some of the data, including the conclusion that successful

nonviolent resistance was also more effective at creating durable peaceful

democracies. Erica Chenoweth is an assistant professor at the Josef

Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver and an

Associate Senior Researcher at the Peace Research Institute of Oslo.

Carol also talks with Ken Butigan executive director of Pace e Bene, an

organization with a mission to work with individuals, organizations, and

movements to strengthen their efforts to abolish war, protect human

rights, end poverty, challenge injustice, heal the planet and to meet

today’s profound spiritual task: to build a more just, peaceful and

nonviolent world. Ken’s a peace and justice worker, workshop

facilitator, and writer for two decades. He also teaches at DePaul

University in Chicago.