Nonviolence Speaks

This book addresses the power of popular nonviolent action against repression, aggression, and oppression. A crucial aspect to effective nonviolent action is communication. Activists need to be able to contact each other and to mobilize support from other parts of the world. However, within the nonviolence literature, communication has been almost entirely neglected, while within the communication literature, nonviolent action is seldom mentioned. This is the first major study to focus on the joint dynamics of nonviolence and communication. Three case studies are examined: the popular action that forced the resignation of Indonesian President Suharto in 1998, the successful people's resistance to the Soviet coup in 1991, and the successful internationally coordinated campaign against the Multilateral Agreement on Investment in 1988. In each case, special attention is given to the role of communication in the struggle. Attention is then turned to theory. Surveys are made of nonviolence and communication theories, probing for insights relevant to the nonviolence-communication nexus. Gradually a model for analyzing people's communication is developed. The insights from theory are then used to prose a set of steps by which activist groups can analyze communication and develop effective communication strategies