Non-violent revolution
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A non-violent revolution is a revolution using mostly nonviolent protest against governments seen as entrenched and authoritarian to advocate democracy, liberalism, and national independence in their nation. Nonviolent revolutions began in the 20th century and have increasingly become more successful and more widely used, especially as Cold War political alliances which supported status quo governance wane.
Many leftist and socialist movements have hoped to mount a "peaceful revolution" by organizing enough strikers to completely paralyze it. With the state and corporate apparatus thus crippled, the workers would be able to re-organize society along radically different lines. This philosophy is favored by the legendary labor union Industrial Workers of the World, whose members are committed to organizing "One Big Union" of all workers who would launch the general strike that would end capitalism forever. There is also a current dedicated to revolutionary nonviolence within the Socialist Party USA.
Two major revolutions during the 1980s strongly influenced political movements that followed. The first was the 1986 overthrow of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, from which the term people power became widely used, especially in Hispanic and Asian nations. The second was the 1989 Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, which provided the template for the color revolutions in mainly post-communist states, which use a color or flower as a symbol and specific organizational strategies.
Overview
The beginnings of the nonviolence movement lie in the satyagraha philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi, who guided the people of India to independence from Britain. Despite the violence of the Partition of India following independence, and numerous revolutionary uprisings which were not under Gandhi's control, India's independence was achieved through legal processes after a period of national resistance rather than a military revolution.
List of non-violent revolutions by era
Decolonization
Cold War
In communist nations
- 1968 - The Prague Spring a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia.
- 1981-1989 - The Solidarity movement in Poland marshals popular resistance to communist rule, though progress is halted by the imposition of martial law.
- 1988, 1989 - The Singing Revolution - a cycle of singing mass demonstrations, followed by a living chain across the Baltic states (Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia).
- 1989 - The Velvet Revolution - the bloodless revolution in Czechoslovakia leading to the downfall of the communist government there.
- 1989 - The Tiananmen Square Protest was for democracy in China. The Goddess of Democracy was their symbol. Though it was unsuccessful in effecting change in the Chinese government, it took part in the broader challenge to communist regimes at that time. Though supported or tolerated by many senior government officials, the protests were crushed by military force.
- 1990 - The Golaniad - a protest in Romania in April by the Bucharest students who demanded a non-communist government. The protests ended in bloodshed after an intervention of miners called in by president Ion Iliescu (the Mineriad).
Outside communist nations
- 1974 - The Carnation Revolution in Portugal.
- 1986 - The EDSA Revolution, where the term people power was coined.
Post-Cold War period
Color revolutions
See main article - Color revolution
These are revolutions in post-communist authoritarian Europe and other new countries that were part of the former Soviet Union or Warsaw Pact. Each of these had massive street protests and/or followed disputed elections and led to the resignation or overthrow of leaders considered by their opponents to be authoritarian. Almost all of them used a particular color or a flower to be their symbol of unity.
- 2000 - The demonstrations in Yugoslavia, which led to the overthrow of Slobodan Milošević. These demonstrations are considered by many to be the first example of the peaceful revolutions that followed. However the protesters didn't adopt a color or specific symbol (the most recognizable symbol of the revolution was a stylized fist), and despite the commonalities, many others refer to Georgia as the most definite beginning of the series of "color revolutions." The demonstrations were supported by youth movement Otpor.
- 2003 - The Rose Revolution in Georgia, following the disputed Georgia legislative election, 2003, led to the overthrow of Eduard Shevardnadze and his replacement by Mikhail Saakashvili after new elections were held in March 2004. The Rose Revolution was supported by civic resistance movement Kmara.
- 2004 - The Orange Revolution in Ukraine, followed the disputed second round of the 2004 presidential election and led to the annulment of the result and the repeat of the round—leader of the opposition Viktor Yushchenko was declared president, defeating Viktor Yanukovych. The Orange Revolution was supported by Pora.
Revolutions in the Middle East
The media attention given to the color revolutions has inspired movements in the Middle East, and their supporters, to adopt similar symbology.
- The Cedar Revolution in Lebanon followed the assassination of opposition leader Rafik Hariri in 2005. Chiefly, the movement demanded the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon, ending a de facto occupation. Unlike the revolutions in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, this movement did not seek to overturn disputed election results, but did cause the pro-Syrian government of Lebanon to fall. Due to similarities in motivation and organization strategies, it is widely considered a cousin of the color revolutions.
- "Purple Revolution" was a name first used by some hopeful commentators and later picked up by United States President George W. Bush to describe the coming of democracy to Iraq following the 2005 Iraqi legislative election, and intentionally used to draw the parallel with the Orange and Rose revolutions. The name comes from the color that voters' index fingers were stained to prevent fradulent multiple voting. Few of the traditional trappings of non-violent revolutions accompanied the elections, and the violence of the Iraq war separates it from the trend.
