Part of the preparation for running a nonviolent direct action campaign is to help participants become familiar with the underlying theory, strategy and practice of nonviolent direct action.

In the 1980s, New Zealand nonviolent direct activist and nonviolent action trainer Allan Cumming wrote two classic booklets on the subject, How Nonviolence Works and Understanding Nonviolence.

We’ve worked together with Allan to produce a combined edition of these booklets, with a new introduction. We made this available to participants in the Keep the Coal in the Hole Summer Festival, and now we are making it freely available as a PDF download. We think it will be a vital resource, not only for this campaign, but for other environmental, climate justice and social justice campaigns:

http://coalactionnetworkaotearoa.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/how_nonviolence_works_2011.pdf (PDF file, 4.2 MB)

We also have a print version available for $5 plus postage & packing – please contact coalactionnetwork@gmail.com if you would like a print copy.