When the US civil rights movement undertook transportation boycotts in the mid 1950's to fight segregation, when the People Power movement in the Philippines used human blockades in its overthrow of the Marcos dictatorship in 1986, when the struggle against apartheid resorted to mass non-cooperation and international divestment campaigns to dismantle South Africa's racist system, all sought to overcome major institutional roadblocks set to protect long-standing injustice and abuse. Major change, through conflict waged outside of official processes, became necessary. Movements had to be built around bold, non-institutional, and extralegal ways of securing fundamental rights. These were part of a vast arsenal of non-lethal weapons, a technique governed by its own set of strategic principles: nonviolent struggle. 

Here are five reasons why human rights organizations should actively promote the means of civilian-based nonviolent struggle, as a complement to the work we do.

Hello Everyone,

It is wonderful to be part of the Center for Victims of Torture’s New Tactics in Human Rights Project again! I am excited to be back and working with all of you to further human rights.  I am thrilled to reconnect with long time New Tactics community members and meet newer members of this truly global community. For the past six years, I’ve been working on programs to connect, facilitate learning and skill building among local community leaders in my home state of Minnesota. On the home front, my husband and I are raising an energetic, active 4 year old boy.