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Practitioners of nonviolent struggle have an entire arsenal of “nonviolent weapons” at their disposal, classified into three broad categories: nonviolent protest and persuasion, noncooperation (social, economic and political), and nonviolent intervention. [source: aeinstein] A large number of additional methods have already been used but have not been classified, and a multitude of additional methods will be invented in the future that have the characteristics of these three classes. [source: aeinstein]

The methods of nonviolent protest and persuasion include formal statements such as public speeches, letters of opposition or support, declarations by organizations and institutions, signed public statements, declarations of indictment and intention, and group or mass petitions. [source: aeinstein] Communications with a wider audience can involve slogans, caricatures, symbols, banners, posters, leaflets, pamphlets, books, newspapers, journals, records, radio, television, skywriting, and earthwriting. [source: aeinstein] Group representations include deputations, mock awards, group lobbying, picketing, and mock elections. [source: aeinstein] Symbolic public acts range from displays of flags and symbolic colors, wearing of symbols, prayer and worship, delivering symbolic objects, protest disrobings, destruction of own property, symbolic lights, displays of portraits, paint as protest, new signs and names, symbolic sounds, symbolic reclamations, and rude gestures. [source: aeinstein] Pressure on individuals can be applied through “haunting” officials, taunting officials, fraternization, and vigils. [source: aeinstein] Drama and music include humorous skits and pranks, performances of plays and music, and singing. [source: aeinstein] Processions encompass marches, parades, religious processions, pilgrimages, and motorcades. [source: aeinstein] Honoring the dead involves political mourning, mock funerals, demonstrative funerals, and homage at burial places. [source: aeinstein] Public assemblies include assemblies of protest or support, protest meetings, camouflaged meetings of protest, and teach-ins. [source: aeinstein] Withdrawal and renunciation includes walk-outs, silence, renouncing honor, and turning one’s back. [source: aeinstein]

The methods of social noncooperation include ostracism of persons through social boycott, selective social boycott, lysistratic nonaction, excommunication, and interdict. [source: aeinstein] Noncooperation with social events, customs, and institutions includes suspension of social and sports activities, boycott of social affairs, student strike, social disobedience, and withdrawal from social institutions. [source: aeinstein] Withdrawal from the social system includes stay-at-home, total personal noncooperation, “flight” of workers, sanctuary, collective disappearance, and protest emigration (hijrat). [source: aeinstein] The methods of economic noncooperation through economic boycotts include action by consumers such as consumers’ boycott, nonconsumption of boycotted goods, policy of austerity, rent withholding, refusal to rent, national consumers’ boycott, and international consumers’ boycott. [source: aeinstein] Action by workers and producers includes workmen’s boycott and producers’ boycott. [source: aeinstein] Action by middlemen includes suppliers’ and handlers’ boycott. [source: aeinstein] Action by owners and management includes traders’ boycott, refusal to let or sell property, lockout, refusal of industrial assistance, and merchants’ “general strike.” [source: aeinstein] Action by holders of financial resources includes withdrawal of bank deposits, refusal to pay fees, dues, and assessments, refusal to pay debts or interest, severance of funds and credit, revenue refusal, and refusal of a government’s money. [source: aeinstein] Action by governments includes domestic embargo, blacklisting of traders, international sellers’ embargo, international buyers’ embargo, and international trade embargo. [source: aeinstein]

The methods of economic noncooperation through the strike include symbolic strikes such as protest strike and quickie walkout (lightning strike). [source: aeinstein] Agricultural strikes include peasant strike and farm workers’ strike. [source: aeinstein] Strikes by special groups include refusal of impressed labor, prisoners’ strike, craft strike, and professional strike. [source: aeinstein] Ordinary industrial strikes include establishment strike, industry strike, and sympathetic strike. [source: aeinstein] Restricted strikes include detailed strike, bumper strike, slowdown strike, working-to-rule strike, reporting “sick” (sick-in), strike by resignation, limited strike, and selective strike. [source: aeinstein] Multi-industry strikes include generalized strike and general strike. [source: aeinstein] Combinations of strikes and economic closures include hartal and economic shutdown. [source: aeinstein] The methods of political noncooperation include rejection of authority through withholding or withdrawal of allegiance, refusal of public support, and literature and speeches advocating resistance. [source: aeinstein] Citizens’ noncooperation with government includes boycott of legislative bodies, boycott of elections, and boycott of government employment and positions. [source: aeinstein]

Use it for

A campaigner uses this source as a comprehensive checklist of nonviolent methods, classified into three broad categories: nonviolent protest and persuasion, noncooperation (social, economic and political), and nonviolent intervention. [source: aeinstein] The greatest effectiveness is possible when individual methods to be used are selected to implement the previously adopted strategy, so it is necessary to know what kind of pressures are to be used before one chooses the precise forms of action that will best apply those pressures. [source: aeinstein] A campaigner can consult

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