Reflection

As I have learned from our semester-long personal projects, Nonviolence is not only a strategy for large movements, but it is also a way of life for many. During times such as the civil rights movement, many chose nonviolence because it is a strategy, but also because they lived by this mentality. For my personal project, I chose the topic of "reflection". Over the semester, I would set aside time in my day to relax and think in-depth about certain concerns or issues that I currently had. I found that it not only affected my overall state of mind, but it led to better interaction with others, which has been considered a large part of nonviolence in the past.

Civil Disobedience

Civil disobedience is a subject that I find somewhat interesting. After many discussions of nonviolence and attempts for resolution, "disobedience" is a word that is not often seen. By no means am I saying that the use of civil disobedience is not a nonviolent strategy. After reading John Rawls, I have more of an understanding of what justifies civil disobedience according to him. I would definitely agree that an important justification of this disobedience deals with being public and well known. The initial plan is to bring about change to an unjust government, therefore accepting and making it known that you are currently breaking the law. According to Rawls, "Being completely open about one's acts and being willing to accept the legal consequences of one's conduct is a bond given to make good one's sincerity, for that one's deeds are conscientious is not easy to demonstrate to another or even before oneself." (Rawls Chapter 9)

Palestine Israel Nonviolence

Upon discussing the Palestine Israel conflict, it is often viewed as very violent. The media tends to cover much of the violence; terrorists, bombing, sometimes hatred. It is safe to say, however, that nonviolence and nonviolent action is not inexistent. Like many nonviolent movements in the past, there have been and currently are nonviolent marches, protests, strikes, and boycotts. On top of these actions, groups such as the Middle East Nonviolent Democracy exist, whose main goal is to educate and offer nonviolent training to youth. These strategies or tactics have proved to be successful in the past, and the fact that they are present during this conflict gives them a chance to resolve this conflict.

Common Strategy

After taking nearly an entire semester of Nonviolence: Theory and Practice, it is safe to say that I began falling into a habit of association when discussing nonviolence. Most of the nonviolent movements that are discussed or heard about seem to deal with issues that are widespread or well known, for example various international wars or civil rights movements. It is easy to forget or not realize, however, that nonviolent movements are occurring in everyday life, with many different issues. An example of this would be the various animal rights movements that are present in today's society. They are acting with complete nonviolence and are often very strategic. This is similar to strategy discussed in war, however it is much easier to not realize that nonviolent effort is present.