Simply explaining injustice – explaining the moral injustice of slavery, or gender bias, or ecological devastation – is not enough. Why? Because the powerful benefit from the injustice. The logical or moral truth does not necessarily matter to oppressive regimes. Today, for example, we hear 99.9% of the scientists explaining the very simple biophysical reality of global warming, and yet the elite appear eager to follow the advice of 0.1% of the scientists – typically funded by oil interests to conjure up nominal evidence to deny the truth.
Thus, as a tactic, logic itself is limited. The truth needs public outcry. This was the case in Gandhi's India, in Mandela's South Africa, and in today's global ecological crisis.
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/makingwaves/civil-disobedience-why-direct-action-is-necessary/blog/48294/
Does nonviolent action equate with passivity or submissiveness?
Nonviolent action has nothing to do with passivity, submissiveness, and cowardice. Just as in violent action, these must first be rejected and overcome.
Does nonviolent action rely only on verbal or psychological persuasion?
Nonviolent action is not to be equated with verbal or psychological persuasion, although nonviolent action may be used to apply psychological pressures to achieve attitude change. Nonviolent action, instead of just words, is a technique of struggle involving the use of social, economic, and political power, and the matching of forces in conflict.
Does nonviolent action depend on converting or swaying the hearts of the oppressors?
Nonviolent action does not depend on converting your opponents to willingly give in. It can produce powerful coercive effects and can force opponents to concede or can destroy their power.
http://www.aeinstein.org/nonviolentaction/what-is-nonviolent-action/
