Talk: The revolution will not be violent
This talk by A.Prof Marty Branagan, Peace Studies, University of New England which is partly about Rising Tide, will be on 26 March in Arts Lecture Theatre 3 at UNE at 1pm. All welcome.
A persistent trope from some leftists is that armed struggle is a necessary precursor to a more just, sustainable and peaceful world. This paper argues that such a trope is not revolutionary but deeply conservative, influenced by and supporting the aims of the global military-industrial complex and a flawed state system. The paper shows how the military-industrial complex influences societies down militaristic pathways through its think-tanks, media stories, influences on schools and universities, and Hollywood connections, and how this is reinforced by film and entertainment violence, language, history telling and parenting. Using data from a survey of contemporary climate activists, I explore possible motives for violence before discussing issues arising from the Myanmar and Gaza conflicts. I then explore nonviolent action and the benefits of nternationalising movements, choosing appropriate strategies and tactics, and utilising general strikes, hunger strikes, boycotts, divestment and sanctions. Finally, I discuss the recent Rising Tide blockades of the world’s largest coal export port in Newcastle, and movement education about intersectional oppression, forefronting of diversity, commitment to egalitarianism, cultural activism, capacity-building, and narrative control, temporarily creating, as Aboriginal musician Gurridyula put it, an unarmed autonomous zone.
