The Citizen’s Guide to Nonviolent Defence: How Canadians Can Deter Invasion, Defeat Tyranny and Build Democracy

For Canada and other middle and smaller powers facing predatory super-powers, nonviolent defence (NVD) is a strategic concept whose time has arrived.

The stench of imperial conquest is again in the air. How do middle and smaller powers defend themselves when the potential aggressor is a nearby superpower? That is Canada’s conundrum today, one that European countries fearful of Russia’s ambitions and Asian countries confronting China’s aggressive actions equally share. A solely military response to superpower aggression, assuming no rescue by a powerful ally, would not only fail, but also be devastating in casualties and destruction. There is, however, an alternative: nonviolent civilian defence.

Nonviolent defence utilizes a panoply of nonviolent tactics to deter an invasion and, if one occurs, to defeat it. The three stages of resistance—symbolic protests, noncooperation and disruption—flow sequentially, though severe repression may compel a return to an earlier stage. The aim is to deny the opponent control over seized territory and to undermine its support base: by weakening the morale of the invading force, by fomenting mass protests in the invader’s home country and by inducing international condemnation of the “pariah state.” Although improvised nonviolent defence has proved a potent response historically, this strategy is most effective when resistors organize in advance.

Historical cases of improvised nonviolent resistance and scholarly analysis suggest that this approach can work effectively and at significantly lower cost than military warfare. The key to success is prior organization, planning and training of volunteers. However, major obstacles impede an objective appraisal of strategic nonviolent resistance. Impediments include the far-reaching influence of the Military-Industrial-Intellectual Complex, the popular culture of violence and martial valour and the ingrained association of defence with military defence in the popular imagination.

Nonviolent defence works only if people think there is something of value to defend. With this impetus, it can function as one facet of a much-needed rejuvenation of democracy.

“How can Canada resist American imperialism? Not easily, clearly. However, this brilliant little book lays out a path of non-violent resistance that just might work. Hardheaded and learned, the prescriptions laid out here deserve to be read widely by concerned citizens and policy officials. Sandbrook is especially insightful in laying out how state and society need to cooperate in the defense of a progressive country.”

“The Citizen’s Guide to Nonviolent Defence is not a work you skim and set aside. Provocative, original, and extraordinarily timely, it’s a guidebook that teaches civilians how to battle ‘gangster capitalism’ in a ‘time of monsters.’ Destined to become a seminal document in The Canadian Resistance.”

“As the world descends into techno-fascism, citizens who cherish democracy and human rights need a moral and humanistic way to fight back. In The Citizen’s Guide to Nonviolent Defence, Richard Sandbrook draws on long-established traditions of nonviolent resistance to offer a path forward. This book should be essential reading not just for Canadians, but for all those who care about preserving civil society.”

“Can Canada stand up to external threats by mobilizing its population alongside its armed forces? Richard Sandbrook provides an informed, passionate, and compelling answer, showing how to defend the values and achievements of liberal democracies through non-violent methods. This book is a must-read for engaged citizens in Canada and other nations threatened by predatory superpowers.”

“This book makes a compelling case that defending democracy and society does not have to mean preparing for war. Richard Sandbrook shows how ordinary citizens can become an essential part of a credible, organized and strategic system of nonviolent defence—and why civic engagement is not an optional extra, but a source of real security and democratic resilience. A timely and practical contribution to rethinking what defence can mean in the 21st century.”