An international seminar organised by the Centre for Peace and Reconciliation Studies at Coventry University, in July 2006
One of the key objectives for many struggles is to enlist third party support, yet movements are not always clear what impact that support, particularly international support might have. For example, what forms of leverage it might exercise, what resources it might make available, what influence it might have on the strategy at home, and what unwanted side-effects it might bring. Local movements have often appealed to international institutions but the era since the end of the Cold War has also seen greater expectations of international solidarity from civil society activists, and in practical terms it has become much easier for civil society activists to involve themselves in conflicts in other countries. There are examples of successful cooperation between these levels, but also instances of inappropriate - or at least controversial - international intervention or nonviolent campaigns expecting too much to be achieved through various forms of international mobilisation.
This seminar aimed to learn from these experiences in ways helpful both to those currently engaged in nonviolent campaigns seeking international solidarity and those active in transnational initiatives of solidarity.
N.B. When we use the term “unarmed” in the title, it is implicitly recognised the potential that certain conflicts can escalate into a violent form or for nonviolent groups to co-exist with other groups raising similar demands.
Paper | Author | Synopsis |
Macro Violence, Micro Resistance (Development Violence and Unarmed Grassroots Resistance) | Anand Mazgaonkar | 'Development' can be a euphemism for displacement, dispossession, disempowerment, unemployment, de-skilling, destruction of natural resources and dehumanisation. Macro Violence, Micro Resistance |
Solidarity with War Resistance in Turkey | Andreas Speck | International solidarity has been crucial to 'a movement in the making' - the War Resisters of Turkey. Solidarity with War Resistance in Turkey |
Axes of Solidarity: diasporas | Andrew Rigby | Diasporas play an important role in supporting movements at home and as international lobbies, but they also can replicate internal conflicts. Axes of Solidarity: diasporas |
Nonviolent Resistance and International Governmental Organisations | April Carter | The possible role of international governmental organisations (IGOs) in assisting popular campaigns against political oppression, social injustice, environmental damage or war. Nonviolent Resistance and IGOs |
Making accompaniment effective | Brian Martin | Authoritarian actions often 'backfire' against those who carry them out. Effective accompaniment strategies make this more likely. Making accompaniment effective |
The Issues of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender organising in Africa | Chesterfield Samba | This paper centres mainly on issues of’ Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender’ organising in Africa. It examines the inroads that have been made in trying to organise and the lessons and challenges that we have encountered along the way. The Issues of LGBT organising in Africa |
Human security: providing protection without sticks and carrots? | Christine Schweitzer | This article looks at the strategies of nonviolent peace-keeping and asks if ‘deterrence’ is the only mechanism that is being applied, or how ‘it is working’, and will suggest to put different approaches into a framework of an escalation of conflict without arms. Human security: providing protection without sticks and carrots? |
From Social Movement To Political Organisation: the case of Otpor (Serbia) | Danijela Nenadic and Nenad Belcevic | This paper explores the phenomenon of the Otpor resistance movement in Serbia that has played one of the crucial roles in overthrowing the undemocratic regime of Slobodan Milosevic. It focuses on revealing some of the key elements of every movement such as organization, structure, mobilization and activism. From Social Movement To Political Organisation |
Christian Peacemaker Team | David Cockburn | Describes how the Christian Peacemaker Teams function, the roles they play and their impact - especially in Hebron. Christian Peacemaker Teams |
Colombia Twinning Peace Groups | Francesca Cerletti | PeaceDirect has promoted twinning between British groups and those working for peace in the midst of conflict, such as in Cali, Colombia. Colombia Twinning Peace Groups |
Funding People Power: Financial factors in nonviolent revolutionary movements | Jørgen Johansen | Analyses the role of international funding in episodes of 'people power' Funding People Power |
Developing a framework for understanding the complexity of external support for nonviolent social movements | Majken Soerensen | The “Orange Revolution” in Ukraine 2004 stirred up a discussion about the role of external support for social movements. This paper examines the complexities of external support, and try to get beyond the either/or discussions. Developing a framework... |
Colombia; Nonviolent Movements for Peace and International Solidarity | Mauricio Garcia Duran | Introduces general and specific ways of resistance in Colombia, considering also the crucial role that international solidarity has played for the existence and sustainability of these expressions of unarmed resistance. Colombia; Nonviolent Movements for Peace... |
Palestine: Constructing power from within | Omar Mansour | Reflects on the positive impact of solidarity from Israeli and international activists, with suggestions for strengthening effectiveness. |
Transnational Movement Strategies (unfinished paper) | Stellan Vinthagen | This paper tries to understand the existing and possible strategies of transnational movements working for social change, especially those striving for an unarmed or nonviolent change of direct and structural violence. From Social Movement To Political Organisation |
Cross-border non-violent advocacy during the second Palestinian intifada: the case of the International Solidarity Movement | Véronique Dudouet | This paper analyses the activities of international volunteers working with Palestinians to empower them in their nonviolent struggle against the Israeli occupation. Cross-border non-violent advocacy... |