Violence Vs. Nonviolence: A Study Of 2 Paradigms

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If one was to discuss the Conflict Resolution paradigm and the Nonviolence paradigm, one would notice certain distinctions between them. However, there are also similarities between the two. This essay is going to compare and contrast the two paradigms in reference to Violence & Peacemaking. Firstly, it will state general information about the two concepts of violence and peacemaking. Secondly, it will define and elaborate on the Nonviolence paradigm and the Conflict Resolution paradigm. Thirdly, it will discuss the similarities between the two paradigms. Fourthly, it will discuss the differences between them. This will then be followed by a concluding paragraph wrapping up all the points that were presented in this essay. Firstly, as we learned in the lectures, the word “violence” comes from the Latin root “violare” which means “to violate”. That being said, the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines violence as “exertion of physical force so as to injure or abuse”. There are 3 types and they are direct, structural and cultural. Direct violence, being the most common, can take on many forms such as war, genocide, murder, rape and terrorism amongst others. On the other hand, the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines peacemaking as “the act of making peace especially by reconciling parties at variance”. Peacemaking is not concerned with distributing justice, finding who is right, dispensing punishment, but rather strives for the maintenance of harmony between individuals and the exhibition of spiritual efficacy. The general idea of conflict and peacemaking has now been discussed; hence, we have to apply it to the two aforementioned paradigms. Adam Curled defined Nonviolence as “achieving without harm...things that are normally thought to be attainable only through violence”. Another way of defining it would be an active refusal to use or submit to violence in the
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