The Global Nonviolence Action Database is an open source collection of case studies on historical nonviolent action campaigns. The database is managed by George Lakey, a research fellow at Swarthmore College and a nonviolent activist in movements that include labor, peace, gay liberation, the men’s anti-sexism, and ecological justice. Lakey has published eight books and was named 2010 Peace Educator of the Year by the Peace and Justice Studies Association.
The majority of cases in the database are contributions from students enrolled in Lakey’s Peace and Conflict Studies research seminar at Swarthmore College. Other contributions are made from Tufts University and Georgetown University. Each case outlines a particular nonviolent movement and analyzes its success and failures. In addition to the cases, the database allows searches for 200 different action methods, which it ranks from high to low risk. The materials also emphasize the creation of ‘waves’ whereby nonviolent movements propagate others, grouping cases by identifiable waves.
The database will prove useful for research on nonviolent campaigns and the study of nonviolent conflict. The options and methods for nonviolent action in the database should be invaluable tools for activist organizers and strategists.
Source: http://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/
By Jonathan Buono, Arlington Campus Library GRA.
