In 2014, ICNC launched the Curriculum Fellowship Program to support development of courses on nonviolent conflict and promote teaching in the growing field of civil resistance studies by selecting seven curriculum fellows. In both 2015 and 2016 ICNC accepted six fellows. In 2016, ICNC added a new component to the curriculum support program, online courses that interested fellows taught in 2016 and Spring 2017. The online teaching became an integral part of the initiative and the 2017 cohort of fellows will continue teaching both classroom-based and online courses on civil resistance.

ICNC is excited to continue the Curriculum Fellowship Program by accepting seven fellows for the 2017 cohort. These fellows will be teaching in person courses in Kenya, the United States, and Finland. Online courses will be taught in Hong Kong, Armenia, and Cambodia.

The 2017 Fellows are:

Solomon Onyango
Tyler Dale Hauger
Bunly Soeung
Hasan Habes
Johnson Ching-Yin Yeung 
Lusine Arakelyan
Lilit Makunts

Solomon Onyango received his Bachelor in Social Sciences & his Masters in Public Administration and Management from Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. He is currently a lecturer of Political Science at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) and a PhD candidate with the Social Transformation (Governance and Democracies) Department at Tangaza University College in Nairobi, Kenya. His doctoral dissertation, “Strengthening Accountability through Deliberative Citizen Participation in Sub-National Government” seeks to examine the nexus between deliberative citizen participation and accountability at the sub-national government level in Lamu County, Kenya. Solomon’s teaching and research is anchored in a multi-disciplinary intersection of governance, democratization and decentralization within Africa. He regularly teaches core topical courses on Public Administration, Democracy and Governance, and Social & Public Policy in Africa. Solomon also holds distinguished awards from the South-South Institute and the Democratic Governance Institute of the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa.

Course Title: Theory and Practice of Non-Violent Resistance in East Africa

Location: Institute of Regional Integration and Development (IRID) at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), Nairobi, Kenya (August-December 2017)

Course Abstract: In this course, participants will become familiar with nonviolent resistance, from the era of colonial and post-colonial Africa to the Arab Spring. It will explore facets of nonviolent resistance as a proven social action movement capable of destabilizing colonies, establishing independent states or toppling rogue regimes and recasting the geopolitical landscape in East Africa. It will explore questions surrounding the ethics of nonviolent action, when and where civil resistance is used, the conditions under which it is more or less effective, and its consequences for local communities, state polities and the international system. The course will draw from seminal philosophical texts, historical accounts and cutting-edge social science research. Students will gain an understanding of both the normative and empirical debates surrounding the practice of civil resistance and a familiarity with key cases within and outside the East Africa. The course will cover major topics related to the general field of civil resistance as well as case studies specific to East Africa and Kenya.

Solomon’s course evaluation and learning assessment

Tyler Dale Hauger is a visiting faculty member at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, USA in January 2018.  He works full-time as an advisor at Karibu Foundation in Oslo, Norway, an organization that supports civil society movements in Global South that lift up alternatives to the dominant paradigms of power, distribution, and development.   Tyler holds a M.Phil. in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Oslo (2011), as well as a B.A. in Political Science and Religion from St. Olaf College (2008).  His interests and research areas include international relations, conflict resolution & reconciliation, economic globalization & trade regimes, social movements, nonviolent action strategies, and ecumenism & interfaith initiatives.   He has previously served with the LWF’s Department for World Service’s Jerusalem office in East Jerusalem, and he currently sits on the board of the Norwegian Social Forum- the Norwegian arm of the World Social Forum.

