Young Writers Society

Is anyone able to help me answer this question?

Is pacifism or peaceful non violent resistance a viable viable alternative to participation in war

It depends. War is fought by two opposing forces. There are some people/ governments who do not want to negotiate with peace. They will continue to cause war. So if we wanted peace with Isis, do you really think sitting down and doing nothing will stop the war. Acting on peace and fighting with peace won't stop those who aren't looking for peace. These people want something which is control. If the people they were fighting dropped their weapons and tried for peace they would die. Human nature is unpredictable. Amongst civil issues, ie Gandhi and MLK, civil disobedience does work, because the people they fought for were part of a working system and when they chose to stop "being part of it" they government compromised, because they needed those people to function in the society. War comes in many forms, and it depends which war you are talking about. Because sometimes people have tried peace and it ends up being war because one side wants war. Peace is an ideal, and ideals are rarely attainable. So even if you want peace and are willing to have peace your enemy might not.