Unit 4: Armed resistance vs. nonviolent resistance - ELIC 140 - Luman - Civic Engagement - Research Guides at Modesto Junior College Library

Background reading on nonviolent and violent protests

The following links are to background, or overview, articles. Click on the link below to access the Gale Virtual Reference Library and use the search terms in the boxes in the left hand column to find articles, or click directly on the specific article titles below. If you're off campus, you'll need to sign in with your W# (without the W) and 6-digit birth date to access the database.

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Nonviolent Resistance
A brief article from the World History Encyclopedia.
Gandhi and the Philosophy of Non-Violence
A brief article from the World History Encyclopedia.
U. S. Political Protest
From the New Dictionary of the History of Ideas, this article discusses both nonviolent and violent protest.
Assasination and Violent Protest
From the encyclopedia American Decades, this article discusses protests of the 1960s in the United States.
Urban Riots
From the Encyclopedia of U. S. Political History.
Student Protest Movements 1945-1960
From the World History Encyclopedia
Nonviolent Resistance
Background article from American Governance

Key Search Terms for researching nonviolence

Civil disobedience
Non-violence
Peaceful protest

You can also search by names of people associated with nonviolence, such as:

Gandhi
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Cesar Chavez

Key Search Terms for researching violent protest

Violent protest
Violent uprising
Riots

You can also search by names of people or groups associated with violent protests, such as:

Rodney King
Michael Brown / Darren Wilson
Irish Republican Army

Find focused information in library databases

All of these resources are free for MJC students, faculty, & staff.

Search using the Search terms in box above, or use words more specific to your topic.

If you're working from off campus, you'll need to sign in. Once you click on the name of a database, simply enter your student ID (without the W) and your six-digit birth date.

General databases:

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EBSCOhost Databases This link opens in a new window
Access World News This link opens in a new window
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Gale In Context: Global Issues This link opens in a new window

Specialized databases:

Gale In Context: Biography This link opens in a new window
African American Experience This link opens in a new window
American Indian Experience This link opens in a new window
Latino American Experience This link opens in a new window

E-books and Print Books @ MJC

Dying for Faith by Madawi Al-Rasheed (Editor); Marat Shterin (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
Unarmed Insurrections by Kurt Schock
Call Number: eBook
Slavery in the Modern World by Junius P. Rodriguez
Call Number: eBook
American Social Reform Movements Reference Library by Thomson Gale Staff
Call Number: eBook
Why Civil Resistance Works by Erica Chenoweth; Maria J. Stephan
Call Number: eBook
While the library is closed due to COVID 19, below you can find a link to an article by the authors that summarizes some of the main points of their book:

Summary of Why Civil Resistance Works

Resources on War

The Costs of War
From Brown University, this site calculates the costs of specific wars in both human lives and money.
The Morality of War
From the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, this source considers the question of the morality of war from all sides.
The Case for War part 1
Former Assistant Secretary of Defense Richard Perle travels the globe articulating, defending and debating the neoconservative case for an assertive American foreign policy.
The Case for War parts 2-7
Former Assistant Secretary of Defense Richard Perle travels the globe articulating, defending and debating the neoconservative case for an assertive American foreign policy.
President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech
from December 2009

Sample articles on armed/violent resistance

Cuban Revolution
Overview article from the Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture
Los Angeles Riots
Background article from Crimes of the Centuries: Notorious Crimes, Criminals, and Criminal Trials in American History about the 1992 riots in protest of the acquital of four white police officers in the beating of an unarmed Black man, Rodney King.
Hong Kong’s Hard-Core Protesters Take Justice Into Their Own Hands
October 2019 article from the NYTimes about the current protests in Hong Kong
The Truth You’ve Probably Never Heard About Riots
Andre Henry argues that "the violent protests in response to the murder of George Floyd could be productive."
The Double Standard of the American Riot
June 2020 article in The Atlantic argues that "the nationwide protests against police killings have been called un-American by critics, but rebellion has always been used to defend liberty."

Sample sources on nonviolent resistance

Nonviolent Action in the Time of Coronavirus
From March 25, 2020: "Popular movements are confronting the challenge of how to practice social distancing while still acting to advance their demands."
Solidarity Movement in Poland
This biography from the Encyclopedia of World Biography of Solidarity leader Lech Walesa gives an overview of the movement in Poland in the 1970s and 1980.
Talk to Hamas? Talk to Taliban? Thank the Arab Spring for Those Possibilities
February 2012 editorial from The Christian Science Monitor

