The Inaugural Ahimsa Lecture on Constructive Resistance
The Tara and Nirmal Sethia Annual Ahimsa Lectures bring to our campus distinguished scholars, writers and artists, public intellectuals, thought leaders, social activists and change-makers. They remind us not only of the urgency of addressing the pervasive problem of violence but also offer a path forward based on their expertise and lived experiences in the realm of ahimsa.
The Spring 2023 Inaugural Lecture, delivered by Dr. Stellan Vinthagen, Professor of Sociology and Endowed Chair in the Study of Nonviolent Direct Action and Civil Resistance at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, was titled Ahimsa and Constructive Resistance.
Mohandas K. Gandhi relied on ahimsa in his struggle for India’s freedom. In this context, he argued, ahimsa meant not only nonviolent resistance to British colonial rule, but more importantly, a simultaneous commitment to a “constructive program” for building and sustaining a self-governing, and self-reliant India.
Embracing this broader notion of nonviolence, Professor Vinthagen in this presentation developed the concept and strategy of “constructive resistance” by drawing upon some recent radical movements which fully integrate the construction of nonviolent alternatives with nonviolent resistance to violence.