Created by Sarah and Jonathan Nahar
Sunday, June 6, 2021

Episode 6: Tactics for nonviolent direct action

Study guide


Focus statement/synopsis:

Groups interested in peace and justice may rush to set up a street protest or a boycott before thinking through the rationale for choosing that tactic. Choosing the right nonviolent direct action tactics for each phase of a campaign is critical for meeting the campaign's objectives. The choice of tactics can also set the stage for negotiations and peace processes to be effective. 

The three broad categories of tactics include: 

  1. Tactics that say something,  
  1. Tactics that do something, 
  1. Tactics that refrain from doing something. 

 

Scripture 

Read 1 Corinthians 12:4-26


Opening ritual: 

Meditate on a time you tried everything you could think of to change a situation. How was the Holy Spirit present with you in that situation? 

 

Group Discussion 

Elder Quaker scholar and activist George Lakey has been active in nonviolent direct action, since he started supporting the Black Freedom Struggle. While that movement was ongoing, some people agreed to nonviolence out of principle. Others agreed to it, because it was proving to be pragmatically successful. In a country full of weapons, it continues to make pragmatic and principled sense to commit to nonviolence. However, Lakey noted, "Most people who engage in nonviolent struggle are not pacifists, and most pacifists do not engage in nonviolent struggle." There are many motivations for participating in nonviolent direct action, just as there are many strategies and many tactics. There is no uniformity. 

Regardless of what motivates people to show up, you can work together using a shared strategy. 

 

Activity 

Quaker peace scholar Michael Beer put nonviolent direct action into 6 broad categories.  

Create the 4x3 grid below on a whiteboard or large visible sheet of paper: 

 

 Coercive Persuasive 

Acts of Expression 

 

 

 

Protest 

 

 

Noncooperation 

 

 

Acts of Omission 

 

 

 

Disruptive Intervention 

 

 

Appeal 

 

 

Acts of Commission 

 

 

 

Refraining 

 

 

Creative Intervention 

 

 

 

Place some of the nonviolent direct actions mentioned in the video on the chart.  

Hint: Nonviolence International listed over 100 tactics in these categories.

 

Small group/partner discussion question:  
Share about what you meditated on at the beginning of the group time: a time you tried everything you could think of to change a situation. How was the Holy Spirit present with you in that situation? 

 

Large group discussion questions 

Use the Action Star diagram below to create a hypothetical (or real) direct action.  

Action star diagram

Enlarge or download diagram


Close in prayer. 



 

 

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https://www.mennonitemission.net/resources/peace/stir-up-peace/4524/Tactics-for-nonviolent-direct-action

 

 

Stir Up Peace webinar with Sarah and Jonathan Nahar on the nonviolent direct action video serieshttps://www.mennonitemission.net/resources/peace/stir-up-peace/4704/Stir-Up-Peace-webinar-on-the-nonviolent-direct-action-video-series-with-Sarah-and-Jonathan-NaharStir Up Peace webinar with Sarah and Jonathan Nahar on the nonviolent direct action video series
Next steps in creating change through nonviolent direct actionhttps://www.mennonitemission.net/resources/peace/stir-up-peace/4521/Next-steps-in-creating-change-through-nonviolent-direct-actionNext steps in creating change through nonviolent direct action
Confronting conflict with nonviolent direct actionhttps://www.mennonitemission.net/resources/peace/stir-up-peace/4520/Confronting-conflict-with-nonviolent-direct-actionConfronting conflict with nonviolent direct action
Your role in creating change through nonviolent direct actionhttps://www.mennonitemission.net/resources/peace/stir-up-peace/4523/Your-role-in-creating-change-through-nonviolent-direct-actionYour role in creating change through nonviolent direct action
Tactics for nonviolent direct actionhttps://www.mennonitemission.net/resources/peace/stir-up-peace/4524/Tactics-for-nonviolent-direct-actionTactics for nonviolent direct action
Audiences to reach through nonviolent direct actionhttps://www.mennonitemission.net/resources/peace/stir-up-peace/4518/Audiences-to-reach-through-nonviolent-direct-actionAudiences to reach through nonviolent direct action



 

 

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