how far effective has the method of non violent resistance been in solving conflicts in Zimbabwe since 1980?

Answer 1

Oh dear, I sympathise with you having looked at the answers so far. Sadly people don't seem to be very aware of what is actually happening in Zimbabwe at the moment. Personally when Mugabe came to power I think it was a good thing for Zim, but in the last five years in particular things have just lurched from one problem to another. Mugabe has forgotten what the definition of true democratic elections are and has turned into a despot. Sadly, because Zanu PF control the police and armed forces, any of the peaceful demonstrations which the MDC have planned have been quashed before they grew into anything that could be real headline grabbers - although I think you and me know that with the foreign media banned from doing anything that might criticise the government there (i.e. turfed out if they do so like the BBC and Guardian have) its going to really take something huge to defy the carpet ban on reporting on whats really going on there.

Zanu PF have perfected spin in a way that the British Government and others are probably in awe of - the land reform on paper was right (and is why South Africa won't wade in) but the fact that farms have been taken and given to friends of senior government officials, the farmhands thrown off the land and the land left to fall fallow are proof of how disastrous the policy has been in practice. Once dubbed the breadbasket of Africa, Zimbabwe now relies on aid for foodstuffs and this is only distributed to Zanu PF supporters. The country has sadly become a disaster zone and the numbers of refugees who have fled to neighbouring countries is reaching breaking point. MDC supporters are vanished or put in prison on trumped up charges and the path of resistance via democratic means is failing to make the impact needed. What we really need to see are the rest of the Southern African countries exerting more pressure on Zimbabwe in the first instance - most particularly South Africa. As Mugabe hates Britain so much attempts that have been made by the British government just don't have much impact or influence. Ultimately the country will hit a crisis point as annual inflation is so horrific and supplies having been completely run down. When that emergency situation really hits in the UN are going to have to finally get hard on them. It's sad its going to take it getting to that level, but after the housing projects that were demolished last year still saw no real international move towards intervention it seems clear that its going to take it reaching melting point for something to give....that or Mugabe popping his clogs as I do think increasing numbers of Zanu PF members are ready to move away from Mugabe's practices, but they are just living in fear like everyone else and daren't speak out.

Answer 2

What are you talking about? Non-violent resistance in Zimbabwe since 1980. In 1980 Zanu pf party took over from the racist white regime and that was it, frankly. Do you mean that the whites started a non violent resistance movement? If so, it has gone unnoticed largely. And good luck to them.

Answer 3

Gandhi's success at non-violent protest was partly due to the great population of India compared to the number of people employed in the British administration. I am hard pushed to think of any other non-violent resistance that has succeeded since unless it has been within the structure of a western democracy. Non-violent resistance is hardly likely to be successful in a country whose government has sacrificed its economy to dogma.

Answer 4

Not at all. The world has stood by as in Darfur and let tyrants kill their peole and others. As has been said was there anything worth having Blair and Bush would have gone in. As its only killing people they will not care. The whole of Africa knows what is going on and stands back. Non violence has allowed Mugabe to live they way his is. We should arm the people and let them take over the country.

Answer 5

It hasn't - the country still has the loony Mugabe feathering his nest and generally having people done away with.

Answer 6

they wouldn't know non violent

Answer 7

have they gotten tired of kicking *** there???

Vin

Answer 8

what non violence?