Minds of the Movement

An ICNC blog on the people and power of civil resistance

News, Insights, Thoughts

Articles

From Anti-Corruption Demands to Fundamental Reforms: Achievements of Iraq’s Current Uprising

Iraqis began showing their outrage in October 2019 as unemployment and poverty set root in many areas of the country, months after the government announced a controversial economic reform. Thousands have been participating in sit-ins in Tahrir and many other squares in Baghdad, Basra, as well as other areas in the southern governorates. They are outraged over almost two decades of corruption and poor public services. […]

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Movement Commentary

The Long Haul toward Justice and Peace: A March from Delhi to Geneva Underway

On October 2, 2019—150 years to the day after the birth of Mohandas Gandhi—50 people from the Gandhian organization Ekta Parishad departed from the Raj Ghat memorial, dedicated to Gandhi, in Delhi. It was Day One of what will be a year-long journey on the Global March for Justice and Peace. With a jaw-dropping itinerary of 11,000 kilometers winding through 10 countries on the way to Geneva, 50 core marchers are receiving support from, and being joined by, self-organized local groups along the way. […]

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Ideas & Trends

Necessity Defense and the Climate Crisis: Can a Good Law Be Broken for a Good Reason?

In 2016, James Hansen, revered NASA Goddard Space Center climatologist and official who announced publicly in 1988, “Global warming has arrived,” stood next to me outside a North Dakota courtroom. The trial of Michael Foster, one of the five climate activists who became known as Valve Turners, was happening on the other side of the door. […]

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Movement Commentary

A Decade after the Arab Spring, Reflections on a Little-Known Bedouin Youth-Led Movement

The Al Hrak al-Shababe movement gained traction largely thanks to its strategy of putting solidarity and unity first. In fact, the movement’s list of accomplishments—both concrete and abstract—is compelling. Alongside successfully thwarting the Prawer plan, the movement also re-examined its internal inequalities as a necessary step to resisting external discrimination and oppression. […]

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Ideas & Trends

How Social Movements Think

“The last decade saw some very powerful movements—yet almost by definition their existence means that if many of us see a need for change, we have not yet succeeded in making that change central to our societies. What can we do, beyond more of the same? Part of the answer lies in what makes a movement a movement. Behind their visible, external aspect—protest, resistance, and other challenges to institutions and powerful actors, together with trying to change people’s minds—lies the work of organizing and self-education, building networks and coalitions, discussing who “we” are, and thinking about what we are doing and how we can do it better. […]”

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Movement Commentary

¿Qué podemos aprender de las protestas en Ecuador?

El 2 de octubre de 2019 el presidente de Ecuador Lenin Moreno, mediante el decreto 883, anunció la eliminación de los subsidios a la gasolina y el diésel, lo que desencadenó 11 días de protestas. Las protestas terminaron el 13 de octubre con un acuerdo entre el Gobierno y el movimiento indígena – el principal grupo que se oponía a la medida – para derogarlo y reemplazarlo por otro elaborado en consulta con el movimiento. […]

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Ideas & Trends

20 Key Civil Resistance Stories to Refocus for “20-20” Vision in New Decade

Moving into 2020 calls for reflection on events and insights gained in recent years. Here are 20 key stories from Minds of the Movement—10 that were most-read by readers, and 10 picked by editors. We hope this helps you energize and refocus for “20-20” vision in the new decade of civil resistance work! […]

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Movement Commentary

What Can We Learn from the Ecuador Protests?

Last October, Ecuadorian president Lenin Moreno announced the removal of petrol and diesel subsidies, sparking 11 days of protests. The protests ended on October 13, following an agreement between the government and the indigenous movement—the main group opposing the move. A resolution was swift, but state repression and violence from both within the resistance movement and by outside actors left eight dead and over 1,300 injured. With such a heavy toll in such a short time, can the movement truly be considered a success? More importantly, what can be learned from this episode? […]

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Interviews & People

Webcasting Civil Resistance: High-Impact International Support on a Shoestring Budget

Today, December 26, is a day of remembrance in Iran, observed by a moment of silence for the approximately 1,500 estimated to have been killed in the government crackdown on protesters since late November. During this moment, people will stop wherever they are—in the street, on the sidewalk, at restaurants. Their standstill is a low-risk, hard-to-repress nonviolent method designed to send a clear signal of dissent and disapproval to the Rouhani government. […]

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Movement Commentary

Extinction Rebellion: People Power on a Global Scale?

After Greta Thunberg, the social force that has drawn most attention to climate change in recent months is Extinction Rebellion (XR), a London-based environmental group committed to nonviolent civil resistance. In little more than a year, XR has seen its profile rise dramatically, owing in part to its disruptive tactics and use of art and theatre. […]

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