Minds of the Movement

An ICNC blog on the people and power of civil resistance

A Vision for Tomorrow: Narrative Resistance in Struggles for Justice and Rights in Latin America

Whenever I listen to Quintana’s Cancion Sin Miedo, I feel the urge for change. As pointed out by Marshall Ganz, narratives are the art of creating emotions that translate values into actions. When I began participating in movements in El Salvador, every march and action was accompanied by songs from Torogoces de Morazan, Violeta Parra, Residente, and many others. I noticed that the idea of another world in Latin America has always been accompanied by music and creative languages of resistance that create new meanings, make the invisible visible, and invite us to dream, fight, feel, and change. […]

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REACT Series Powered by ActionAid

If Language is Power, then Writing is Revolution: New Research-Action Collaboration Launches

‘Writing ourselves into humanhood.’ ‘To build towards a more meaningful future.’ ‘A labor of love for our struggle.’ ‘Catharsis…’

“What is your relationship to writing and how is that related to your activism? We received the above responses when we discussed this question with activists we met this past February at the Global People Power Forum, a space for movements and movement-minded organizations to share, learn and advance our collective wisdom. As ICNC and ActionAid Denmark embark on a new collaboration this year, we are going straight to the source. […]”

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Ideas & Trends

When the Ruling Party is the Butt of the Joke: Humor and Resistance in Nigeria’s Recent Elections

Another presidential election has come and gone in Nigeria, leaving political parties, civil society and a disgruntled electorate in disarray over all the alleged irregularities that were recorded. Bola Tinubu was announced as the president-elect under the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, by an electoral commission largely viewed as incompetent. Aggrieved parties and ordinary citizens have been demanding transparent judgment or re-election, and they’ve been doing so through nonviolent actions that draw heavily on creativity and humor.

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Movement Commentary

With Netanyahu’s Reform on Hold, What’s Next in the Israeli Nonviolent Struggle for Democracy?

With Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial judicial reform on hold since Monday, the country’s population finds itself not at ease but only at a new crossroads in their struggle to protect their country’s democracy. A multi-sector strike, more than 12 weeks of intensifying protests, and dissent and defections among Israeli officials on numerous fronts… since the beginning of this year, Israel has been experiencing its largest demonstrations in a decade. […]

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Ideas & Trends

How Do Movements Achieve Relevance and Sympathy? A Closer Look at Cultural Competence

“On June 11, 1963, Thích Quảng Đức, a 65-year-old Buddhist Mahayana monk, arrived in a car along with two other monks at the intersection of Phan Đình Phùng Boulevard and Lê Văn Duyệt Street, a few blocks southwest of the Presidential Palace in Saigon. One monk carried a cushion into the intersection and placed it on the pavement. While Thích Quảng Đức proceeded to walk to the cushion and sit down in a lotus position, another monk carried over a five-gallon can of gasoline and poured it on Thích Quảng Đức, who calmly lit himself on fire. […]”

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Movement Commentary

Looking Back, Looking Forward: The Iranian Revolution Forges Ahead

Shadowed by many breaking headlines and increasingly brutal repression, the Iranian revolution for secular democracy continues to forge ahead. Soon in its fifth month, the uprising has taken root across Iran. Its widening geographic spread and deepening diversity of participants have been met with an intensified crackdown ordered by the Islamic regime–evidence that its grip on power is slipping. […]

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Ideas & Trends

Widespread Assumptions about Nonviolent Resistance: Steering Conversations to Higher Ground

Nonviolence is naïve. Humans are violent by nature.” “Violence is needed to confront violent adversaries.” “Nonviolent resistance undermines institutional means of change.” Views such as these are understandable in light of society’s socialization and ongoing elevation of violence in news, education and entertainment media. It can be frustrating to have to respond to such views on a regular basis. But if the other person is engaging in good faith, responding can also be an opportunity to deepen the conversation, learn about their perspective, and share our own. In this article, I dig deeper into some widespread assumptions about nonviolent resistance, in the spirit of reinforcing the capacity of advocates of the effectiveness of civil resistance to steer conversations toward higher ground. […]

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