Revolutions in Latin America and Asia
Drawing inspiration from the recent EDSA II in the Philippines, as well as the color revolution movement, several South American countries experienced what were effectively non-violent revolutions.
- Argentina
- Bolivia
- Ecuador - The impeachment of President Lucio Gutierrez, by Congress of that country after days of increasing demonstrations and protests by citizens led by the citizens of Quito, the capital. Thousands of demonstrators were present in the Plaza of Independence. Flags were waved in celebration shortly after Congress voted out Gutierrez 62-0. Roads to Quito's airport were blocked by demonstrators to prevent Gutierrez from leaving the country. The former president was later given asylum by Brazil and was transported out of the country on April 24. Protesters also intend to depose the Congress after accusing the body of alleged corruption as well.
- Peru
- Philippines - EDSA II, a four-day popular revolt that peacefully overthrew Philippine president Joseph Estrada in January 2001, self-organized through SMS messaging.
Organizers and supporters
Foundations
The Soros Foundations, founded by philanthropist George Soros, have been active for many years in fostering a transition to democracy and free enterprise in the post-Soviet sphere. Through the Open Society Institute, they are noted for their close relationships with several of the color revolutions, particlarly in Ukraine.
Other organizations
Students for Global Democracy, an organisation originated in the US, works with the ZUBR organization in Belarus, which is attempting to bring a color revolution to that nation. SGD has also worked with the new Azerbaijani YOX! (No) movement.Current non-violent resistance
As of 2005, several countries are experiencing the rise of non-violent resistance movements with the intent of effecting a non-violent revolution.
Belarus
There have been a number of protests against President Alexander Lukashenko, with participation from student group Zubr. The most recent major protests were in March 25, 2005. This was a self-declared attempt to emulate the Kyrgyzstan revolution, and involved over a thousand citizens. However it was severely suppressed by the police which arrested over 30 people.Mikhail Marinich, a leader of the opposition, is currently in prison. The opposition uses as a symbol the white-red-white former flag of Belarus. The movement has had significant connections with that in neighboring Ukraine, and during the Orange Revolution some white-red-white flags were seen being waved in Kiev.
Lukashenko has said in the past: "In our country, there will be no pink or orange, or even banana revolution." More recently he's said "They [the West] think that Belarus is ready for some 'orange' or, what is a rather frightening option, 'blue' or 'cornflower blue' revolution. Such 'blue' revolutions are the last thing we need". [link] On 19 April, 2005, he further commented: "All these coloured revolutions are pure and simple banditry." [link]
Moldova
The opposition in Moldova, is reported to have hoped and urged for some kind of Orange revolution, similar to that in Ukraine, in the followup of the Moldovan parliamentary elections, 2005, while the Christian Democratic People's Party adopted orange for its color in a clear reference to the events of Ukraine. [link]A name hypothesized for such an event was "grape revolution" because of the abundance of vineyards in the country, however such a revolution failed to materialize after the governmental victory in the elections. Many reasons have been given for this, including a fractured opposition and that the government had already co-opted many of the political positions that might have united the opposition (such as a perceived pro-European and anti-Russian stance). Also the elections themselves were declared fairer in the OSCE election monitoring reports than had been the case in other countries where similar revolutions occurred, even though the CIS monitoring mission strongly condemned them.
Mongolia
On March 25, 2005, activists wearing yellow scarves held protests in the capital city of Ulan Bator, disputing the results of the 2004 Mongolian parliamentary elections and calling for fresh elections. One of the chants heard in that protest was "Let's congratulate our Kyrgyz brothers for their revolutionary spirit. Let's free Mongolia of corruption." [link]Russia, Bashkortostan
The opposition in the Republic of Bashkortostan has held protests demanding that the federal authorities intervene to dismiss Murtaza Rakhimov from his position as president of the republic, accusing him of leading an "arbitrary, corrupt, and violent" regime. Airat Dilmukhametov, one of the opposition leaders, and leader of the Bashkir National Front, has said that the opposition movement has been inspired from the mass protests of Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan. [link] Another opposition leader, Marat Khaiyirulin, said that if an Orange Revolution were to happen in Russia, it would begin in Bashkortostan. [link]Uzbekistan
There has been longstanding opposition to President Islam Karimov, from liberals and Islamists. The revolution in neighboring Kyrgyzstan began in the largely ethnic Uzbek south, and received early support in the city of Osh. Nigora Hidoyatova, leader of the Free Peasants opposition party, has referred to the idea of a farmers' revolution. She also said that her party is collaborating with the youth organization Shiddat, and that she hopes it can evolve to an organization similar to Kmara or Pora. [link]
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