Non-violence Symposium

On 28-30 November 2002, a large group of peace activists, academics and researchers convened at the University of Tromsø for a symposium on the current and future status of peace research. More specifically, the focus was on non-violent research into large-scale non-violent actions, case studies, evaluation of non-violent intervention, social defence and related topics. The work revolved around two ideas:

• Obtaining an overview of the “state of the art” in the field of research into non-violence by mapping recently completed and forthcoming research programmes in the field, and
  
  
• Discussions concerning co-operation in forthcoming research programmes. This concluded with a list of priorities and proposals for financing the projects.

• Professor Jalal Rzaev's contribution
  The Violence and Nonviolence Problem Highlighted at Two Scientific and Practical Forums has been expanded with an initial part which gives a selective overview of some of the discussions that were covered, and gives an impression of the atmosphere at the conference. Also, Rzaev details how the issues from the conference were related to a subsequent conference in Murmansk on the same topic, where Rzaev brought the participants there up to speed on the conclusions from Tromsø.
  
  
  
• Sean Chabot, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, & Stellan Vinthagen, University of Göteborg, Sweden presented a paper on
  The Relational and Constructionist Dynamics of Nonviolent Action
  
  
  
  
• Sean Chabot also presented
  Dynamics of Contentious Repertoires: The Gandhian Repertoire as “Truly New”
  
  
  
• Stellan Vinthagen also presented a paper on
  A tentative suggestion of a Social Constructivist Approach to Nonviolent Action
  and another paper on
  The Sociology of Nonviolent Action
  besides making the following
  Research recommendations
  
  
  
• Saibou Issa, Department of History, UoNg, Cameroon, presented a paper on Peaceful coexistence: The Cameroon model
  
  
  
• Howard Clark was unfortunately unable to attend the conference in person, but he nevertheless contributed these suggestions for research issues that should be pursued in the future.
  
  
  
• Ivica Djordjevic presented a paper about
  What is done of research on nonviolent action regarding the Balkans in recent years?
  
  
  
• Martin Arnold contributed a number of pieces, which in part have been revised. The first is on What is truthforce? and the second is What is the subject of truthforce research?
  and
  Questions and tasks for truthforce research
  and finally
  
  
• Brian Martin's latest nonviolent-related research has focused on "backfire", a generalisation of political jiu-jitsu. His most recent papers on this issue (including two in draft form) are available here and comments are welcome.
  
  Brian published a book with Wendy Varney last year: Nonviolence Speaks: Communicating against Repression (Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press, 2003) and they also had a paper in the Journal of Peace Research.
  
  Brian has generously made available most of his substantial earlier work at his website, which is highly recommended.