What Made Non Violence Work

“From 1960 to 1983 3.5 million non white South africans were taken from their home and were involuntarily put into segregated neighborhood made for them.”(rights). 1970, non whites South Africans were not allowed apart on the political side of South Africa. They were banned from doing anything with the whites of South africa; The non whites were stripped of their citizenship. About that time Nelson Mandela was 25 years old, he became involved with politics. He became a part of the ANC, or the African National Congress. The ANC began going on strikes and boycotting after the general election in South Africa in 1948 in which whites were only allowed to vote. “ At a rally on 22 June 1952, initiating protests for the ANC’s Defiance Campaign Against

Mandela once said, “A man who takes away another man’s freedom is a prisoner of hatred, he is locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness.” (Page 32). This quote is an accurate description of all the people who supported the apartheid in South Africa starting when the National Party was elected in 1948. Knowing why this happened and what brought the apartheid to an end is vital to not making the same detrimental mistake again. Apartheid came to an end because of internal unrest, external pressure, and great leaders.

It has been debated though out history whether or not nonviolence “works”. Many societies, and this without question includes the United States, have mostly relied on violent tactics. Many people believe that violence is the only way to stop wars, even though it creates war, and people tend to believe that violence is the one solution to many global and political problems. However, recent literature and research is starting to prove otherwise. Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist, recently published a book, Why Civil Resistance Works in 2011. The research highlights data that shows throughout history, nonviolent tactics are more effective than violent ones in various ways.

Some constructive, nonviolent tension is necessary when trying to make a change. (King) This necessary, nonviolent tension results in a better outcome than if a violent approach was taken. Of course, there are people who believe that violence is always the answer, and if events that have happened throughout history are taken into consideration, there's evidence that shows that violence can lead to change. However, it hasn't come easily.

While when discussing the history of the world’s power forces, violence makes for stimulating discussion, other tactics were put to good use, one of these alternatives being non-violence. With the guidance of three worldwide heroes - Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela - with contagious optimism and high spirits, it became apparent just how much of a difference could be made carried out through non-violent terms. Mankind was introduced to another way to resolve major problems just as effectively, if not more, than violence could.

In today’s world it’s hard to even imagine a country that has no conflicts. The world tends to find a way to become violent around every corner. Is there a country on this planet that has not gone to war or dealt with an internal conflict of some kind? Sadly, the short answer is no. Be that as it may there are still some countries out there that have seen far less conflicts that the typical fighting countries. Out of one hundred and ninety six countries in the world, Switzerland has earned the gold badge of peace for planet earth, but even first place has a body count. This study is on why that is.

Imagine being systematically oppressed from the moment you exited the womb. All your civil rights, based on the amount of melanin in your skin. Drinking from the wrong water fountain, could even get you thrown into jail. Coincidently; this was the life, of black South Africans from the moment of Dutch colonization in 1652, to the first true democratic election in 1994. Apartheid, meaning “separateness” in Afrikaans; was legal segregation enforced by The National Party (NP) from 1948 to 1994. It legally imposed preexisting policies of racial discrimination on the Majority of the South African population. The entire basis of the racist policies, was the darker your complexion the less legal rights you had. Presumably this injustice, could have continued much longer if it weren’t for all involved in the fight against the NP, however the man who arguably contributed the most, was Nelson Mandela. He ended an apartheid, with both his philanthropy and political prowess. He united a nation that used to be segregated; which seemed a daunting task at the time, but through the sweat and bloodshed he achieved the impossible. This alone exhibited his heroic characteristics, but to be more precise: both his actions and inactions lead to his success. Furthermore, Mandela was both a strong leader and forgiving at the same-time. Being in the forefront of the abolishment movement, was an extremely risky move during the apartheid. He risked his life for what he believed in, and this personal

Nelson Mandela thought that he had freedom and control over what he did on his life in Qunu where he had his primary education, but later on when coming to Johannesburg did he learn that freedom was replaced with apartheid. To make a difference and help the African People, Nelson Mandela exchanged his lives for others, trying to help end segregation and oppression under the British government's rule by joining the ANC. The ANC, or African National Congress is a NAtional liberation movement which was formed in 1912 to end segregation and fundamentally change the political, social, and economic change. Making speeches all over South Africa, Mandela exchanges his words for actual change, making South africa the way it

The apartheid policy describes the system of racial discrimination and white political domination adopted by the South African National Party after its rise to power. This essay will critically examine the historical significance of the Nationalist Party’s influence during its governance from 1948 to 1994. Additionally, this paper will analyse the social, political, economic and cultural impact of the Nationalist apartheid legislation. Furthermore, it will examine several major resistance campaigns and significant historical figures that gave rise to the cessation of the apartheid legislation under new democratic rule, including the effects of the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960 and the transformative force of anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela.

Oppression and injustice have wrecked havoc on humankind for all of recorded history, and the methods people have used to battle these have varied greatly. Whether it be through world wars or marches through city streets, the attempt to achieve social change has been long and perpetual, persistent and challenging. When people’s lives are threatened, they may feel the need to act violently while others argue that non-violence is the only way to bring about lasting change. Non-violence is the preferable method of achieving social change, but violence is justifiable while it is preceded by nonviolent means, is meant to protect the security or way of life of a group, and has reasonable targets that affect opposers.

In addition, an effort for the elimination of apartheid, was when Nelson Mandela co- founded the ANCYL, the youth department for the ANC, in 1943. “For decades after South Africa’s declaration of Grand Apartheid in 1948, Mandela and his African National Congress (ANC), galvanized a massive international solidarity effort to pursue divestment and economic sanctions. ”(Nelson Mandela’s Legacy).To clarify, in 1948, Mandela and his group of the African National Congress took to action a large, international solidarity attempt to follow the divestment and economic punishments on South Africa. After the campaign for the end of apartheid, Mandela, along with others, were taken to jail and even there the white minority group felt they imposed a threat.

Nelson Mandela was the man who abolished Apartheid, freeing South Africa from the binds of racial segregation forever. However, it was not an easy road and Mandela needed patience, strength of character, focus, passion, understanding, perseverance, and most importantly, forgiveness, to achieve this. For more than forty years, black South Africans were subject to the harsh racial segregation of the Apartheid system; despite making up over 70% of South Africa’s population, they had little to no rights.

After the seemingly unmanageable and age-old problem in South Africa was brought to a peaceful resolution, the country had then become an exemplar for negotiating conflicts globally. The ANC then travelled the globe, immersing themselves in the recognition that came with assuming the position of the aforementioned exemplar which they have become (Johnson, 4). However, as R.W. Johnson stated, “[…] the real miracle lay not in their being willing to enjoy the fruits of victory but in the way that the National Party leader , F.W. de Klerk, had led the white minority to surrender its power peacefully.” (4)

Topic Sentence: South Africa was colonized by the Dutch and British during the 17th century, and the British torment of the Dutch led them to become highly nationalistic and even more proud of their white heritage than the Dutch in Holland; their hubris is what led Afrikaners to institutionalize blatant racism.

Many of the contemporary issues in South Africa can easily be associated with the apartheid laws which devastated the country. The people of South Africa struggle day by day to reverse “the most cruel, yet well-crafted,” horrific tactic “of social engineering.” The concept behind apartheid emerged in 1948 when the nationalist party took over government, and the all-white government enforced “racial segregation under a system of legislation” . The central issues stem from 50 years of apartheid include poverty, income inequality, land ownership rates and many other long term affects that still plague the brunt of the South African population while the small white minority still enjoy much of the wealth, most of the land and opportunities