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United States Institute of Peace

Civil Resistance: The Dynamics of Nonviolent Movements (Instructor-Led)

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Civil resistance movements have and continue to shape political, social and economic change across the globe. As peacebuilders, understanding the role of nonviolent movements throughout history as well as the ones that currently exist today will help us understand one of the most effective ways of mitigating conflict nonviolently. At USIP, we believe that conflict is inevitable, but it does not have to be violent. Civil resistance and nonviolent movements are powerful examples of this. This course is for those with a keen interest in how ordinary people are transforming conflicts through nonviolent action. Those enrolled can earn a certification of participation upon completing the course.

Civil resistance takes place across the world. At a grassroots movement in Kenya, people gather in a crowd to protest human rights abuses. (Photo: Flickr/Creative Commons)
Civil resistance takes place across the world. At a grassroots movement in Kenya, people gather in a crowd to protest human rights abuses. (Photo: Flickr/Creative Commons)

Learning Objectives

  • Learn from a diverse set of activists, scholars, and practitioners through stories, research, and exercises.
  • Transform how they analyze and think about conflict – its value, mode, and outcomes.
  • Engage with a growing community of learners and experts enrolled in the course through a continuous series of live, interactive, and collaborative online events.
  • Co-Create new knowledge and insights to enhance and update the course as the field evolves.

Instructor-led Delivery

USIP’s new instructor-led format blends a self-paced curriculum with weekly live, interactive webinars. Enrolled participants will join a group of fellow learners from around the world. Each week will feature a new lesson that includes a real-world case study, a skills-building exercise, and small group discussions. A new course is offered each month and is four weeks in duration. The course is open to the public and is free of charge. Certificates of participation are awarded at the conclusion of the course.

Description

  • Weekly Self-Paced Curriculum: Learn at your own pace and schedule through carefully curated self-guided curriculum and instructional videos.
  • Weekly Live Webinars: Every week, a USIP expert or guest lecturer will host a country case study, a facilitated exercise, and small group discussions.
  • Group-Based: Join and learn alongside other participants from around the world. 
  • Practical Case Studies: Develop skills through real-world exercises and small group discussions.
  • Certificates: Receive a certificate of participation at the conclusion of a course.

Weekly Webinar Schedule

Join USIP’s Nonviolent Action program for three weeks of live instructor-led webinars covering the following topics:

September 6, 2024 – Introduction to Nonviolent Action: Historical & Theoretical Foundations, 9:00am – 10:15am EDT

September 13, 2024 - Nonviolent Movements: Formation and Planning, 9:00am – 10:15am EDT

September 20, 2024 - Methods of Nonviolent Action, 9:00am – 10:15am EDT

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By: Dean Cheng

China’s military structure is not prone to change. But in a shocking move, Chinese leader Xi Jinping recently established a new military entity focused on “information dominance” in future wars, with many observers “left wondering what this is going to mean and why they did it,” says USIP’s Dean Cheng.

Type: Podcast

It’s Not Too Late for Solomon Islands’ Truth and Reconciliation Commission

It’s Not Too Late for Solomon Islands’ Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Monday, May 6, 2024

By: Benjamin Afuga

Established in 2008, the Solomon Islands Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was tasked with investigating the country’s civil conflict that killed 200 people and displaced more than 20,000 others between 1998 and 2003. The commission was the first of its kind in the Pacific Islands region, and its proponents hoped it could heal people’s lasting trauma by addressing human rights violations, promoting national unity and fostering reconciliation.

Type: Analysis

Peace Processes;  Reconciliation

Despite Daunting Economic Headwinds, Afghan Private Sector Shows Signs of Life

Despite Daunting Economic Headwinds, Afghan Private Sector Shows Signs of Life

Thursday, May 2, 2024

By: William Byrd, Ph.D.

Three years after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the country’s economy remains in a dismal state marked by depression-level price deflation, high unemployment and a collapse of GDP. Still, while the bad news for Afghans is well known, less visible are some green shoots in the country’s private sector that, if properly encouraged, could mitigate the situation. These range from small business activity to Taliban plans for major projects to the potential for an uptick in investment. Clearly nothing in those developments can stimulate a strong economic revival.

Type: Analysis

Economics

What Haiti Needs from the U.S. and International Community

What Haiti Needs from the U.S. and International Community

Wednesday, May 1, 2024

By: Georges Fauriol

Despite obvious distractions from crises in other corners of the world, Haiti’s deepening disaster is belatedly drawing wider international attention. Critics of U.S. policy toward Haiti are emerging from all corners of the political spectrum — and there is much to be critical of, particularly if the timeframe is stretched to cover Haiti's political experience since the late 1980s and the transition from the Duvalier dictatorships. But in the here and now, these assessments short charge the admittedly tough odds of the most recent Caribbean Community- (CARICOM) managed mediation efforts from which has emerged Haiti’s Presidential Council, a transitional governance structure for the country.

Type: Analysis

Democracy & Governance;  Global Policy

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