‘No Spy Waihopai’: How does Praxis Inform the Theories of Pragmatic Nonviolence?

Abstract

This research attempts to analyse whether the praxis of a failed nonviolence campaign informs Gene Sharp’s pragmatic nonviolence theories. It summarises the theory into an eleven point checklist, and then outlines the history of a thirty year campaign against a Five Eyes spy base at Waihopai, New Zealand. The case study is then analysed through the checklist to ascertain whether the successes and failures of the campaign are predicted by the theory, or if the case study reveals flaws in the theory. The research concludes that the theory is a good fit for the case study, and with minor modifications, remains relevant for this context.