Find a protest movement or action, either contemporary or historical, and analyze the use of non/violent tactics. What exactly are the non/violent tactics? What is the ultimate goal of the movement or action? Is the use of non/violence intentional, and if so, is there a justification or philosophical approach explicitly given? How does this justification or philosophical approach align with the foundational understandings of nonviolence in cases such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King, or Tolstoy? What are the surrounding social conditions? What are the effects of the non/violent tactics? What are the responses of both supporters and non-supporters to both the tactics and the general goal of the movement or action? How does the identity of the protesters inform their understanding of non/violence? How does the identity of their antagonists inform the acceptance of both the non/violent tactics and general principles of the movement or action? Is the ultimate goal of the movement or action achieved? How can you apply the philosophies of non/violence presented cases such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King, or Tolstoy to your reading of this particular case study? Also include an examination of how this movement or action exists in collective memory (if the movement is historical) or the current mainstream collective consciousness, and whether it is commonly seen as example of either a success or a failure of non/violence, and why. The goal here is not to determine whether the non/violent tactics are “good” or “bad”, but to examine conditions, intentions, and understandings and uses of non/violence for both movement participants and antagonists. Be sure to be as clear as possible in your discussion, keeping in mind that it is particularly crucial that descriptions of context and surrounding condition are key to your analysis. At least two reliable sources (either academic or journalistic) will be necessary for this background, in order to avoid conjecture, hearsay, or inaccuracy, and remember to cite it properly.