Course Title: Political Science 231:  Peace and Nonviolent Resistance

Location: St. Olaf College, Minnesota, USA

Course Abstract: The course will explore central theories and perspectives associated with peace, conflict reconciliation, and nonviolent resistance with perspectives from the Nordic countries and around the globe. What lessons can be learned from actors that are struggling nonviolently for individual and collective rights, social and economic justice, and a collective responsibility for coming generations? What key strategies are individuals and groups using in their struggle to create a just community and world? How do groups and individuals approach reconciliation and forgiveness in post-conflict situations? The course will approach these subjects from an academic perspective, that of people’s movements in the field, and through interactive skill trainings that will occur each week. The civil resistance unit of the course will include focus on political power; the strategic nature of civil resistance and peacebuilding, including looking at the pillars of support, broad-based coalition building, and potential allies; how one designs an effective civil resistance campaign that will also ensure a democratic result in the future, beyond just regime change; and issues such as provocateurs, the radical flank / violent effect, as well as topics such as participation and backfire. As a final project, students (in groups) will select one cause which they find personally engaging, and using both class material as well as outside sources, design a strategy for civil resistance and change. Both the theoretical premises and the mechanisms that link the explanatory factors to decisions on power and peace will be discussed in the course.

Tyler’s course evaluation and learning assessment

Bunly Soeung is a full-time lecturer of public administration at Svay Rieng University, Cambodia. He has also worked as a freelance research coordinator for peace research projects. He received his master’s degree in Public Administration with a focus on Public Policy in 2010 from Universitas Padjadjaran, Indonesia. Between 2013 and 2015,  he was a peace research team member for the Alliance for Conflict Transformation.  In 2015, he finished a master program in Higher Education at the University of Hong Kong, focusing on students’ perspective on freedom of critical inquiry in Cambodia. In 2016, he translated a 160-page book entitled “May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising” about the May 18th Foundation in South Korea.   His primary research interests are cultural peace-building, non-violent civil resistance in Cambodia, and academic freedom. Recently, his co-authored journal article on “The Revitalisation of Buddhist Peace Activism in Post-War Cambodia” was published in the Conflict, Security & Development Journal, Volume 17. It examines how Cambodian Buddhist monks develop and maintain their normative legitimacy and connection with civilian followers by focusing on their approaches to four types of resources: religious authority, cultural knowledge, social networks, and new communication technology.

Course Title: An Introduction to Civil Resistance and Nonviolent Movements

Location: ICNC Online Platform

Course Abstract: This 5-week online course is designed to take participants through a guided progression of ideas, topics, and themes in the field of civil resistance and nonviolent movements. In particular, it examines the foundation of civil resistance, deconstructing misconceptions and structural determinism, strategy and tactics of nonviolent struggle, backfire and depression, gender dynamics, and civil resistance and corporate governance in the extractive industries in both theory and practice. The participants will be introduced to case studies of Cambodian nonviolent movements and will look at common misconceptions about civil resistance including its neglect in history and previous civil movements in Cambodia, such as the Buddhist nationalist movement under the French colonialism, Maha Ghosananda’s Dhammayietra and others. The aim of this course is not only to educate students about civil resistance and nonviolent movements that has never been introduced to any academic curriculum, but also to inspire students to see how powerful the nonviolent movements are.

Bunly’s course evaluation and learning assessment.

Hasan Habes is an educator, activist and researcher. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate and a lecturer in Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research Program at Åbo Akademi University in Vaasa, Finland and holds a Master’s degree from the same university. He specializes in nonviolent discipline and his research examines how to transform the radical flanks’ violent behaviors to nonviolent ones in Turkey. In addition, he has a MA degree in international relations concentrating on “the impact of education in conflict resolution in Cyprus” from Eastern Mediterranean University, Cyprus.

He was actively involved in the Gezi resistance in Turkey in 2014 and his master’s dissertation focused on the identification and elimination of the radical flanks during a nonviolent action. In it, he proposed policy recommendations to the organizers and practitioners how to keep the nonviolent discipline during nonviolent action campaigns.

