Case study: statements of discipline of non-violent movements; June 1964

              Case study: statements of discipline of non-violent movements
Transcript

The purpose of this material is to stimulate discussion of the values and practices of the movement. Is the movement the germ of a new society? Would we want a whole society in which people related to each other as they do in the movement?

I. Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee statement of purpose:

"We affirm the philosophical or religious ideal of nonviolence as the foundation of our purpose, the presupposition of our faith, and the manner of our action. Nonviolence as it grows from the Judeo-Christian tradition seeks a social order of justice permeated by love. Integration of human endeavor represents the crucial first step towards such a society.

Through nonviolence, courage displaces fear; love transforms hate. Acceptance dissipates prejudice; hope ends despair. Peace dominates war; faith reconciles doubt. Mutual regard cancels enmity. Justice for all overcomes injustice. The redemptive community supercedes systems of gross social immorality.

Love is the central motif of nonviolence. Love is the force by which God binds man to himself and man to man. Such love goes to the extreme; it remains loving and forgiving even in the midst of hostility. It matches the capacity of evil to inflict suffering with an even more enduring capacity to absorb evil, all the while persisting in love.

By appealing to conscience and standing on the moral nature of human existence, nonviolence nurtures the atmosphere in which reconciliation and justice become actual possibilities."

II. CORE Rules for Action (excerpts):

1. Investigate the facts carefully before determining whether or not racial injustice exists in a given situation.
2. Seek at all times to understand both the attitude of the person responsible for a policy of racial discrimination, and the social situation which engendered the attitude. Be flexible and creative, showing a willingness to participate in experiments which seem constructive, but being careful not to compromise CORE principles.
3. Make a sincere effort to avoid malice and hatred toward any group or individual.
4. Never use malicious slogans or labels to discredit any opponent.
5. Be willing to admit mistakes.
6. Meet the anger of any individual or group in the spirit of good and creative reconciliation; submit to assault and not retaliate in kind either by act or word.
7. Never engage in action in the name of the group except when authorized by the group or one of its action units.
8. When in action obey the orders issued by the authorized leader or spokesman of the project. Criticism (may be referred later) back to the group.