As Gandhi often pointed out, real nonviolence — the kind that engages the heart and mind and makes for a lasting change in the world — requires courage. What moves the heart is not threat or violence but suffering, he taught, and one who is not brave enough to risk suffering will not have access to its limitless power.
At the same time, nonviolent action is like any other: to do it effectively you have to do it right. Courage by itself is admirable; courage with the knowledge of how to use it is invincible. That is why his “Collected Works” run to nearly 100 volumes. Courage can’t be learned, but it can be put to use more effectively when you know what you’re doing.
One thing is certain about the women protesting in Iran: They have courage! No one could stand up to the violence they face without it. But nonviolent knowledge in this world is hard to come by; to find it in news, entertainment, or history we have to read between the lines.
Therefore, we are extremely pleased to offer a Farsi translation of “The Nonviolence Handbook,” which has seen good service in many conflicts, including the Middle East. If it saves a single life we’ll be amply rewarded; but if it gets into the right hands we won’t be surprised if it does much more.