Course Title: Civil Resistance

Location: Peace, Mediation & Conflict Research Program at Åbo Akademi University in Vaasa, Finland

Course Abstract: The aim of the course is to introduce the main concepts and ideas of civil resistance and discuss various historical and contemporary cases of nonviolent campaigns and movements. The students will explore some of the common misconceptions about nonviolent struggles as well as strategies and tactics. In this way the students will learn to distinguish strategy from tactics and they will be able to relate these in the context of civil resistance. Also, students will discover how the external actors play a significant role to facilitate and support these movements. By the end of the course, the students will be able to analyze the core elements of civil resistance movements and reflect on the effectiveness of these movements and their underlying political power. The students will be able to have a better understanding of the impact of violent flanks on the nonviolent action campaigns and the importance of the nonviolent discipline. Also, the students will learn and understand about different ways that movements can fail, the causes as well as the possible alternative strategies to prevent these failures. The course will provide an interactive and structured classroom based learning environment with the activating methods techniques. So the students can become more informed observers of nonviolent conflicts and effective conveyors of civil resistance knowledge.

Hasan’s course evaluation and learning assessment

Johnson Ching-Yin Yeung is a young human right activist in Hong Kong and former Hurford Youth Fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy. He graduated with a Master of Laws in Human Rights from the University of Hong Kong. He was the spokesman of Civil Human Rights Front, a Hong Kong civil rights alliance, and was Deputy Secretary of The Federation of Students, the leading group of the 2014 Umbrella Movement.

Course Title: Strategic Civil Resistance Movements for Democracy and Self-Determination: Lessons for Asian Organizers

Location: ICNC Online Platform

Course Abstract: Democracy and civil liberties have faced great challenges since the third wave of democratization in Asia. Faced with improved repressive tactics used by authoritarian government against dissents and activists, this course aims at equipping activists with adequate knowledge on nonviolent civil resistances, such as the basic concept of nonviolent civil resistances, mobilization skills, power structure analysis, and strategic planning. The course is also aimed at the obstacles and challenges of civil resistance movement in theoretical framework, such as backfire theory, radical flank and military suppression. Developed by an organizer of the 2014 Umbrella Movement, this curriculum is tailored for young Asian activists who have experiences of organizing and mobilizing. Additional cases studies in Asia will be explored in order to fit the target audiences. This course is formulated in an interactive manner, students are encouraged to play stimulation games, participate into breakout discussion group, slack discussion and group learning circles. .

Lusine Arakelyan is a founding member of  the NGO Civil Consciousness. Currently she is also their Coordinator of Educational Affairs. Her bachelor’s degree is in Linguistics and Communication,with a specialization in Political Science. In 2015 she graduated from the Center for European Studies at Yerevan State University, where she was awarded the Master’s Degree of European Studies. As part of the Master’s program, she also studied at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. In 2012, she participated in the Brusov Student Movement, which was the first large-scale students’ movement organized in Armenia. Nonviolent action was the key element of success. After the foundation of Civil Consciousness, she has spent the last five years coordinating more than 100 non-formal education projects.

Lilit Makunts is currently an Associate Professor at the Russian-Armenian University in Yerevan. She earned her Ph.D. in Cognitive Linguistics specializing in Political Discourse. She teaches Sociolinguistics, Cognitive Linguistics, Discourse Analysis, and History of Nonviolent Resistance. After attending the Fletcher Summer Institute for the Advanced Study of Nonviolent Conflict in 2015, she initiated an academic course on Civil Resistance in the Department of Political Science in the fall of 2016. After about 8 years as a political board member in the Liberal Party of Armenia and the head of the youth organization (2004-2012) she realized that, without civic education and the acknowledgment of people power movements among society, no substantial democratic changes can take place.  Along with academic teaching, she works as a trainer on different civil society platforms.

Course Title: Nonviolent Struggle: Why and How It Works

Location: ICNC Online Platform

Course Abstract:  This is an online seminar that aims at providing civil society representatives, political activists, trainers of non-formal education and students seeking knowledge of nonviolent strategies in civil resistance. Within the framework of the seminar, the concept of nonviolent civil resistance, its most successful practices around the world, and the reasons of why and how it works will be thoroughly introduced. The course will begin with the introduction of civil resistance, its historical background and will dwell upon the common misconceptions. It will discuss the mechanisms of movement mobilization and formation as well as the factors of its sustainability. It will further discuss strategic frameworks for analyzing campaigns and movements as well as will explore issues of innovative and creative tactical choice. The importance of a well planned civil resistance will also be touched upon together with the long-lasting impact of civil resistance and its costs. The cases of various civil resistance movements in the Post-Soviet region and the main factors of instigation will also be discussed. It will focus on what can be done to make those efforts of civil resistance more strategic and effective.

