The 3.5% Rule for Nonviolent Resistance
- dkane0819
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Between the threat to our elections by the federal government, the illegal ICE raids, the rollbacks on environmental protection and health insurance—not to mention the chaos inflicted on businesses by our president's arbitrary economic whims, I couldn't imagine I could write anything helpful in this blog, but then I read this:
"...it takes around 3.5% of the population actively participating in the protests to ensure serious political change." — Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist at Harvard University
News and social media reports point to the nonviolent resistance to ICE raids as demonstrated by people in Minneapolis, LA, and Chicago as examples. Actions such as the filming ICE raids or folks networking to provide threatened families with food and other necessities make a difference. But there are many possible actions that could be defined as resistance.
In her book on resistance, Chenoweth cites the work of Dr. Gene Sharp, who studied the myriad ways people have defeated authoritarian governments through resistance around the globe. In his publication, 198 Methods of Nonviolent Action published by the Albert Einstein Institute, he categorizes actions ranging from protests to economic, political, and social noncooperation—things like strikes, boycotts, walk-outs, and die-ins.
In my own case, I feel like going to protests is a start, but not enough given the current level of threat to our democracy.
I had hoped that meetings at our local library, meant to encourage conversation across political boundaries, might be a small step toward reducing polarization in our community. This could be a form of resistance since our leaders do not want us to connect across the aisle. However, getting participation from diverse voices has proven difficult. We will keep trying.
All of this is feeling more urgent, as the president talks about federal intervention in our mid-term elections, so I continue looking for other methods of resistance. According to a report from Waging Nonviolence, "the public’s most powerful options are often withholding labor power and purchasing power. Calling in sick from work or school, refusing to buy and stay-at-home demonstrations are notoriously difficult to police."
In our house we are boycotting businesses that support the president. Lee and I used to rely on Amazon for many of out household goods. But since Amazon's owner, Jeff Bezos, is a Trump supporter, now when we need to make a purchase, we look for democracy-friendly businesses—shout out to Costco!
We have also ended our subscription to the Washington Post because of Bezo's interference. This is a sad one as that was the first publication that opened my eyes to the world as a young person.
These small actions feel like a place to begin. If enough of us boycott businesses that support this administration, momentum will build. And while location and budget constraints can make boycotts difficult, cutting back as best you can and getting your neighbors to do the same will make an impact over time.
Do you have a plan to be a part of the 3.5%? Share your ideas in the comments and help spread the hope for change.
And please consider joining us for Breaking Bread with Neighbors if you live in the Penn Wynne area. Our next meeting will be held at the Penn Wynne Library on March 10 from 5:30-6:45.
Resources for more information:
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