Pacifism, Non-Violence and International Law

The document analyzes the ideological shift within European green parties—specifically in Belgium, France, and Germany—from a foundation of anti-militarism and nuclear disarmament in the 1980s toward a complex tension between pacifism and the 'responsibility to protect' human rights. It highlights how events such as the Kosovo conflict, the September 11 attacks, and the 2011 intervention in Libya created internal divisions between those advocating for absolute non-violence and those supporting legal military intervention to prevent massacres. The author argues that green parties must now address new complexities of modern warfare, including privatization and environmental consequences, to pursue their ultimate goals of world peace and global disarmament.

• During the 1980s, green parties in Germany, France, and Belgium were primarily unified by anti-militarism and opposition to nuclear weapons, including participation in anti-Euromissile demonstrations.
• In the 1990s, a shift occurred where support for human rights and international law began to outweigh strict anti-militarism, leading some groups, such as the French Greens, to support military interventions like the one in Kosovo.
• The September 11 attacks and subsequent conflicts pushed green parties toward 'realism' in international relations, with German and French greens acknowledging that the use of force may be legitimate as a last resort to defend human rights.
• The 2011 intervention in Libya caused significant internal trauma and division among green parties, as the operation's outcome led to accusations that the 'responsibility to protect' was used as a cover for Western nations to interfere in internal affairs.
• Modern conflicts are characterized by new complexities that challenge traditional 'just war' theories, including the privatization of violence, computerization, and the environmental consequences of war.

APA

Piron, J. (2015). Pacifism, Non-Violence and International Law. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/pacifism-non-violence-and-international-law-green-parties-and-the-use-of-force/

Chicago

Piron, Jonathan. Pacifism, Non-Violence and International Law. Green European Journal, 2015. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/pacifism-non-violence-and-international-law-green-parties-and-the-use-of-force/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Piron |first1=Jonathan |title=Pacifism, Non-Violence and International Law |publisher=Green European Journal |date=1 March 2015 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/pacifism-non-violence-and-international-law-green-parties-and-the-use-of-force/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{piron2015pacifism, author = {Piron, Jonathan}, title = {{Pacifism, Non-Violence and International Law}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2015}, month = mar, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/pacifism-non-violence-and-international-law-green-parties-and-the-use-of-force/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }