Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy: Public Management (Peacebuilding), Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / The majority of South African children are growing up in households where the father is dead or absent. As a result, unless there is some other father figure in their lives, they do not experience fathering directly and so have a limited education in what it means to be a father. Given the extent of violence of various forms throughout the country, there is an urgent need to bring up children who are educated in values such as nonviolence and who will model and impart such values to their own children. The overall aim of this research is to investigate how to build the capacity of young men to be responsible, loving and nonviolent fathers. The research design included three components (exploration of the experiences and attitudes of young men regarding their own fathers), action research (in the form of devising a training programme in responsible, loving and nonviolent fathering, and implementing it with three groups of young men) and evaluation (of the effects of the training on attitudes which, it is hoped, will translate into positive fathering behaviour in the longer term). The short term outcome of the training indicates that changes in attitude in positive directions did take place for a significant minority of the trainees and suggests that training programmes of this type can be socially beneficial. / D

The slogan: “Self-restraint is life,” forms the philosophical ideal behind the Anuvrat Movement. The purpose of my thesis is to evaluate the Anuvrat Movement introduced by Acharya Tulsi as a non-sectarian, ethical-spiritual movement. The study considered in some detail the historical context within which the movement emerged. The thesis provides a much-needed analysis of the 11 vows formulated by Tulsi in the model of the traditional vows in Jainism. It explored the question whether these vows are relevant and effective in the contemporary Indian society, and whether Tulsi’s movement can cross the geographical boundaries of the Indian sub-continent to be a part of larger global initiatives. The study explored the social significance of the concepts of nonviolence, social justice and sustainability in the wider global community. The study suggests a positive association between the exemplary charismatic role of a leader and the popularity and longevity of social movements in India.

This project traces the development of Christian nonviolence in the United States from the outbreak of World War I until just after World War II by focusing on one Christian pacifist organization. The Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR), organized in 1915 in opposition to World War I, embraced the left wing of the prewar social gospel and fused its radical vision for social reconstruction with their opposition to war. Over the next thirty years, Christian pacifists associated with the Fellowship applied their energies not only to ending international war but also to promoting reconciliation between employers and workers in the struggle for labor justice and ending racial discrimination. During this period, advocates of nonviolence struggled to define a practical means for applying the principles of Christian pacifism. In contrast to older histories of the interwar period, this study shows that pacifism, a central concern for liberal Protestants during that period, shaped the broader American tradition of dissent. It also rejects the notion that the Christian "realists," led by Reinhold Niebuhr, offered the only comprehensive Christian social ethic between the wars. Finally, this dissertation shows how Christian pacifists in the interwar period embraced and adapted the principles Gandhian nonviolence to the American scene. Members of the Fellowship founded the Congress of Racial Equality in Chicago in 1942 and developed methods of nonviolent direct action that were adopted by advocates for racial equality during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

A dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Theology University of Zululand, 2004 / In this dissertation I explore the relevance of Christ's teachings on peace, and its effectiveness over the years, namely, through the lives of three individuals, Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Special attention is paid to each one's philosophy of non-violence as well as their understanding and application of the concept resist not evil by force. Included also are current thoughts pertaining to non-violence. My conclusion is that the doctrine of non¬violence requires much more than just abstinence from violence to be effective. It involves a change in mindset, emotional responses, spiritual accountability, social transformation, self-worth, discipline and most importantly restraint. This study is based on qualitative research conducted by myself. It will show that the ultimate source of peace is God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

This study explores the nature of nonviolent action in close relationships through applying a power theory in psychology in a Lutheran protestant context on three constructed cases.  Turner’s theory shows that power originates from influence, and that it is pivotal to first change the other person’s thinking through persuasion in order to bring a change in their outward actions. The two-kingdom theory takes us a step further, but in an unexpected direction; it shows the significance of the internal process in the person’s mind and heart prior to the persuasion.  Each individual has the potential to end a relationship conflict by first reaching peace within oneself and then inviting the other person to join in the efforts of together transforming the conflict into peace. Thus, the key to conflict resolution process does not lie in one’s persuasion abilities but in the work one does with oneself. According to Luther this work within oneself does not have to be done alone, because God promises to help those who belong to his kingdom.  The analysis shows that it is possible to apply the guidelines of nonviolent action in conflicts in close relationships even if not all the methods implemented in larger scale conflicts can be utilized.

Participation in mass mobilization movements, whether using a violent or nonviolent strategy, is often connected to their success. Studies generally assume that nonviolent campaigns attract a larger number of participants. However, they have understudied the relationship between movement strategy and participation. This thesis aims to revisit this relationship using more panoramic data than previous research. Additionally, the presence of violence within nonviolent campaigns is often overlooked. This study seeks to provide a nuanced understanding of the relationship between violence, nonviolence and participation by also investigating the effect of violence within nonviolent campaigns on participant numbers. It builds on existing literature that suggests the inherent moral value of nonviolence attracts more individuals to such campaigns. Through a large-N, quantitative analysis based on cross-sectional data from 1900 to 2019, I find that predominantly nonviolent movements are indeed likely to attract more participants. However, within the realm of nonviolent campaigns, increased levels of violence also correlate with more participants. Brief illustrative cases are used to highlight the dynamics of nonviolent resistance movements and to explain the mixed results.

"Global movement for a culture of peace and nonviolence. The Culture of Peace News Network (CPNN) is a permanent on-line interactive information service developed by UNESCO (UN General Assembly resolution A/57/6 - paragraph 7) and its partners for the year 2000, the International Year for the Culture of Peace, and as a contribution to the International Decade (2000-2010) for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the children of the world. Culture of Peace News Network-Canada (CPNN-Canada) was launched in June 2005 in response to United Nations Resolution A/RES/57/6 as an integral part of this permanent on-line interactive information service developed by UNESCO."--CPNN-Canada web site.

This thesis is aimed at making a contextual interpretation of Luwum’s model of non-violent resistance and church-state relations in contemporary Uganda. The thesis reconstructs Archbishop Luwum’s life and explores the roots and the formative factors that shaped his thoughts and actions. It notes that the influence of the Acholi culture, early school life, the early Ugandan martyrs, Balokole theology, his theological studies, his ecclesiastical position, his parents and the writings and works of Martin Luther King Jr. shaped and refined his worldview. All of these factors provided grounding for his political and theological articulations of non-violent resistance and church-state relations. The thesis argues the principles of non-violent resistance are in harmony with the Christian understanding of shalom. Thus the church which upholds the principle of justice, love, truth and suffering will find non-violent resistance models an important tool for fighting injustices. With regard to injustice in the Ugandan context the thesis identifies and examined Amin’s ghosts such as the politics of dominance, corruption; a militaristic tradition and a culture of guns, religious conflicts and other problems which have continued to haunt the current Uganda. All of these can be confronted by the church using non-violence resistance model. The study argues that if this is going to be effective, the Anglican Church needs to embrace a pastoral hermeneutic based on non-violence resistance which can enable the church to be involved in social transformation without being co-opted by the state. In view of this, the study finds that through the principles of the non-violence resistance model the church can advocate for reconciliation and for the formation of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to facilitate healing, confessing the past atrocities, identifying of victims and model of non-violence. To make recommendations for possible reparation, and processing the application for amnesty and indemnity so as to prevent the future human rights violations. This will be the beginning of fostering reconciliation in Uganda and establishing justice using non-violent means. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.

Master of Arts / Department of History / Robert D. Linder / As the United States descended into war in 1861, the religious leaders of the nation were among the foremost advocates and recruiters for both the Confederate and Union forces. They exercised enormous influence over the laity, and used their sermons and periodicals to justify, promote, and condone the brutal fratricide. Although many historians have focused on the promoters of war, they have almost completely ignored the Disciples of Christ, a loosely organized religious movement based on anti-sectarianism and primitive Christianity, who used their pulpits and periodicals as a platform for peace. This study attempts to merge the remarkable story of the Disciples peace message into a narrative of the Civil War. Their plea for nonviolence was not an isolated event, but a component of a committed, biblically-based response to the outbreak of war from many of the most prominent leaders of the movement. Immersed in the patriotic calls for war, their stance was extremely unpopular and even viewed as traitorous in their communities and congregations. This study adds to the current Disciples historiography, which states that the issue of slavery and the Civil War divided the movement North and South, by arguing that the peace message professed by its major leaders divided the movement also within the sections. In fact, by the outbreak of war, the visceral debates that occurred among the Disciples leadership did not center on the issue of slavery, constitutionality of secession, or even which belligerent was in the right. The chief point of contention was whether a Christian, based on New Testament precepts, could participate in war. The nonviolent leaders thought that their peace message derived from the New Testament would be the one thing that would preserve unity in the brethren. In reality, it became the primary source of division.

Thesis advisor: Charles Derber / The institution of apartheid (or official segregation), implemented in South Africa in 1948, drew immediate and prolonged opposition. For decades, groups within South Africa and in countries around the world protested government policies and repression. Many anti-apartheid activists expressed their objections to the system of apartheid through expressly nonviolent actions, including strikes, boycotts, demonstrations, and the formation of alternative institutions. Opponents of apartheid also garnered support from the international community to pressure the South African government with sanctions and embargoes. At the same time, several groups of anti-apartheid activists chose to resort to violent means to protest the government. These acts of violence included sabotage and, occasionally, the deaths of government officials or collaborators. This paper examines historical and contemporary theories of the morality and effectiveness of nonviolent action. After studying the history of the struggle against apartheid and the use of nonviolent action in South Africa, the argument is made that the consistent and prolonged use of nonviolent actions played the most crucial role in the downfall of the apartheid system. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2005. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Sociology. / Discipline: College Honors Program.