Chavez Legacy - Worth Studying - Activist's Life Should Inspire us All
2006 editorial from The Ventura Star links modern immigration protests to the successful nonviolent protests of the United Farm Workers in the 1960s and 1970s
Puerto Ricans Look to the Future
August 2019 article from the Boston Herald at the conclusion of the recent protests in San Juan, Puerto Rico, that led to the resignation of the governor
The '3.5% Rule': How a Small Minority Can Change the World
This article deals with strategic civil resistance: "Nonviolent protests are twice as likely to succeed as armed conflicts – and those engaging a threshold of 3.5% of the population have never failed to bring about change."
Women in Mexico Are Urged to Disappear for a Day in Protest
Fed up with escalating gender-based attacks and murders, activists called for a daylong national strike by women to demand greater support for their rights. From the NY Times, February 2020.
Maria Stephan on What We Get Wrong About Protest Movements
This year has seen an extraordinary rise in people power. Despite significant coverage of these movements, many misconceptions about how they work persist. USIP’s Maria J. Stephan addresses those myths and says, “The most defining variable of successful nonviolent movements is large, diverse and sustained participation.” From December 2019.
Think Again: Nonviolent Resistance
Article by Erica Chenowith from 2011 arguing that "Resisting the temptation to take up arms against a dictator isn't just the moral thing to do -- it's also the most effective way to win."
Global Nonviolent Action Database
Database created in 2011 by Swarthmore College tracks nonviolent resistance movements worldwide.
The Case Against Riots
May 2020 article by NY Times columnist Ross Douthat arguing that rioting works against lasting change.
How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change
In the wake of the killing of George Floyd, Former President Barack Obama argues that "if we want to bring about real change, then the choice isn’t between protest and politics. We have to do both."
The Dangerous Politics of ‘We Will Not Forgive’
Opinion piece from Sept. 2021 in the NY Times, arguing for forgiving our enemies.
Know Your Allies, Your Opponents and Everyone in Between: The Spectrum of Allies
A model for group action towards non-violent social change

Sample topics

Hong Kong protests (ongoing anti-government protests in Hong Kong)

Background Information: Why are There Protests in Hong Kong?
September 2019 article from the BBC
Hong Kong Protests and "Fake News": in the psychological war for hearts and minds, disinformation becomes a weapon used by both sides
October 2019 article from the South China Morning Press, Hong Kong's main newspaper
Hong Kong Just Wants a Promise Kept
NYTimes editorial that argues that the protesters' cause is just, "even if the protesters have at times resorted to violence."
Hong Kong’s ‘Revolution of our Times’ is Devouring its own Children
Opinion piece from the South China Morning News that decries the affect of violence on young people
Homemade Bomb Detonated for First Time in Hong Kong Protests
October 2019 article from the New York Times
Ugly From the Outset: Hong Kong’s Day of Widespread Violence
November 2019 article from the New York Times

Protest in Afghanistan

Afghanistan Deal: Don't Trade Away Women's Rights to the Taliban. Put Us at the Table.
Opinion piece by three Afghan women's rights/human rights activists. From USA Today, March 1, 2020.
Youth protest in Afghanistan
In 2014, discouraged Afghan youth turned to a suite of coping strategies that include emigrating out of Afghanistan, joining violent groups that offer them a sense of belonging and income, especially in rural Afghanistan, or demonstrating and protesting against government failures.
Youth Protest Movements in Afghanistan: Seeking Voice and Agency
This report examines the emergence of a new generation of youth activists in Afghanistan (since 2014) and the responses of the government and international community to those movements. (See link on page to download the report.)

Protest in Iran, 2019-2020

With Brutal Crackdown, Iran Is Convulsed by Worst Unrest in 40 Years
"What started as a protest over a surprise increase in gasoline prices turned into widespread demonstrations met with a systematic repression that left at least 180 people dead." From the NY Times, December 2019
The Latest on Iran’s Evolving Protests
As in past protests, the government has met current demonstrators with a draconian and violent response. The authors explain how the protests have evolved over time and how demonstrators could use nonviolent tactics against the repressive regime. From United States Institute of Peace, January 16, 2020.
The Anger and Anguish Fuelling Iran’s Protests
January 15, 2020 article from The New Yorker

Violence against Cartels

Where the Police Wear Masks, and the Bodies Pile Up Fast
December 2019 article from the New York Times about violent militias in Brazil who target suspected gang members.
In Mexico’s Cartel Country, a Murderer Who Kills Murderers Tells His Story
September 2019 article from The Daily Beast about autodefensa forces in Mexico.

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Political Grass Roots Movements

How to Turn Anger and Fear into Political Power
December 2019 article from the NYTimes about the growth of political power of Latinos in Arizona

Protests/riots Against Racial Injustice in America, 2020

The Double Standard of the American Riot
June 2020 article from The Atlantic
The Truth You’ve Probably Never Heard About Riots
Andre Henry argues that "the violent protests in response to the murder of George Floyd could be productive."
The George Floyd Protests are a Rebellion Against an Unjust System
June 2020 opinion column from The Guardian
'A War of Words.' Why Describing the George Floyd Protests as 'Riots' Is So Loaded
June 2020 article from Time Magazine
George Floyd Protests: A Timeline
July 2020 article from The New York Times
American Carnage: These Aren't Protests — They're Riots. Someone Must End the Lawlessness.
June 2020 opinion piece from USA Today that argues in favor of sending the military to stop the unrest in American cities.
Police Call Portland Protest a Riot
July 2020 article from Politico

Palestinian / Israeli Conflict

Alternatives in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Lengthy report from researchers who interviewed West Bank Palestinians, Gazan Palestinians, Israeli Jews, and Israeli Arabs in 2018 and 2019.
The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict in 2020: What are the Possible Paths Ahead?
Analysis published by the United States Institute of Peace
Support up among Israelis, Palestinians for violent solution to conflict — poll
2018 poll published by the Times of Israel
Just Vision
Website of an organization whose goal is to "contribute to fostering peace and an end to the occupation by rendering Palestinian and Israeli grassroots leaders more visible, valued and influential in their efforts."
13 Israeli and Palestinian Groups Building Peace
2014 article from the Christian Science Monitor