Lilit & Lusine’s course evaluation and learning assessment.

Regina Feldman, an ICNC High School Curriculum Fellow, developed, offered and moderated a course on the introduction to civil resistance in 2016 as part of the ICNC High School Curriculum Fellowship. As the results from course evaluations show, students found the course to be extremely beneficial and valuable for their education.

The information featured below was submitted as part of the fellowship requirement that, among others, included creating a detailed course proposal, developing curriculum content, designing evaluation tools, selecting participants and extensive moderation throughout the course.

Learn more by clicking on the topic links:

About the Curriculum Fellow
Course Abstract
Learning Gains Survey Results

Regina Feldman currently teaches IB Twentieth Century World History and Theory of Knowledge at the Montessori High School at University Circle in Cleveland, Ohio. She taught the previous year at the Affiliated High School of Peking University in Beijing, China. Regina Feldman holds a Master of Philosophy in Ethnology, Human Biology and Communication Theory from the University of Vienna, Austria, a Master of Arts in Medical Anthropology and a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from Case Western Reserve University, which were both earned as a Fulbright Scholar. She also earned a Montessori Certificate in Adolescent Studies and is IB-trained in History, Theory of Knowledge, and Extended Essay. In addition to teaching humanities at MHS, Regina Feldman functions as a Montessori Advisor and Curriculum Trainer and has helped build MHS as a Curriculum Developer, Coordinator, and Documenter since the school’s inception in 2008. She is an avid traveller, yoga practitioner, runner, and cook.

Course Title: Rights and Protests: The American Civil Rights Movement and South Africa

High School: Montessori High School at University Circle, Ohio

Abstract: This course explores struggles for rights and freedoms through two case studies, the study of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States between 1954 and the passing of the Civil Rights Act in 1965 and the study of protests against Apartheid in South Africa, beginning with the election of the National Party in 1948 and ending with first democratic general elections in 1994. Students explore the nature of discrimination, methods of nonviolent resistance and the importance of leadership and organizations or parties in civil society. This course is driven by inquiry: every week, students spend time in “Archive”, using a variety of sources – written, digital, visual –to respond to a weekly Guiding Question and build timelines to trace the evolution of rights and protests in both countries. Work in the Archive will be supported by key lessons, Socratic seminars, academic debate, documentaries, and playing of the strategic game People Power. IB-style research papers, annotated bibliographies, and critical memos, class, seminar, and debate preparation and participation are formatively and cumulatively assessed. The course closes with a Colloquium on the Big Guiding Question about the effectiveness of nonviolent resistance actions for long-term positive societal change.

Learning Gains Survey (LGS) Results:
The LGS aims to measure knowledge gains among course participants. Participants take the Pre-Course Survey at the beginning of the course and take an identical survey (Post-Course) at the end of the course. Included below are the graphed responses to the questions from the Pre-Course and Post-Course Survey showing the percentage that chose the correct answer and the percentage that chose the incorrect answer.

Learning Gains Survey Results Explained:

As you can see in the graph above, the majority of students reported having low levels of familiarity with various civil resistance struggles and tactics when completing the Pre-Course LGS at the start of the course. The average pre-score was 6.3%. However, by the time students completed the Post-Course LGS, at the end of the course, they reported much higher levels of familiarity with general civil resistance knowledge. At the end of the course the average score was 7.8%. The largest knowledge gains were in questions 1, 2, 5, and 6.

Learning Gains Survey Answer Key:

The following questions were graded on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 indicating little to no knowledge and 10 indicating a lot of knowledge.

