Why Civil Resistance Works

The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict

by Erica Chenoweth and Maria J. Stephan

This is a very smart book, maybe not the best as an audiobook since it isn’t easy to re-read passages, but that’s how it got into my ‘hands’ so hey.

I can confidently say that I’ve been convinced that non-violent protest is the best way to bring about lasting change. And I think this new conviction will allow me to think through the uprisings on the news in the years ahead.

The authors Chenoweth and Stephan first discuss their thesis, discuss potential criticisms, highlight the need for a book that focuses on non-violent protest versus violent ones, and then they lay out the ways in which they are going to try to convince you (the reader) to their way of thinking. This academic style is why I say the book is smart – I haven’t read something so formal in quite a while.

Afterwards, they investigate 4 uprisings, both violent and non-violent in Iran, the Palestinian territories, the Philippines, and Burma. They use these case studies to further support their thesis and suggest future lines of inquiry.

As a side-note, I’m reading Ray Dalio’s “Principles for Dealing with The Changing World Order” and his alarmism about what’s at store for America in the years to come, mixed with Chenoweth’s clean calculations about tactics for setting up long-lasting democratic regimes complemented each other nicely.

I would read another book by Chenoweth and Stephan on the same subject – hopefully, something a little more recent though.

What do you think about Civil Resistance? Have you been in a protest lately? Do you have any agitators or activists in your family or friend group? Please leave a comment below.