A book I have found useful in indicating the long tradition of pacifism and nonviolence is The Pacifist Conscience, edited by Peter Mayer. It has extracts from a wide range of pacifist ideas starting in Ancient China with Lao Tzu and Mo Tse, then Buddha, Erasmus, Emerson, Thoreau, Tolstoy, Gandhi, Einstein, Bertrand Russel, Martin Luther King, C. Wright Mills and Albert Camus. These are some of the 42 authors included. Some of the material is only very short extracts from much wider and more comprehensive writings by the same authors. The book also includes references to and short descriptions of nonviolent resistance and campaigns in prisons, deprived areas of Ittaly against the Mafia (Danilo Dolci; trial statement) and in Norway against Nazi occupation, and several other instances. There is also an article called 'Moral Jiu-Jitsu' by Richard Gregg, which clearly outlines some fundamental principles of nonviolence.
An extract of the ideas of Moral Jiu-Jitsu: two people may appear to be in total disagreement, however if they resort to violence as a means of settling their dispute, they make a fundamental agreement - that violence is a legitimate way of settling the injury or dispute. However, if one refuses to make the agreement of violence, even if provoked, and does not show fear or resentment then the attacker can be made to feel startled and uncertain. They cannot rely on the victim to react in the expected manner. Their knowledge and morale is not sustained. Instead, they meet with fearlessness and calm, a self-control possible through conviction of ideas, training or experience. The victim states clearly their understanding of the situation, that they are not prepared to use violence, and that it could be resolved reasonably. Resistance is offered but in moral terms. If the violence continues and this manner of dealing with it is sustained, then sincerity becomes clear to the attacker through the victim accepting suffering rather than being prepared to inflict it. It is important that no signs of fear or resentment are shown, by eye, tone of voice or posture. When this determination is shown the idea that the victim is afraid, or a coward, ready to acknowledge defeat, will quickly give way in the aggressor to an acknowledgement of courage, not fear, steady will, not subservience. Unflinching endurance of pain will demonstrate sincerity. Then curiosity and wonder will displace any scorn and contempt. This is when the principle of jiu-jitsu will begin to work; using the opponent's force to make them lose their balance, only in moral terms rather than physical. This is through not offering the expected sort of resistance. The sudden and unexpected loss of moral balance will throw the attacker, by their own impetus, suddenly into a new range of values. The attacker, in not knowing quite how to handle the situation, will feel insecurity, loss of poise and loss of self-confidence. The attacker will realise that there is greater courage in non-retaliation than in blind physical energy and recklessness. There are other principles at work; anger and violence are exhausting, the victim however retains balance and is in a better position to influence the attacker; the appeal to the attacker's better instincts will opose aggressive feelings; if there are witnesses then the realisation in the attacker of having made a mistaken assessment of a very unusual opponent, will cause embarrassment of making further mistakes. They will become more cautious. The attacker will feel their behaviour to have been excessive, undignified, and ineffective. The contrast between brutality and dignity can be profoundly impressive. Respect is offered t othe assailant in the recognition that they must have a better nature than that which is being acted upon. The strategy of this nonviolent appeal is to replace anger, fear, hatred, indignation, vanity, greed, cruelty, pride, scorn, contempt, disdain, digust, bigotry and hardness with feelings that are to do with unity, sympathy, security and goodwill. The basis of negative emotion is uprooted.
This process can be very effective but requires a great deal of the person who is attacked. The ability to sustain nonviolence mut have a strong foundation, the best is love which, if in the context of violence seems too sentimental, could be called intelligence or knowledge. It most be strong and clear-sighted. It follows that the aim of using this method of nonviolence is not to injure, crush, humiliate, break the will of the opponent, or to impose a solution, but to help make a more truthful, creative and secure relationship.
The full article is considerably more thorough than this basic outline of mine.
Some practical suggestions from Nonviolence Theory and Practice, NVA Pamphlet No. 1 by Gerard A. Vanderhaar - distributed by Housmans Bookshop (25p) - are:
»In violent circumstances or a confrontation it may be difficult, but it is not impossible, to not feel afraid. Breathing deeply can help, and if appropriate keep talking slowly. Maintain eye contact if possible but not defiantly and encourage the other person to talk. Move slowly and don't threaten or be hostile. It is often helpful to state what is obvious, for example that you have been or are being caused pain or have been injured. Do not behave in any way as a victim, don't cower or be intimitadet, show resolution and strength. Seek to make a friend of the opponent in a genuine way, don't allow resentment or hostility to dominate your feelings toward them. You should be as firm as possible without provoking violence. This must be played by ear, and the degree of resistance necessary must be carefully assessed. When you manage to get the person talking don't argue but don't agree with assertions that are obviously cruel, immoral or untrue. Listening can be more important than what is said. To keep the talk going, and to keep it calm is important.«
These are some basic ideas which can obviously be improvised on, for example, with humour, or a group of people working together. They amount to some degree of courage, inner strength and confidence. If in circumstances where there is a choice of whether to become involved with trying to prevent violence it may be better, if you have little confidence, to keep away rather than become involved. The use of nonviolent techniques on a large scale is being used in India in riot situations.
Sunnans kommentar: det står inte explicit huru agera vid t.ex. våldtäktssitutation (alltså när man ska försvara sig från oönskad kroppskontakt), eller där attackeraren är drogpåverkad eller hjärntvättad, eller när en trejde part (t.ex. anhörig) är offret. Råd vid sådana situationer? Eller är det då våld som gäller?