Non Violent Direct Action

Non Violent Direct Action, NVDA for short, is the philosophy that guides our actions in our work to protect the forests of East Gippsland. Non violent because we reject violence as a means to achieve our ends, and direct because we wish to take our concerns directly to those whose actions with which we disagree. Action because we see action as necessary in achieving desired results

No reasonable person would deny that we live in a world where violence is often the means used to deal with conflict. The pages of our history books are filled with war, hatred and murder, but in between these dark times are stories of people who have risen up in opposition to oppression and responded without resorting to violence.

GECO believes in non-violent methods as the only means to achieve our ends. We reject violence to people and destruction of property in our campaign, because we do not believe that violence will change anything. In fact violence is more likely to turn sympathisers and opponents alike away from considering our ideas and our concerns.

We believe non-violence to be a positive way to deal with conflict in that we recognise the nature of change should be inclusive, not exclusive.