Buddhism And Weapons Of Mass Destruction: An Oxymoron?

One of the most enduring principles of Buddhist ethics is the teaching of nonviolence (ahimsa), and the first of the five basic moral precepts is not to take the life of a sentient being. In the light of these teachings, is a conversation about Buddhist perspectives on weapons with the capacity for large-scale death and destruction not a contradiction in terms? David Chappell describes the tensions in the tradition between the normative Buddhist principles of peace and nonviolence and the actual behaviors of Buddhists both past and present, for example, rulers who have promoted war in defense of nation and religion and clergy who supported militarist regimes. In the light of this tension, Gananath Obeyesekere holds that Buddhism\u27s noble principles are inevitably compromised by history and politics, a point of view that can be applied to other religious traditions, as well. To situate the Buddhist ethical principles of peace, nonviolence, and nonkilling beyond history, however, obviates any capacity they might have to challenge and, it is hoped, to transform violence in any form, including violence associated with weapons of mass destruction. Whether Buddhism and the other world religions have anything uniquely distinctive to contribute to the specific policy decisions related to debates about WMD, such as utilization, deterrence, and proliferation, is moot. What the world\u27s religions, including Buddhism, do have to offer, however, is a vision of hope where the values of peace, nonviolence, compassion, and the opportunity for human beings to flourish cooperatively are uppermost

Grace and Power: Base Communities and Nonviolence in Brazil

Reviewed Book: Barbé, Dominique. Grace and Power: Base Communities and Nonviolence in Brazil. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1987

Pendekatan Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) mengenai nirkekerasan dan perdamaian: Analisis studi perdamaian dan konflik Johan Galtung

In the history of world’s conflict, Gandhi is one of the leaders of nonviolent fighters against the violence of colonialism, dehumanization, and religious conflict. Gandhi has put nonviolence (Ahimsa) as a religious-spiritual based (pacifism) strategy for Truth (Satya), although some researchers prefer Satya to Ahimsa. This dialectic becomes an interesting problem when Gandhi is placed within the framework of peace and conflict studies. Therefore, this thesis uses the systematic phenomenology-hermeneutics of Paul Ricoeur (prefiguration, configuration, transfiguration) against Gandhi's nonviolent principles and practice during the Satyagraha movement in South Africa (1893-1914) and India (1915-1948). Then, the data are analyzed through the theory of violence and peace Johan Galtung, who is able to connect Gandhi's nonviolence within the horizon of the Study of Peace and Conflict. This thesis with qualitative research asserts, Ahimsa (nonviolence) is more strategic and practical in the interests of peace building programs and conflict resolution. Gandhi's nonviolence has "principles of nonviolent discipline", ie Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Aparigraha, Brahmacarya, Asveda, Abhaya, Sharira Shram, Swadeshi, Sprash Bavana, and Shava Dharma Samanatva. In addition, Gandhi's nonviolence includes the dimensions of personal nonviolence which is a direct nonviolence, Structural nonviolence which is an indirect nonviolence, and Cultural nonviolence. That is, the principle of nonviolence that lives in the culture and power structure, will have an impact on individual actions. The nonviolent paradigm that is fostered with discipline will affect the individual (subject) and his actions to deal with nonviolent objects; social injustice. Massively, Gandhi himself practiced nonviolence by non-cooperation, civil disobedience, fasting, swadhesi, and Hartal. From its various practices, Gandhi's nonviolence belongs to the category of "prudential pacifism" or "just war tradition"; giving space for violence for good, but not for evil. In the perspective of peace studies, they uses nonviolence as a curative in a negative peace, and are preventive in a positive peace. Nonviolence is very potential and strategic as an object of important studies of Religious Studies, especially Peace and Conflict Studies; as an attempt to approach peace or at least not to engage in violence and crime

The Velvet Revolution: A Case Study in Strategic Nonviolence

The Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia provides a unique case of the successful use of strategic nonviolence. This paper will seek to provide a basic background of the causal events leading to the revolution in 1989. After establishing a suitable background from which to frame the analytical portion of the paper, it will be asked what role nonviolence played in the movement and how that nonviolence was applied strategically to facilitate its goals. In doing so, this paper will draw upon the research of Peter Ackerman and Christopher Kruegler, two leading nonviolent theorists, and their twelve principles of strategic nonviolence. Drawing upon the events of the Velvet Revolution in the context of these principles, it should become apparent that while the nonviolence of the Velvet Revolution was largely based in the highly principled rhetoric of its leaders, nonviolence was applied well within the strategic principles laid out by Ackerman and Kruegler, contributing to the overwhelming success of the revolution as a whole

