Resisting War: How Communities Protect Themselves

In civil conflicts around the world, unarmed civilians take enormous risks to protect themselves and confront heavily armed combatants. This is not just counterintuitive - it is extraordinary. In this book, Oliver Kaplan explores cases from Colombia, with extensions to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, and the Philippines, to show how and why civilians influence armed actors and limit violence. Based on fieldwork and statistical analysis, the book explains how local social organization and cohesion enable both covert and overt nonviolent strategies, including avoidance, cultures of peace, dispute resolution, deception, protest, and negotiation. These 'autonomy' strategies help civilians retain their agency and avoid becoming helpless victims by limiting the inroads of armed groups.

Author: Oliver Kaplan
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 07/19/2018
Pages: 394
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.28lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.88d
ISBN13: 9781316612446
ISBN10: 1316612449
BISAC Categories:
- Political Science | International Relations | General
- Social Science | Violence in Society