Online Discussion and Panel Event
From Civil Resistance to Peaceful Resolution
Negotiations, Nonviolent Action, and Media in Popular Movements
Photo Courtesy of Flickr/Mykhailo Liapin
Since the Arab revolutions of 2011, unarmed resistance has become a major force in global politics, from Tunis to Tahrir Square and on to Ferguson, Missouri. Nonviolent movements have historically outperformed their violent counterparts, but they don’t always succeed. Join the U.S. Institute of Peace on Feb. 25, as a panel of experts in this field of study and an Emmy-award winning news producer examine the challenges of building and sustaining nonviolent movements, and discuss lessons for scholars, activists, policymakers and practitioners.
The panel will be composed of alumni and students from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. A leading conflict resolution expert who has worked with activists in Egypt, Syria and elsewhere will discuss how negotiations and nonviolent action can be used together for maximum impact. A scholar of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa will consider the relationship between the armed resistance and the non-violent movement in that case and the role of strategic communications in dismantling that oppressive regime. An Emmy award-winning network news producer will show how nonviolent activists can better use the media to amplify their efforts.
The discussion will be moderated by Fletcher alumnus and USIP Senior Fellow Maria J. Stephan, author of the award-winning book Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict and co-editor of Is Authoritarianism Staging a Comeback? Initial remarks will be followed by questions and answers with the audience. Join the conversation on Twitter with #CivilResistance.
Date: Thursday, February 25th, 2016
Time: 11:00am – 12:30pm EST
Panelists:
Mr. Benjamin Naimark-Rowse
PhD candidate, The Fletcher School. Dissertation author, “Dear Friend: Correspondence Across Enemy Lines”
Dr. Anthony Wanis-St. John
Associate Professor of International Peace and Conflict Resolution, American University
Mr. Josh Yager
Producer, “Pressing Your Case: How Activists Can Better Exploit the Media”
Dr. Liz McClintock
Founder and Managing Partner, CMPartners, LLC, Executive Director and Chair of the Board of Directors. The Bridgeway Group. Book co-author, Negotiating Public Health in a Globalized World: Global Health Diplomacy in Action
Moderator:
Dr. Maria Stephan, Moderator
Senior Policy Fellow, U.S. Institute of Peace; Non-resident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council
Watch
Join the Discussion
Our panelists want to hear from you! Help us guide the conversation by responding to any or all of the following questions:
Question #1: The Role of Media in Nonviolent Movements and Campaigns
Have you ever engaged in a nonviolent campaign or movement? If so, how did you and the movement interact with the media? How did the media cover the campaign, if at all? What lessons have you drawn from that experience with respect to how the media, in its various forms (commercial, public, social), can help or hinder a nonviolent movement?
Question #2: Leveraging Nonviolent Power Prior to Negotiating
One of the challenges nonviolent movements face is their need to engage in actions and campaigns that escalate conflict (albeit nonviolently), while at the same time seeking a resolution or a negotiated end to the conflict all together. How can nonviolent movements reconcile or explain this tension? What are some examples of how a nonviolent movement escalated a conflict in order to demonstrate more power prior to engaging in negotiations with their adversary?
Question #3: Shifting Default Paradigms on Effective Ways to Engage in Conflict
Research conducted by Dr. Erica Chenoweth and Dr. Maria Stephan (moderator) and presented in their book, Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict, has shown that, historically, nonviolent movements have been successful in achieving their goals 53% of the time, whereas violent movements have only been successful 26% of the time. Despite this track record, far too many individuals and groups still turn to violence as a means to express discontent, challenge power structures, and fight against oppression. Why do you think this is? Why is violence (terrorism, armed insurrection, and war) still viewed, oftentimes as a rational, default and strategic method of struggle? Do you think the media plays a role in this? Do perceptions of power and who gets a seat at the negotiating table play a role in this?
Question #4: What questions do you want to hear our panelists discuss?
