How to Achieve Change with Nonviolent Resistance

A photo of a group of people participating in nonviolent resistance.

Political scientist Erica Chenoweth found that nonviolent resistance is twice as likely to succeed as armed conflict. She also found that there is a critical mass of participation that is necessary for nonviolent resistance to be successful. This critical mass is 3.5% of the population.

Chenoweth came to this conclusion by analyzing data from over 300 nonviolent and violent campaigns. She found that all nonviolent campaigns that achieved a participation rate of 3.5% or more were successful. In contrast, fewer violent campaigns that achieved a participation rate of 3.5% or more were successful.

There are a number of reasons why nonviolent resistance is more likely to succeed when a critical mass of people participate:

  1. When many people are involved in a protest, it becomes more difficult for the government to repress the movement.
  2. Mass participation can help create a sense of legitimacy for the movement, making it more difficult for the government to ignore or dismiss its demands.
  3. Mass participation can help to erode the government’s support among the general population.
Examples of Successful Nonviolent Protests

Here are some examples of nonviolent protests that have succeeded in achieving their goals:

  • The U.S. Women’s Suffrage Movement (1920)
  • The Solidarity movement in Poland (1980)
  • The Singing Revolution in Estonia (1988-1991)
  • The Rose Revolution in Georgia (2003)
  • The Orange Revolution in Ukraine (2004)
  • The Armenian Velvet Revolution (2018)
  • The Sudanese Revolution (2018-2019)

These are just a few examples of the many successful nonviolent protests that have taken place throughout history. The 3.5% rule shows that nonviolent protests can be a powerful tool for social change, even when the odds seem stacked against the protesters.

A major hurdle to overcome is that the majority of people either won’t, don’t want to or don’t know how to take a stand. The 3.5% rule tells us we don’t need a majority.

The 3.5% rule is an important reminder that nonviolent resistance is a powerful tool that can be used to achieve change. It is also a reminder that small groups of people can make a big difference. We can do 3.5%.