In Seminars
On 9 October Dr Jack DuVall of the International Center on Nonviolent Confict spoke at the ICSR, presenting his view that nonviolent political struggle is more fundamentally effective as a political tool than armed struggle, terrorist actions, or physical coercion. Including a broad sweep of international examples, DuVall suggested that the ‘intoxicating’ allure of using violent means to achieve political ends is ultimately based on an irrational assumption that violence is the only tool that matters in gaining power. He noted the recent nonviolent revolutions in Serbia, Ukraine, and Georgia as examples of an approach that involves indigenous political groups achieving change through peaceful means.