Learning Gains Survey Questions:

1. On a scale of 1-10, please circle the number that best represents your current knowledge of civil resistance or nonviolent movements.

2. On a scale of 1-10, identify your comfort level in speaking to others about civil resistance or nonviolent movements.

3. On a scale of 1-10, select the number that best represents your view that revolutions against brutal regimes can succeed ONLY if revolutionaries retain the option to use violent means.

4. On a scale of 1-10, select the number that best represents your view that protests, marches, and demonstrations are the ONLY civil resistance methods.

5. On a scale of 1-10, select the number that best represents your view on how successful you think civil resistance campaigns against repressive states have been in the past.

6. On a scale of 1-10, select the number that best represents your view that movements that face repression must fail.

7. On a scale of 1-10, select the number that best represents your view that in order to be successful nonviolent movements must receive support from external actors, have access to the Internet, or face a regime that is weak and divided.

8. On a scale of 1-10, select the number that best represents your view about how important you think strategic planning is in a successful civil resistance movement.

9. On a scale of 1-10, select the number that best represents your view about how important you think participation is in a successful civil resistance movement.

10. On a scale of 1-10, select the number that best represents your view about how important you think nonviolent discipline is in a successful civil resistance movement.

Blog Objectives

• Highlight cutting-edge developments in the field of civil resistance;
• Disseminate new research, ideas and resources related to the study and practice of civil resistance, and explore their implications;
• Offer readers practical knowledge to help them study, teach, practice, produce media coverage of, and/or engage in policy discussions related to civil resistance;
• Identify areas of complementarity between civil resistance and other disciplines, as well as areas for debate—then serve as a platform for this debate;
• Provide commentary and analysis about international news from a civil resistance perspective, and about how civil resistance shapes broader global trends (though it will not be a news blog per se);
• Tie civil resistance into ongoing policy conversations and to the work of (I)NGOs;
• Bring attention to successful nonviolent struggles, particularly lesser-known ones;
• Convey knowledge and experience of activists and scholars who are active in the field;
• Reinvigorate archives which have new-found relevance and get them into circulation.

Target Audiences

The primary audiences are activists, organizers, and scholars worldwide. The policy community, members of INGOs and journalists are also important audiences.

Content Criteria

Blog posts should be up to 700 words (about two pages, 12 point font, double-spaced). Content should be focused on people’s capacity for nonviolently organizing and holding power accountable. Because blog posts are short, they should focus on, for example, one experience and lessons learned from participation in a movement, as opposed say, an exhaustive recounting of a conflict or issue. Content should be instructive and have direct relevance for one or more of the target audiences described above.

When focusing on a particular movement or case study, blog posts should focus on facts, analysis, and/or lessons learned. We do not publish pieces that are driven mostly by advocacy and political opinions. There are lots of places online that publish advocacy and opinions—what distinguishes us is our first-rate analysis and strategic examination of civil resistance.

Also, please remember that it is not necessary to give full historic background of the conflict you’re writing about (if applicable). Instead, your blog post should focus on an experience, a moment or an idea. What makes the blog post unique content is its focus on nonviolent action and nonviolent movements, so those are the elements that we want to emphasize.

Guidance on Linking

Anchor linking phrases is widely accepted as an effective practice for online media. The purpose of linking is to provide further reading; to bring the reader to a primary source of a quote or other information; to link up with other sources and ongoing news or events; to lighten up a post by allowing the author to avoid going into detail; to help substantiate a claim; and many other purposes. We would encourage bloggers to consider the following points:

• All facts and events that are not commonly known, as well as opinions, should be properly cited with a link to a reputable source. If you do not have a link, you can include an endnote.
• When linking, please bear in mind that the blog is not designed to enable excessive self-promotion or to promote commercial products.
• Link to English-language sites whenever possible. If a link is to a non-English site, please state so in brackets.

