Page 76 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol IV

nonviolence 1377
nonviolence 1377

To protest the imposition of fascist education and ide- “We can effectively oppose violence only if we ourselves
ology during the Nazi occupation of Norway in 1942, do not resort to it.” Walesa became the president of
two-thirds of Norway’s twelve thousand teachers signed Poland in 1990.
a petition and refused to accept membership in the new In Czechoslovakia, the writer Vaclav Havel (b. 1936)
mandatory teachers organization, thereby rejecting the led the nonviolent resistance movement against Soviet
fascist model of education for their children and stu- oppression. His seminal essay,“Power of the Powerless,”
dents. In spite of threats of dismissal, closure of schools, outlined a strategy for nonviolent revolution. He called
and even imprisonment of teachers, the movement grew, upon people to empower themselves by daring to “live
and teachers held classes in private homes.Tens of thou- within the truth” and refusing to “live a lie.” Havel was
sands of protest letters from parents supported the move- elected first as president of Czechoslovakia in 1989 and
ment. Children gathered and sang songs as teachers were later as first president of the new Czech Republic in
taken to concentration camps, where they were tortured. 1991. Soon “people power” had resulted in the fall of the
Their suffering provided renewed vigor to the movement, Berlin Wall and the overthrow of Communist regimes all
and after eight months the regime ordered the release of over eastern Europe.
the teachers, and the attempt to establish a fascist model Supported by prodemocratic forces in Europe and the
of education in Norway failed. United States, a student-led nonviolent uprising in Serbia
In Denmark two significant developments took place during the period 1999–2000 helped to defeat President
during the resistance to Nazi Germany. First, the Danes Slobodan Milosevic, who had held power since 1989
nonviolently protested and saved seventy-two hundred of and had refused to accept the results of democratic elec-
eight thousand members of the Danish Jewish commu- tions held in 1996. Opponents removed the last of Eu-
nity from deportation to concentration campus in 1943. rope’s dictators by neutralizing his security forces and
Second, in response to Nazi occupation in 1940 and the crippling his infrastructure by general strikes.
subsequent surrender of the Danish government, the
underground movement in Denmark called upon people Intifada in the Middle East
to protest through noncooperation, social boycotts, The intifada (uprising), a movement of 1.3 million Pales-
strikes, and even sabotage. Although their struggle did tinians protesting Israeli occupation of the West Bank
not remain totally nonviolent, the Danes showed an and the Gaza Strip during the period 1987–1990, was
impressive capacity to resist Nazi occupation. characterized by nonviolent methods such as protests,
strikes, boycotts, noncooperation and civil disobedience,
Poland, Czechoslovakia, and and the creation of alternate institutions. Its leader,
Revolutions in Europe Mubarak Awad (b. 1943), had been to India and was
During the last two decades of the twentieth century influenced by Gandhi.While in the United Sates, Awad
nonviolent revolutions became a major trend throughout was inspired by the work of Martin Luther King, Jr.
eastern and central Europe.The most notable took place Members of the intifada believed that nonviolence would
in Poland and Czechoslovakia. empower them and demoralize their opponents, unite
In Poland, Lech Walesa (b. 1943), inspired by Gandhi, the Palestinians, and divide the Israelis. Therefore, they
led industrial strikes in 1980, giving rise to Solidarity, a put Israel on the defensive. Youth and women played a
federation of Polish trade unions.The ensuing movement predominant role. However, the movement had a limited
during the next several years remained totally nonvio- impact because it was intercepted by two events: the
lent. It not only brought an end to Communist dictator- Israeli deportation of Awad to United States and the rise
ship in Poland but also kindled the spirit of democracy of Hamas—a more fundamentalist organization—in the
throughout eastern Europe. Through his dedication to Gaza Strip. Intifada did not succeed in reclaiming Pales-
nonviolent action,Walesa shared a lesson he had learned: tine from Israel. It did, however, empower Palestinians,