Prize Winning Essays - 2010

To promote The Season of Nonviolence, Citizens for Peace once again sponsored an essay contest for Michigan high school and college students. Their essays had to address the topic Peaceful Relationships through Active Nonviolence. Each winner was given the opportunity to read their essay at The Season for Nonviolence celebration on April 13, 2010. Both high school and college awards were $250,$100, and $50 each for first, second and third place. The Season for Nonviolence began in 1998 when it was inaugurated at the United Nations. It was co-founded by the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence and The Association for Global New Thought. Its purpose is to focus attention on the philosophy of attaining peace through nonviolent action as demonstrated by Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. The Season is January 30th through April 4th of each year

A Colloquy on Violence and Non-Violence: Towards a Complementary Conflict Resolution

In conflict resolution discourse the two challenging and contrasting concepts, violence and non-violence, are often presented as opposites and contradictory. On the basis of this, one is affirmed against the other. In this article, we aimed to present violence and non-violence as complementary phenomena toward a complementary process of conflict resolution. The objective was to provide an analysis to show that the two concepts can contribute meaningfully to conflict management and resolution. To achieve this aim and objective, we highlighted their significance as methods of resolving and managing conflict, and discussed their problems as well. We used the method of complementary analysis to render a practical account of this discourse; the paper reviewed a number of scenarios where the strategies of violence and non-violence were employed towards conflict resolution and transformation. This enables us to see how the violent and non-violent methods can contribute to resolve the issue of conflict. From the analysis, we concluded that methods of violence and non-violence should overlap each in conflict and peace research

Strategic Nonviolence in Africa: Reasons for Its Embrace and Later Abandonment by Nkrumah, Nyerere, and Kaunda.

Soon after taking power, three leaders of nonviolent African independence movements, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, and Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia immediately turned to violent means to suppress internal opposition. The paper examines the reasons for the success of their Gandhian nonviolent tactics in ousting British colonial governments and argues that these new heads of state lost confidence in nonviolence due to a mixture of self-serving expediency, a lack of understanding of nonviolence's many different forms, and the constraints of inheriting a state already dependent on the use of force

Religious Nonviolence: An Analysis of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Thich Nhat Hanh

This paper will look at the role religion played in shaping the individual movements of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Thich Nhat Hanh. “History is the long and tragic story of the fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily…. we know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” -Martin Luther King, Letter from Birmingham Jail. “Under a government that imprisons unjustly, the true place for a just man is also prison” -Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience. “All violence is injustice. Responding to violence with violence is injustice, not only to the other person but also to oneself”-Thich Nhat Hanh, “Compassion as a Response to Violence.” “It is not non-violence if we love merely those that love us. It is nonviolence only when we love those that hate us. I know how difficult it is to follow this grand law of love. But are not all great and good things difficult to do?” - Mahatma Gandhi, Letter to a friend in Selections from Gandhi

La noviolència i els seus avantatges per al canvi social

Tot i que la noviolència té una presència important en molts contexts culturals i històrics diversos, segueix essent una gran desconeguda. Davant la riquesa i pluralitat de pràctiques que poden considerar-se noviolentes sovint s'ha proposat una classificació en dos grans grups: la noviolència ètica i la noviolència pragmàtica. Tanmateix, és possible fer una proposta de síntesi que les abraci totes i que ens permeti explicitar els nombrosos avantatges que la noviolència té com a eina de canvi social.Although nonviolence has an important presence in a large variety of cultural and historical contexts, it remains deeply unknown. There is a rich plurality of practices that can be considered nonviolence. Thus, a classification has often been proposed in two big groups: the ethical nonviolence and the pragmatic nonviolence. However, it is possible to make a proposal of synthesis that embraces all of them. This proposal is useful because allows us to make clear the numerous advantages of nonviolence as a tool for social change