Resistance Literature: Why Civil Resistance Works

Erica Chenoweth & Maria J. Stephan

Book Discussion with Kim Barke

Sun May 17, 2026 at 11:30 am
Data-driven study: nonviolent campaigns succeed twice as often as violent ones. We will discuss an excerpt available as a free PDF.

What if nonviolent movements are not only more ethical, but more effective? Drawing on global data and real-world case studies, this data-driven study explores why nonviolent campaigns succeed more often and what that means for action today.

Nonviolent campaigns have historically been more successful than armed struggles, gaining broader support, legitimacy, and defections, even under repression. Nonviolent campaigns succeed twice as often as violent ones.

We will discuss an excerpt from the book, available as a free PDF from the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict: nonviolent-conflict.org

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