Civil resistance

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Civil resistance is a type of non-violent action. It involves a range of widespread and sustained activities against a particular power, force, policy or regime – hence the term 'resistance'. The adjective 'civil' in this context denotes that which pertains to a citizen or society (often implying that a movement's goals are 'civil' in the sense of being widely shared in a society), and also that which is peaceful, polite, non-military or non-violent in character. Civil resistance is found throughout history, and can involve a wide variety of forms of action. It operates through several distinct mechanisms of change, including persuasion (e.g. by demonstrations, vigils and petitions); social, economic and political non-cooperation (e.g. by strikes, go-slows and boycotts); and nonviolent intervention (e.g. sit-ins, occupations, and the creation of parallel institutions of government). Civil resistance has been used in many types of struggle: for example, against colonialism, foreign occupations, military coups d'état, dictatorial regimes, racial and gender discrimination. It has also been used against particular policies of democratically elected governments, and against changes consequent on peace agreements.

There is no assumption that the adversary power against which civil resistance is aimed necessarily avoids resort to violence: civil resistance has been used in some cases in which the adversary has been predisposed to use violence. Often the reasons for a movement's avoidance of violence are related to the context rather than to any absolute ethical principle: they may spring from a society’s traditions of political action, from its experience of war and violence, from legal considerations, or from calculations about the improbability of achieving success by violent means.[1]

The term is distinct from both civil disobedience and non-violent direct action, as it describes a sustained campaign rather than a single action or type of protest. Another understanding of civil resistance is the difference between "disobedience" and "resistance," for example current anti-war activists believe that their recent protests are displaying resistance to illegal and immoral policies, rather than disobeying specific laws. They recognize the historic importance of disobedience in the face of Jim Crow laws, for example, but insist their actions and their goals are different[2]


[edit] References
^ Adam Roberts

La resistencia civil es un tipo de acción no violenta. Se trata de una gama de actividades amplia y constante, frente a una determinada potencia, el poder, la política o régimen - de ahí el término 'resistencia'. El adjetivo "civil" en este contexto denota que el que corresponde a un ciudadano o la sociedad (a menudo un movimiento que implica que las metas son "civiles" en el sentido de ser ampliamente compartidos en una sociedad), y también lo que es pacífico, amable, no militares o no-violentos de carácter.