Here is Martin Luther King Jr. explaining the purpose of nonviolent direct action:
“You may well ask, ‘Why direct action, why sit-ins, marches, and so forth? Isn't negotiation a better path?’
You are exactly right in your call for negotiation.
Indeed, this is the purpose of direct action.
Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and establish such creative tension that a community that has consistently refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue.
It seeks so to dramatise the issue that it can no longer be ignored.
I just referred to the creation of tension as a part of the work of the nonviolent resister.
This may sound rather shocking.
But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word ‘tension.’
I have earnestly worked and preached against violent tension, but there is a type of constructive nonviolent tension that is necessary for growth.
Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must see the need of having nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men to rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.
So, the purpose of direct action is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation. We therefore concur with you in your call for negotiation. Too long has our beloved Southland been bogged down in the tragic attempt to live in monologue rather than dialogue.”
– From ‘Letter from a Birmingham Jail,’ 16th April 1963
I have frequently been asked to cite a time when peaceful protest has actually worked to achieve change and I usually can reel off dozens of examples until the person questioning me accepts that it does work, albeit quietly.
I have even used the phrase "creative tension" to describe the effect of a peaceful protest.
Frequently the real activists will celebrate in private and receive no grand accolades in the media, no mention in the history books and nothing to show for all their efforts except a few photos if they are lucky.
Another question I am often asked is "Where did it start for you?" and that is easy to answer.
I was fortunate enough to be educated in a girl's school which was set up by one of those not-so-famous suffragette women, a lady by the name of Frances Bardsley.
The lady herself does not have the recognition of a Wikipedia page but the school she founded produced generation upon generation of women trained to contribute, to excel and to strive for her very high ideals.
Every day, as we queued for lunch we would read the tiny typed acknowledgements under photos of uniformed girls who had long since left our school and gone on to achieve a great deal in life. There were doctors, missionaries, lawyers and above all, campaigners and politicians. We even had a couple of famous actresses and artists.
By the time I found myself at my first demonstration against the Vietnam war, in 1966 I was already heavily influenced to believe that dedication and hard work coupled with a strong sense of community spirit would one day see my photo in that gallery of "old girls".
The layout of the school nowadays is completely different from when I was there and they no longer have that long corridor decorated with old framed photos. Nowadays all the records are online and when I attended a reunion I was flattered to be asked to contribute a brief summary of my "life's achievements"...... I outlined my career but, in the spirit of the school, I took more time over the description of my passion for peaceful protests and creative tension as a tool for change.
Martin Luther King Jr, Mahatma Gandhi, the Dalai Lama and a thousand others have shone a very bright light on the path towards rational confrontation of injustice, but it is the millions of unsung heroes, who have diligently walked their talk yet never have become famous or even noticed as their dreams reached fruition, who truly impressed me.
No way would I ever say that activism is an even path to tread, but it certainly has been very rewarding, not least now, as we team up to defend against this fossil fuel frenzy. It is a change that humanity must make for the sake of future generations.
No campaign is ever quick and easy.
Every one is a tremendous battle against forces that refuse to engage in dialogue, eschewing compromise or negotiation, but they all have one thing in common.
They bring humanity closer to a higher morality, against all the odds,
and that is the most priceless reward anyone could ever hope for.