Nonviolence Resources

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Each of these resources is deeply connected to a particular country and cultural context, but as examples, they can provide ideas and inspiration for people everywhere.

Training for Change, USA. Resources on diversity and anti-oppression, http://www.trainingforchange.org/content/category/4/28/56/index.html Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice, Paul Kivel, New Society Publishers, 2002. A book written for white activists working against racism within the United States. ISBN 0865714592, 9780865714595 Confronting Racism in Communities: Guidelines and Resources for Anti-Racism Training Resources, David Hollinsworth. A training manual produced for groups addressing racism in Australia. The document is available as a pdf on the Web from the Change Agency Education and Training Institute: http://www.thechangeagency.org/_dbase_upl/Anti-Racism%20Training.pdf Henry Martyn Institute, India: Henry Martyn Institute in Hyderabad, India, established itself as a an ecumenical Christian organisation, dedicated to the objective study and teaching of Islam and the promotion of interfaith dialogue. In recent years, however, its work has expanded to include a praxis program and training for communities in addressing religious and various identity-based conflicts in Indian communities. Contact: Henry Martyn Institute, 6-3-128/1, Beside National Police Academy,Shivarampally, Hyderabad - 500 052• India E-mail:hyd1_hmiis@sancharnet.in Web: http://www.hmiindia.com/index.htm The Praxis Program details are here: http://www.hmiindia.com/praxis_crVision.htm Soulforce is an organisation committed to using nonviolence to end violence against gays, lesbians, bi-sexuals and transgendered people (LGBT) in the United States. The mission of Soulforce is to cut off homophobia at its source: religious bigotry. It applies the creative direct action principles taught by Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. to peacefully resist injustice and demand full equality for LGBT citizens and same-gender families. Their Website includes videos, articles, handouts, and action campaign ideas: http://www.soulforce.org/index.php

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Activist Trauma Support:This Website is primarily for political activists who may be injured during or by their political activities and/or who are struggling with other mental health issues related to activism. Resources are available in many different languages: http://www.activist-trauma.net T-team: a collective of activists in Tel Aviv, historical Palestine, who've come together to support activists going through intense emotional (and post-traumatic) experiences as a result of their work: http://the-t-team.blogspot.com/ Emotional self-management for activists, Chris Barker, Brian Martin and Mary Zournazi, published in Reflective Practice, Vol. 9, No. 4, November 2008, pp. 423-435. Available on the web at: http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/pubs/08rp.html

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Papers on Nonviolent Action and Cooperative Decision-Making, Randy Schutt. A nonviolence trainer’s sample agendas and workshop notes dealing with preparing for nonviolent action, nonviolent action strategic planning, cooperative decision-making, and interpersonal behaviour: http://www.vernalproject.org/RPapers/html INNATE: Irish Network for Nonviolent Action Training & Education. Consensus for Small Groups: an introduction and worksheets. More resources on nonviolence training available at http://www.innatenonviolence.org/workshops/consensussmallgroups.shtml

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Jo Freeman, The Tyranny of Structurelessness, 1970, at http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/hist_texts/structurelessness.html

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DIY or Die: Website with links to different resources for nonviolent direct action: http://www.sprayism.com/dawiki/doku.php?id=guides The activist tool box: Nonviolence direct action tool box: http://www.uhc-collective.org.uk/webpages/toolbox/index.htm Peace News tools section: Collection of different resources in nonviolence from practical tools to nonviolence analysis: http://peacenews.info/tools/index.php Starhawk's Resources for Activism Trainers: Resources for nonviolent direct action and anti-oppression trainers/preparers, magical activism workshop facilitators, and consensus decision making: http://www.starhawk.org/activism/trainer-resources/trainer-resources.htm National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance: Nonviolent Direct Action Checklist: http://iraqpledge.org/checklist.html

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How to Win Campaigns: 100 Steps to Success, Chris Rose, Earthscan 2005. The Strategy of Nonviolent Defense, Robert J. Burrowes, State University of New York Press, 1996. Justice Ignited: The Dynamics of Backfire, Brian Martin, Rowman & Littlefield,2007. For a full list of publication by Brian Martin: http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/pubs/ Doing Democracy: The MAP Model for Organizing Social Movements, Bill Moyer (with JoAnn McAllister, Mary Lou Finley, and Steven Soifer), Gabriola Island: New Society Publishers, 2001, 228 pages. Includes Movement Action Plan – a tool of strategic analysis for nonviolent movements. Resources on the Movement Action Plan can be accessed at: http://www.turning-the-tide.org/files/Bill%20Moyer%208-stages%20Social%20Movements%20Hand-out.pdf