Style and Formatting Recommendations

In terms of substance, blog posts should aim to:

• Be mindful of any confidential details such as activists’ names or upcoming direct actions of an ongoing struggle that may compromise security. When in doubt, consult with the source.
• Be dynamic, when possible incorporating media and multimedia. (Note: All image and other multimedia sources should be cited and permission documented in your 1st draft.)

In terms of writing style, blog posts should:

• Have a conversational, modern feel. Explain briefly any academic, organizational or wonky jargon if used.
• Lead with the ‘punchline’ and relevance of the topic to the reader, with the technical details following (and plenty of links to further resources for those who are interested).
• Use stimulating and descriptive language to rein readers in from the first paragraph — without being sensational or ‘shouting’ at readers.
• Be accessible to non-specialists. Not all readers will be specialists, but most will have had some formal or informal education and/or experience on the topic of civil resistance. There may be some exceptions to writing accessibly when focusing on certain specialized academic research.
• Be written in US or UK English (both are accepted).
• Avoid excessively complex or long sentences and paragraphs.

In terms of format, blog posts should:

• Be up to 700 words long. Some exceptions can be made for long-form content.
• The first paragraph should contain similar key words as the title.
• Aim to have a punchy title of four to eight words in length, which includes key words, such as geographic setting and the aspect of civil resistance movement explored.
• Avoid excessive bullet point use.

Submission and Review Process

Although submission/review processes may vary, bloggers may generally expect the following:

• Blogger submits a topic via email to the editor for review. Turnaround for review will be around 1 to 3 working days, depending on the projected publication date of the post.
• Upon approval, blogger submits a full first draft of the post via email to the editor for review by agreed-upon deadline. Turnaround for review will take around 1 to 8 days, depending on the projected publication date.
• Please see below (“Other Items to Submit”) for a list of all items required at time of first draft submission. Please note that incomplete submissions may incur unforeseen delays in the publishing timeline.

Contact: editor [at] nonviolent-conflict.org

Permissions

All blog posts are published under the Creative Commons license “Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International” (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). This means that readers will be able to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format, in whole or in part, giving appropriate credit, and for noncommercial purposes only. If the material is remixed, transformed or built upon, readers may not distribute the modified material. If you have any questions or concerns, see the Creative Commons license here or please contact the editor.

If you or your organization wishes to republish our content on a regular basis, we want to hear from you! Please contact the editor.

Other Items to Submit

For your first draft submission to be considered complete, please also submit (or ensure that we have on file):

• A biography of up to 100 words (a headshot photo is optional but highly encouraged).
• A feature image, and its source, for your blog post (high resolution only, image use permission is required; we encourage sharing your own photography if applicable).
• Any multimedia (optional) such as videos should be submitted via Dropbox. Email the editor for further information.

Late Submissions Policy

Any late submissions are subject to later publication at the editor’s discretion.

Ahmadullah Archiwal, an ICNC High School Curriculum Fellow, developed, offered and moderated a course on the introduction to civil resistance in 2016 as part of the ICNC High School Curriculum Fellowship. As the results from course evaluations show, students found the course to be extremely beneficial and valuable for their education.

The information featured below was submitted as part of the fellowship requirement that, among others, included creating a detailed course proposal, developing curriculum content, designing evaluation tools, selecting participants and extensive moderation throughout the course.

Learn more by clicking on the topic links:

About the Curriculum Fellow
Course Abstract
Learning Gains Survey Results

Ahmadullah Archiwal has two Masters (the first in Journalism from the University of Peshawar in Pakistan and the second in International Affairs from the New School University in New York). He has been leading a small organization, OSCAR, which has been the flagship of nonviolent civic mobilization in Afghanistan for the last five years. They are the only organization teaching nonviolence in Afghanistan and have done pioneering work such as generating important contextual materials on the topic, including translating relevant books from English into local languages, writing a book on nonviolence, and conducting relevant workshops in different parts of the country.

