Alliance for Non-Violent Action (ANVA)

The Alliance for Non-Violent Action (ANVA) was formed in the Spring of 1982, when anti-war sentiment and marches against cruise missile production were receiving a lot of attention in Toronto. The ANVA founders felt that the cruise missile was too narrow a focus, and that the peace movement should broaden its critique to include militarism in general, and all oppressive power relationships. They argued that this would draw more people into the movement.

ANVA broadened the struggle against militarism to include feminism and anti-racism. It attempted to achieve a new model for community by decentralizing its own structure and promoting egalitarian methods for its own meetings. That included letting all viewpoints be voiced and responded to at length, while allowing voting to proceed on each step in the process of achieving consensus. This approach had its own drawbacks, because meetings were so long, and decision-making so complicated, that only the most committed activists were able to meaningfully take part.


Related Topics

Non-violence – Peace Movement