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The Albert Einstein Institution: nonviolent action, frequently asked questions about nonviolent action, 198 methods of nonviolent action, applications of nonviolent action, case studies, publications on nonviolent action in many languages: http://www.aeinstein.org Sharp, Gene, The Politics of Nonviolent Action, Boston, Porter Sargent, 1973, 3 volumes. Now classic analysis of the theory and dynamics of nonviolent action and an exhaustive list of methods with examples. Includes extensive bibliographical information. People Power and Protest since 1945: a bibliography on nonviolent action, April Carter, Howard Clark, and Michael Randle, Housmans 2006. Online at http://www.civilresistance.info/bibliography Waging Nonviolence, This blog is a community and a resource for news, analysis and discussion on the many ways that ordinary people around the globe are using nonviolence every day, often under the most difficult circumstances. http://wagingnonviolence.org/ Articles on civil resistance suggested by the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict: http://civilresistance.net/?page_id=12 Books on civil resistance suggested by the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict: http://civilresistance.net/?page_id=5 Books and articles by Brian Martin ( author and researcher on power dynamics through an interplay of theory and case studies, including nonviolent action, dissent and scientific controversies): http://www.bmartin.cc/pubs/peace.html How to Wage Peace & Justice - Tools for Activists, PeaceWork: http://www.peaceworkmagazine.org/how-wage-peace-justice-tools-activists Nonviolence Training, New Tactics - Tactical Dialogues: http://www.newtactics.org/en/blog/new-tactics/training-nonviolent-action Global Nonviolent Action Database, Swarthmore College: http://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/

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Resource Manual for a Living Revolution, Virginia Coover, Ellen Deacon, Charles Esser, and Christopher Moore, Philadelphia, New Society Publishers, first edition 1977, latest 1985, 351 pages. Familiarly known as the ‘Monster Manual’, this was the comprehensive sourcebook for English-speaking nonviolence trainers in the 1970s and 1980s, produced collectively within the United States by Movement for a New Society.

Nonviolent Action Handbook, Beck, Sanderson, Goleta, California, World Peace Communications, 2002, 95 pages. Introductory texts, downloadable or as print copies from World Peace Communications, 495 Whitman St. #A, Goleta, CA 93117, USA. http://san.beck.org/NAH1-Nonviolence.html

Nonviolence Training Project, Nonviolence Trainers Resource Manual, Melbourne, Australia, May 1995, 211 pages. Wide-ranging manual with sections on defining nonviolence, power and conflict, learning from other movements, strategic frameworks, nonviolence and communication, working in groups, and preparing for nonviolent action. Downloadable as a pdf from: http://www.nonviolence.org.au/downloads/trainers_resource_manual_may05.pdf

The Ruckus Society Website offers manuals on action planning and media among other topics, plus numerous links to other Websites: http://www.ruckus.org/

Handbook for Nonviolent Action, New York, War Resisters League, Donnelly/Colt Graphix, 1989, 36 pages. Designed as a tool for learning about different aspects of nonviolent civil disobedience actions. Most of it can be downloaded as part of ACT UP New York's Manual for Civil Disobedience: http://www.actupny.org/documents/CDdocuments/CDindex.html

Seeds for Change: A British-based network that provides training resources including: consensus and facilitation, groups and meetings, practical skills for campaigning groups: http://seedsforchange.org.uk/free/resources

Rant Collective: A trainers' collective that offers resources on action planning & structures, anti-oppression, media, and strategy: http://www.rantcollective.net/article.php?list=type&type=17

INNATE (Irish Network for Nonviolent Action Training & Education): Wide selection of resources in nonviolence including: introduction to nonviolence, nonviolence and Christian belief, approaches to conflict, consensus decision making, and much more: http://www.innatenonviolence.org/resources/index.shtml

''Caritas: Resource Kits for Peace Builders '': Caritas has developed this site to contain resources for peace building training and learning. It includes Resource Kits on specific topics and other tools for learning design and facilitation: http://peacebuilding.caritas.org/index.php/Home

International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC) list of manuals: http://civilresistance.net/?page_id=44

Handbook for Nonviolent Action: A nonviolence training handbook for direct action against nuclear weapons in Oak Ridge, TN, USA. The Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, June 2005: http://www.stopthebombs.org/content/documents/nonviolencemanual.pdf

Nonviolence International list of recommended manuals and other publications: http://nonviolenceinternational.net/?page_id=639

Training for Change list of books and manuals: http://www.trainingforchange.org/publications/Books%20%2526%20Manuals

