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United States Institute of Peace

Matthew D. Cebul, Ph.D.

Research Officer

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Dr. Matthew D. Cebul is a research officer with USIP's Program on Nonviolent Action. Before joining USIP, Dr. Cebul was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan’s Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies and a USIP Peace Scholar Fellow from 2019-2020. He conducts research on democratization and the international dimensions of civil resistance campaigns, particularly in the Middle East. His ongoing book project, “Resistance and Rebellion in the Shadow of Foreign Intervention,” explains how the prospect of international assistance influences opposition behavior during nonviolent campaigns, particularly the 2011 Syrian uprising. His other work on international relations and Middle Eastern politics has appeared in major media outlets, as well as peer-reviewed academic journals, including The Washington Post, The Journal of Politics and the Journal of Conflict Resolution. 

Dr. Cebul received his master’s degree and doctorate in political science from Yale University and holds a bachelor’s degree from Haverford College. 

Publications By Matthew

Women Help Nonviolent Campaigns Succeed, But Nonviolent Discipline Remains Crucial

Women Help Nonviolent Campaigns Succeed, But Nonviolent Discipline Remains Crucial

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

By: Matthew D. Cebul, Ph.D.

In recent weeks, the world has watched in awe as Iranian women rise in peaceful protest against their country’s violent and patriarchal theocracy. Their courage is at once extraordinary and familiar, paralleling other inspiring episodes of women-led nonviolent activism. Indeed, women have played central roles in many of the world’s most impressive nonviolent campaigns.

Type: Analysis

Gender;  Nonviolent Action

La acción no violenta en la era del autoritarismo digital: Dificultades e innovaciones

La acción no violenta en la era del autoritarismo digital: Dificultades e innovaciones

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

By: Matthew D. Cebul, Ph.D.;  Jonathan Pinckney, Ph.D.

A fines de la década de 2000 y principios de 2010, los movimientos de acción no violenta utilizaron las redes sociales y otras herramientas digitales para organizar levantamientos a favor de la democracia que tomaron por sorpresa a los regímenes. Esos eufóricos comienzos han dado paso a la represión digital, las restricciones de libertades en línea y el retroceso democrático a medida que los regímenes autoritarios aprovechan las nuevas tecnologías para vigilar a la oposición y sembrar desinformación. Este informe documenta cómo los activistas no violentos se están adaptando a la represión digital y sugiere formas en que los Estados Unidos y sus aliados pueden ralentizar el ritmo de la innovación autocrática en el uso de estas tecnologías.

Type: Special Report

Nonviolent Action

Nonviolent Action in the Era of Digital Authoritarianism: Hardships and Innovations

Nonviolent Action in the Era of Digital Authoritarianism: Hardships and Innovations

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

By: Matthew D. Cebul, Ph.D.;  Jonathan Pinckney, Ph.D.

In the late 2000s and early 2010s, nonviolent action movements employed social media and other digital tools to orchestrate pro-democracy uprisings that took regimes by surprise. Those euphoric early days have since given way to digital repression, restricted online freedoms, and democratic backsliding as authoritarian regimes leverage new technologies to surveil the opposition and sow misinformation. This report documents how nonviolent activists are adapting to digital repression and suggests ways the United States and its allies can slow the pace of autocratic innovation in the use of these technologies.

Type: Special Report

Nonviolent Action

Autoritarismo digital y acción no violenta: Desafiando la contrarrevolución digital

Autoritarismo digital y acción no violenta: Desafiando la contrarrevolución digital

Tuesday, July 27, 2021

By: Matthew D. Cebul, Ph.D.;  Jonathan Pinckney, Ph.D.

Las campañas de acción no violenta son una de las maneras más comunes en la que los ciudadanos buscan cambiar de forma pacífica los sistemas políticos indiferentes. Sin embargo, las tecnologías recién desarrolladas y emergentes están transformando la naturaleza de las interacciones entre los activistas y los Gobiernos autoritarios. En este informe, se analiza el conjunto cada vez más sofisticado de herramientas, como el reconocimiento facial y la vigilancia de las plataformas de redes sociales, que los regímenes autoritarios utilizan para reprimir los movimientos no violentos, y se ofrecen recomendaciones sobre cómo los formuladores de políticas y activistas pueden desarrollar estrategias creativas para derrotar al autoritarismo digital.

Type: Special Report

Nonviolent Action

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