Join a dialogue
To read and participate, click on the dialogue title.
Blog: One use of the “nonviolent raid” tactic
Photo: Ashley Fraser, The Ottawa Citizen, Dec. 13, 2007. — Protesters dressed as Santa Claus and several of his elves were arrested at 24 Sussex Drive last night when they took Stephen Harper a lump of coal. It was to be his reward for what they call his sabotage of the UN climate talks in Indonesia.
That’s a picture of yours truly as... well, a flying elf.
I was arrested last week. Again.
First time ever as one of Santa’s Little Helpers, though.
Let me tell you what happened as an introduction to how the tactic — the nonviolent raid — can be, and has been, used in a wide range of campaigns.
- Read More
- 2 replies
Blog: Tactics That Tickle: Laughing All the Way to the Win
Yes, we are working to change serious problems, but that doesn’t mean this work should not use humor as a tool to accomplish our objective! Humor is a powerful nonviolent tactic that has the ability to prevent and counter activist burnout, engage more supporters, and increase the chance of getting media attention. In this dialogue, practitioners shared advice and resources on using humor, and many examples to inspire you.
- Read More
- 149 replies
Blog: Humor as a tool of protest in Belarus
In Belarus, where censorship is pervasive and President Lukashenko presides over a repressive and autocratic regime, Pavel Marozau has used the power of humor and satire to undermine the government. Founded by Pavel in 2004, The Third Way Expatriates' Network began creating short satirical cartoons as a way to speak out against Lukashenko. Since then, the organization has begun using further cyberactivism tools to combat heavy government censorship of radio, television, newspapers, and most recently, internet.
- Read More
- 1 reply
Blog: The Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army (CIRCA)
According to their website, The Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army (CIRCA) "aims to make clowning dangerous again, to bring it back to the street, restore its disobedience and give it back the social function it once had: its ability to disrupt, critique and heal society.
Blog: Emploi utile du « raid nonviolent » comme tactique
Photo: Ashley Fraser, Ottawa Citizen, 13 déc. 2007 — Des manifestants habillés en Père Noël accompagné de ses lutins ont été arrêtés au 24 Sussex hier soir, pour avoir tenté de remettre à Stephen Harper un morceau de charbon. Ce devait être sa récompense pour avoir, selon les manifestants, saboté les pourparlers sur le climat se déroulant en Indonésie.
Voici une photo de votre humble serviteur qui fait la pose... euh, du lutin volant.
J’ai été arrêté la semaine dernière. Encore.
La première fois en farfadet festif, toutefois.
Laissez-moi vous expliquer ce qui s’est passé, en guise d’introduction à l’utilisation de cette tactique, le raid nonviolent, dans différentes campagnes d’action et de sensibilisation.
Blog: A History of Humor in Human Rights Advocacy
The use of humor in human rights activism is no new phenomenon with
examples of it dating back to Norwegian popular resistance in World War
II. Ranging from thought-provoking to humiliating, comical to
satirical, humor can be manifested in such a multitude of ways that it
has often been the venue of action for many human rights practitioners.
Although at first thought it may seem that organizations using humor in
their advocacy are doing so only for attention and publicity, this is
certainly not true. The experiences of numerous years of humor have
brought a deeper understanding of the effects it can have in advocacy.
