This is Ethiopian Review Policy Research Center’s series on From Dictatorship to Democracy extracted/quoted from books and articles published by Albert Einstein Institution and similar sources.
Nonviolent Resistance isn’t just holding a demonstration, listening to speakers, and then heading home for supper. It isn’t pacifism based on moral or religious principle, either.
The Timeless Attributes of Nonviolent Resistance (NVR) Project:
1. Without UNITY, There is no Mass Disobedience.
2. Without Freedom FUND, There is no Project or Strategy.
3. Without STRATEGY There is no Effective Action.
4. Without Organization (Activists), There is no Capacity to Translate Strategy into Reality.
5. Action without Nonviolent DISCIPLINE Leads to Chaos and Vandalism.
1. Without UNITY There is no Mass Disobedience.
A civil resistance movement must unify the widest possible spectrum of society around a limited set of achievable goals, and designate for the moment a leadership that has legitimacy to mobilize all these groups in service of those goals.
Successful movements therefore continually reach out to new groups in their societies, e.g. men and women; youth, adults, and elders; urban and rural populations; all ethnic groups; members of religious institutions; farmers, laborers, business people, and professionals; wealthy, middle class, police, soldiers, and members of the judiciary, as well as other groups.
Unity is important because nonviolent movements draw their strength from the participation of people in diverse sectors of society. Put simply: numbers matter. The more people a movement has supporting it, the greater its legitimacy, power, and tactical repertoire.
Successful movements also continually reach out to the tyrant’s supporters, understanding that one of the strengths of sustained civil resistance in the service of a unifying vision is the ability to induce loyalty shifts and defections among its opponent’s ranks.
For example, the South African anti-apartheid movement’s ongoing civic disruption combined with its call for national reconciliation was able to garner widespread support and create unity for the cause of change, even among some white supporters who had previously supported the apartheid state.
Action is louder than voice. Elias – People shall be organized in order to enhance the achievement to popular goals. Although a tight-nit organization is at works by the TPLF as the base is ethnicity and the interests of that ethnicity, we shall find common interests of human rights, One Person, One Vote, and Competency over ethnicity as an antithesis to gather more broad groups under a banner of common good. Elias thanks for your unceasing effort, more people are thinking and using our minds than lamenting on our endless woes.
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The reality is that there is no even discussion in Ethiopia about the issue. Discussion among diaspora community has little value unless Ethiopians at home participated. If the diaspora thinks to bring real changes in Ethiopia, just search voraciously ways to flood Ethiopians with information. If you do that, you will be respected, otherwise, just do your private business by the website or other means.
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ER Reply:
December 7th, 2011 at 12:12 pm
kudus:
Work is being done to address your concern, AGREE it is at snail pace. Cheer up! Stay positive! Just do your part. IT WILL HAPPEN!
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I agree with Kudus, unless we find ways to mobilize and educate the Ethiopian people for one common goal, it would be a waste of time. We can agree here on a number of issues, but the reality is that it is the Ethiopian people in Ethiopia who can bring changes to Ethiopia. That is why all efforts and struggles by diaspora in the past 20 yrs did not make any meaningful changes in Ethiopia.
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ER Reply:
December 7th, 2011 at 5:12 pm
Kanu, It is not that simple.
The Ethiopian constitution on paper stipulates: “Everyone has the right to freedom of expression without any interference. This right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any media of his choice.” But the Tyrant with support from China has TEMPORARLY blocked those rights with impunity.
The challenge is not the information, it is the COMMUNICATION INFRASTRURE. We shall win!!! Just Do Your Part!!!
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The Ethiopian people, especially educated youth are far ahead than the Diaspora
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