Engage: Exploring Nonviolent Living, Peace and Bene Nonviolence Service: Full of stories, exercises and resources, Engage is a workbook to learn, study and practice the nonviolent options available to us. It offers a guide for groups on how to take action for justice and peace in the midst of war, injustice and environmental destruction: http://paceebene.org/book/engage

Rhizome: A cooperative which brings together the skills and experience of a network of facilitators. They have extensive resources on group facilitation and consensus decision making: http://rhizomenetwork.wordpress.com/resources/

Backfire manual: tactics against injustice, Brian Martin, Irene Publishing 2012. The Backfire Manual outlines the backfire model and gives examples and exercises for using it. This is a practical handbook for being more effective whenever you face a powerful, dangerous opponent. http://www.bmartin.cc/pubs/12bfm/

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Other training manuals and web resources on nonviolence Nonviolent Action (General) Campaign Development Direct Action Tools Organisational Structures (inc. Affinity Groups) Decision-Making (inc. Consensus) Dealing with Emotions (Fear, Burn-Out, Anger) Anti-oppression Gender Awareness Working with media

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In this section we describe a number of exercises to help you develop your nonviolent campaigns and actions. These exercises can be used during nonviolence trainings, workshops and group meetings. Exercises help make our time together more participatory and contributes to the process of learning and building capacities among participants.

The exercises we have collected come from a variety of sources, following the rich history of using exercises to strengthen our work in nonviolence. Many times these exercises have been adapted and changed during the course of the years. We expect that you will do the same, changing these exercises to meet your needs.

Most of the exercises shared in this section can be used for different purposes, we give you some recommendation for where and how to use them best,and tips for the facilitator/trainer.

We hope you find these exercises useful in your process of building nonviolent campaigns, and that they motivate you to search for more exercises and to develop exercises of your own, to continue to enrich the repertoire of exercises of the nonviolence movement.

Intellectual property

Only a few of these exercises have been 'credited' as having been designed by particular trainers or training groups. We apologise in advance to anybody who feels they should have been credited as the author of a particular exercise. Please let us know so that we can rectify this on the web and in future printed editions. However, most exercises used in nonviolence training have been passed on from group to group, each being adapted according to new situations or styles.

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1) Several of the organisers and all the trainers should meet well in advance to plan the training. Depending on the situation, the organisers may need to go back to the group for further decision-making. The trainers' questions may help the organisers understand what more they need to do to prepare the group for the training.

2) Discuss how much time is needed to accomplish the goals of the training. Can it be done in one day (how many hours) or a weekend? Can the training be done in steps, following the process of campaign development? Do you need a series of trainings to plan a campaign? Some groups take a holiday week to plan and prepare for a campaign. If people are travelling to an action, how can you plan for training?

3) Trainers need information about the participants: are they people coming together just for this action or do they meet regularly? What level of experience do they have? Have they done trainings before? Have they done nonviolent actions and what kinds?

4) Discuss the group's approach to nonviolence and training. Does it have nonviolence guidelines?

5) Ask the campaign organisers to present specific information at the training (e.g., scenario plans, campaign background). Be clear how much time they have for this task.

6) Identify what handouts are needed; use maps and pictures if appropriate.

7) Be clear who is responsible for bringing supplies (markers, paper, tape, photocopies of handouts, copies of the handbook, equipment for films, etc.) and arrangements for food or other physical needs.

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Planning and facilitating nonviolence training requires a range of tasks, which should be shared by a number of people.

First of all, the campaign organizers need to be aware of when training is needed. Does the group need training in strategic campaign development or gender sensitivity? Is training needed to prepare a new group of people to participate in nonviolent actions, or an experienced group to achieve new skills? Do affinity groups need training in group process?

Once a decision is made to have a training, trainers need to be found. As stated in the “Introduction to Nonviolence Training”, if trainers are not available, create a team of co-facilitators to do the training. This section has check lists to help organize, plan and faciliate trainings.

Organizers and trainers need to talk with each other before working on their own tasks. Lack of clarity and assumptions made on the part of trainers or organizers can result in an ineffective training. If the trainers are part of the group, they need to be clear about their role as trainers. A training can be an important opportunity to test plans, to find weaknesses in the group, to bring more people into the process. A trainer must be open to those roles. While understanding the context, the group, the campaign, the action scenario, etc. better than an outside facilitator, it can be a challenge for a trainer deeply involved in the work to step into a different role. This clarification of roles should help in that process.

“Nonviolent Campaigns” and “Organizing for Effective Nonviolent Actions” sections include information that can also help trainers and organizers understand what they need to do and what they may need to train for.