From the Publisher
“The case studies of this riveting volume are each written by country experts, disclosing widely diverging Latin American nonviolent struggles, many ongoing. With varying methodologies, the book’s specialists strive for discrimination in analyzing campaigns against targeted groups ranging from the state to the private sector (both national and foreign corporations), and including violent non-state opponents in guerrilla groups, paramilitaries, and private security firms. Developing relationships with primary actors in their chosen civil resistance campaigns, their rigorous fieldwork and interviewing in the site of action makes this an important work of stirring insights. It belongs on the desk of every instructor on international politics, contemporary Latin American studies, and in the satchel of each student of civil resistance.” (Mary Elizabeth King, Director, James Lawson Institute, and Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies, University for Peace, Costa Rica)
“This book is a genuine tour-de-force and finest effort to analyze and present nonviolent resistance across Latin America. At this point in time, there is no better reading companion shining the light of wisdom on the richness of nonviolent campaigns and movements in the region than this unique volume. The editors and authors of this impressive volume must be commended for having gathered and recorded the stories and cases of nonviolent struggles across the region that students, educators, practitioners and activists in Latin America and beyond can now use in their learning, teaching, training, community work, and activism. This book gives us new knowledge about the civil resistance practice in Latin America but also hope and optimism about nonviolent endeavor and resilience of many in the region.” (Maciej Bartkowski, Senior Director for Education and Research at the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict, USA)
“Based on single-case and comparative analysis of a wide spectrum of socio-political nonviolent campaigns across Latin America, this book offers much welcome innovative empirical data on several essential components of civil resistance. Its contributors uncover the various mechanisms through which civil resistance by grievance groups can leverage power and redress power asymmetry against injustice or violence by the state, multinational companies or non-state armed groups, especially over material resources such as land and natural resources. The book also sheds light on under-researched areas of enquiry within nonviolent action scholarship, from spirituality and discursive power to the added value of synergizing civil resistance with institutional action. It will be of great empirical and conceptual value to students, scholars and activists alike, both within Latin America and beyond.” (Véronique Dudouet, Research Programme Director, Berghof Foundation, Berlin)
