Introduction
Strategic nonviolent action and its documentation date back to 494 BC, when the Plebeians of Rome withdrew from the city and held strikes to force constitutional changes. It has endured to this day as the most potent tool that disenfranchised people have at their disposal to resist seemingly powerful opponents who oppress them.
While the digital revolution transforms how we communicate and interact, it does not change certain fundamental strategic principles or elements of nonviolent action. Digital tools can rather be considered a new strategic element at our disposal.
In this course, you will learn the basics of strategic nonviolent action and to what extent the digital era changes how movements strategize for change. In what ways does the digital help movements? In what ways can it harm movements? And how can we do our best to fold it into our well-formed strategic processes for the best outcomes?
Learning goals
- Understand the basics of how movements strategize for change
- Understand vital strategic principles of strategic nonviolent action
- Recognize the dangers of the digital era concerning movement strategy and movement building
- Assess the possibilities of the digital era concerning strategic nonviolent action and how the new element can be leveraged effectively
- Explore how to balance the need for online and offline synergy.
Core readings
- Cebul, Matthew: “Lessons for Nonviolent Activism in an Era of Digital Authoritarianism,” Waging Nonviolence, May 17, 2022.
- Matthew Cebul and Jonathan Pinckney, “Nonviolent Action in the Era of Digital Authoritarianism: Hardships and Innovations,” USIP, February 16, 2022.
Curriculum
- 8 Sections
- 18 Lessons
- 4 Hours
Expand all sectionsCollapse all sections
- Lesson 1. Hollow organizing and dangers of social media in the digital ageStrategic Nonviolent Action is the most powerful way to affect change. If used properly, it can be the conduit through which you and your people achieve the world you deserve and allow you to live a life of dignity and respect. With its vast and storied history, strategic nonviolent action has been a beacon of hope for countless cultures and people. It stands as a testament to the enduring power of people's resistance.3
- Lesson 2. Understand strategic nonviolent action, power, and the ability to create changeBefore you start planning your movement, it’s important to take a step back and frame your thinking before you move forward. To prevent hollow organizing as you embark on your struggle, it's essential to understand some key concepts first; so you can guard against engaging thousands of people with no direction.3
- Lesson 3. How to Plan a Strategic MovementStrategic thinking can be broken down into five key areas that help develop your plan, from your overall vision to your day-to-day actions. When we think about strategy, it is often confused with tactics or methods (the actions/direct actions you take). This can be a grave mistake because it doesn’t allow you the opportunity to course correct and make the necessary adjustments to achieve your success. In this lesson, we will walk through the steps you need to take to formulate a practical and strategic approach to your movement so that you can achieve the goals you want to achieve.6
- Lesson 4. Building a movement that can maintain discipline and direction in the digital eraAs we have seen in the past 15 years, getting people to take to the streets is easier and easier. But not all of it is good, as mobilisations sometimes lack discipline and direction. So the question becomes how to build large movements and also enable people in their local areas to bring the most to the table to advance the strategic objectives. Let's walk through how this happens.3
- Lesson 5. Pulling it all together: Coupling offline and online operations for maximum effectivenessWe have seen the lack of impact that leveraging digital tools to get many people “into the streets” can have. While numbers are an important part of movement success, it is not the only part. Movements with large numbers need to be clear on the vision they want, their grand strategy and their strategy. The Occupy movement was thinking tactically that if they can engage a large number of people, they will win. That wasn’t the case. They needed to be able to give people some strategic direction, with a clear and defined end state in mind to ensure that the 20,000 people made a difference. Here are the steps you can take to ensure that you can successfully combine offline and online operations for maximum effectiveness1
- Lesson 6. Case Study: Malaysia’s Bersih Movement. A Coalition for Clean and Fair ElectionsThe Bersih movement, which began in 2006 and was rebranded as Bersih 2.0 in 2010, is a coalition-based initiative focused on electoral reform in Malaysia. Initially started by political parties, it has since evolved into a people-powered movement. The Bersih movement exemplifies how digital tools can be harnessed to advance strategic objectives, cultivate relationships, and coordinate offline actions, effectively utilizing the power generated within the digital landscape.1
- Final Quiz1
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