Articles

It has been nearly a year and six months since the onset of nationwide protests, and the Islamic Republic is intent on holding parliamentary elections. This is despite the majority of civil and political activists opposed to the government, both domestically and internationally. Therefore, they will be boycotting the upcoming elections. The active boycott of elections has now become the primary action of Iranian civil society against a government that has closed all avenues of dialogue with society. This government seeks to politically exploit the non-competitive and ceremonial nature of the elections. In this article, we examine the act of...

Acknowledging that the political landscape is also a cultural landscape opens up new terrain to work upon. Whereas art tends to be limited to museums and galleries, and activism to street demonstrations and state houses, artistic activism is at home in town squares and shopping malls, on billboards or through social media…as well as galleries and state houses. This new terrain, neither overtly “arty” or “political” is more familiar and safer to an audience than a museum or a rally, and thus makes artistic activism more attractive, approachable, and friendly than traditional art or activist practices. Artistic activism – as...

Humor has often been given short shrift in studies on and guides for nonviolence. Considered the “godfather” of nonviolent resistance, Gene Sharp only makes one reference to “humorous skits and pranks” in his seminal 198 methods of nonviolent action. More and more, however, research shows that humor can be one of the most effective tactics for challenging power.

Nonviolence training can help participants form a common understanding of the use of nonviolence in campaigns and actions. It is a participatory educational experience where we can learn new skills and unlearn destructive and oppressive behaviours society has taught us. Nonviolence training can strengthen a group, developing a community bond while people learn to work better together and clarify their intentions. Nonviolence training can help us understand and develop the power of nonviolence. It gives an opportunity to share concerns, fears, and feelings and to discuss the role of oppression in our society and our groups. Individually, training helps build...

A specialist in healing from trauma, Gbowee and her allies had spent months visiting mosques, markets and churches in order to mobilize a nascent peace movement. By the late summer of 2002, she had become recognized as the leader of Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace, which held daily non-violent demonstrations and sit-ins in defiance of orders from Charles Taylor, the Liberian President at the time.

Anyone who has come across “Why Civil Resistance Works” by Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan will be familiar with the idea that size matters for social movements. Their highly cited “3.5 percent rule” says that once movements actively involve at least 3.5 percent of the population they will inevitably succeed.

How Russians, Indigenous people and Belarusians are uniting to resist the war in Ukraine

If you’re reading this, perhaps your eyes are bloodshot from doom-scrolling or tears for the many victims in the current nightmare. We can relate. We humbly invite you to take a breath and pause. For any readers who need this reminder: When emotions run hot, it’s extra important to take very good care of your body, spirit and each other. Our team at Beautiful Trouble has a commitment to reflection and offers a toolkit for community resilience.

he dominant human culture is currently organized around a “realist” worldview. This paradigm describes the universe as a collection of disconnected entities that share nothing intrinsically in common. This perspective has produced rampant problems. Environmental degradation, state-sponsored violence, terrorism, warfare, violence in schools, and unprecedented economic inequality are all clues that something is not in sync. Realism, both in theory and practice, does not seem to coordinate with the laws of nature. The concepts and practices of nonviolence present humankind with an alternative worldview — a worldview that considers the universe to be fundamentally interconnected. This paradigm seems to mimic...

But to get the full benefit of nonviolence we should be aware that it means a lot more than just refraining from physical force. Nonviolence is sometimes called ‘peace from within.’ If we think of the environment, other beings and ourselves as three essential sets of relationships, then nonviolence really begins as a ‘third harmony,’ where we try to eliminate any ill will we’re holding towards our opponent.