Dalai Lama proves nonviolence can be effective on small scale, too

The Dalai Lama was just here and spoke about peace and nonviolence. What is nonviolence, and is it for cowards or the brave?

At the core of nonviolence is a deep respect for human life — including the enemy’s — and a conviction that social change and justice arise when the root causes of suffering, conflict and hatred are addressed.  Not many people hold to this value, but there have been some highly influential people committed to it: Thoreau, Tolstoy, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Buddha and Jesus.

One reason why history repeats itself is that we believe in redemptive violence — that violence solves our problems, redeems a situation and ends conflicts. Violence creates more suffering, hurt and resentment, which lay the groundwork for further violence. We have a messy history of engaging in and supporting violence, like arming rebel forces in other countries only to have them become our enemies, or at least dictators and terrorists. Two examples are Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden.

Nonviolence does not imply cowardice or a refusal to stand up for injustice. It actively engages and sheds light on injustice. The difference is that nonviolent struggle involves risking one’s own life as opposed to taking the lives of others. People who engage in a nonviolent struggle clearly show they are fighting for good without committing evil in the process. It’s a moral power that can be exercised by anyone and has the power to win over enemies.

Most groups fighting for their rights have no chance of winning an armed struggle. They are almost always up against more powerful forces, governments or armies. Furthermore, when violent liberators are crushed by an oppressive regime, few take their place to continue the struggle. When nonviolent liberators are crushed, more people join the fight, including some who were previously enemies. The admitted difficulty of nonviolence is that it takes a high level of commitment, creativity, bravery and discipline.

Nonviolence is for brave people who have come to see that violence is actually weak, and the struggle for justice has to look different than the same broken systems that have perpetuated injustice, fear and hatred throughout history.

Nonviolence also works on a smaller scale. Is something going unsaid that’s causing tension?  Is someone being passive-aggressive? Break the cycle by addressing the root cause. Nonviolence is not wishful thinking — it works.

Ethan Bodnaruk

Doctorate student in ecological engineering

State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry