'We Shall Never Be Moved': Australian Developments in Nonviolence

Within the Australian environment movement can be found a variety of modes of action, from the extremes of machinery sabotage to a strict or 'orthodox' nonviolence. 'Orthodox' nonviolence has been widely used and has produced a number of successful outcomes for campaigns. However, it has also been criticised for being imposed on grassroots activists from above, for being inflexible and dogmatic, and for being inappropriate in some situations. These critics have developed new forms of action in between the two extremes, forms that have also proven effective. This article discusses from an 'emic' or insider perspective what these methods are, and why they have emerged. It argues that they too are nonviolent, according to a broader and more realistic definition of nonviolence. The article notes areas of controversy within Australian nonviolence, including property damage, secrecy, and consensus decision-making. These controversies, although at times divisive, have produced a dialogue that has helped to build nonviolence into a continuously evolving praxis that can be adapted by those who use it, providing a wider range of options for activists, and maximising its usefulness for diverse situations in modem times.