Advancing Nonvio-lence and Social Transformation: New Perspectives on Nonviolent Theories

摘要

According to Mohandas Gandhi, "if intellect plays a large part on the field of violence, it plays a larger part on the field of nonviolence" (v). Those words provide the epigraph to Advancing Nonviolence and Social Transformation: New Perspective on Nonviolent Theories, edited by Heather Eaton and Lauren Michelle Levesque. This groundbreaking and thoroughly interdisciplinary anthology takes up the formidable intellectual task of engaging with the field of nonviolence, which means engaging multifaceted implications of nonviolence in theory and in practice, historically and in contemporary contexts. This book is relevant to anyone interested in theories and practices of nonviolence or in any of the fields of study that intersect with nonviolence and social change, including peace and conflict studies, religious studies, ethics, history, gender studies, political theory, and environmental studies. While the book is global in its scope, several of the chapters include specific focus on nonviolence and social transformation in Canada. The Foreword is written by the leader of Canada's Green Party, Elizabeth May, and many of the chapters are written by Canadian scholars and activists, including a chapter by the famous Canadian singer/songwriter and child advocate, Raffi Cavoukian. This book is thus highly pertinent to anyone engaging with issues of social change in Canada, yet it is nonetheless useful to people studying other areas or working in other locations, and it is accessible to any interested reader.