Course Title: Civic Education

High School: Umara Khan High School, Afghanistan

Abstract: This course aims to equip the students with a basic understanding of nonviolent civic mobilization, in addition to culturally specific tactics of nonviolent resistance. We will begin by discussing the history of nonviolent resistance, examining its effectiveness and the common misconceptions surrounding it. The course will then move to focus on forms of nonviolent resistance that have roots in Afghan culture. We will be reinforcing the idea that nonviolent civic mobilization has historically been used by Pashtuns and others living in the region. Our discussions will range in topic from Abdul Ghafar Khan to Pashtun Nationalism to contemporary civil resistance struggles in the Islamic world and beyond. We will examine the idea that nonviolent resistance is applicable not only in democratic societies, but in societies of all political makeups. The overall goal of the course is to reduce the group’s vulnerability to joining insurgency by educating them in nonviolent civic mobilization.

Learning Gains Survey (LGS) Results:
The LGS aims to measure knowledge gains among course participants. Participants take the Pre-Course Survey at the beginning of the course and take an identical survey (Post-Course) at the end of the course. Included below are the graphed responses to the questions from the Pre-Course and Post-Course Survey showing the percentage that chose the correct answer and the percentage that chose the incorrect answer. 

Learning Gains Survey Results Explained:

As you can see in the graph above, the majority of students reported having low levels of familiarity with various civil resistance struggles and tactics when completing the Pre-Course LGS at the start of the course. The average pre-score was 42%. However, by the time students completed the Post-Course LGS, at the end of the course, they reported much higher levels of familiarity with each struggle listed and general civil resistance knowledge. At the end of the course the average score was 71%, which was a 29% increase.

Learning Gains Survey Answer Key:

The following questions were graded using “correct” or “incorrect” answers.

Learning Gains Survey Questions:

1.       Nonviolent civic mobilization is about pacifying the target group

2.       Nonviolent civic mobilization takes place without taking into consideration the political and social condition in a society

3.       Nonviolent civic mobilization campaigns are more effective than violent campaigns

4.       Nonviolent civic mobilization campaigns are waged only for political motives

5.       A charismatic leader is a must have for the success of a nonviolent campaign

6.       Conflict is inevitable in human life

7.       It’s only the rulers who have power in a society

8.       The impact of violent campaigns is durable and long lasting

9.       All nonviolent civic mobilization movements take place spontaneously

10.     Marches and protests are the most effective means for nonviolent campaigns

Go back to the main ICNC High School Curriculum Fellowship page.

This is a legacy page for the James Lawson Institute (JLI), which ICNC organized in 2013 and 2014.

ICNC organized and ran the James Lawson Institute in 2013 and 2014 as an eight-day program for North American activists and organizers dedicated to sharing knowledge of movement organizing and civil resistance. You can learn more about its process of development here.  Following tremendous success with ICNC’s incubation, the James Lawson Institute launched as an independent entity in 2017 offering intensive study of civil resistance to activists in the North American context. Information about the James Lawson Institute and its programs can be found here.

Below is the announcement of the 2014 JLI, organized by ICNC.

The James Lawson Institute:

An Eight-Day Experience in Strategic Evaluation of Nonviolent Civil Resistance

August 16-23, 2014 | Nashville, Tennessee

In the 1960s, the Reverend James Lawson organized and led one of the most effective campaigns of nonviolent civil resistance in the 20th century: the Nashville lunch counter sit-ins for the US Civil Rights Movement. In the years that followed he was involved in strategic planning of numerous other major campaigns and actions and was called “the mind of the movement” and “the leading theorist and strategist of nonviolence in the world” by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The US Civil Rights movement, the US Labor movement in the 1930s, the women’s suffrage movement, the anti-nuclear movement, and other movements in North America and abroad in the decades since did not just engage in activism. They organized people, mobilized them by the millions, and galvanized participation from a broad cross section of society. Collectively, these movements provide a model for how nonviolent change can be organized to win rights, justice and change in very adverse conditions.

The James Lawson Institute (JLI) looks at these past movements, and numerous contemporary ones around the world, from a strategic perspective, and engages participants in depth about a wide variety of aspects of organizing and activism in North America. It is a structured seminar to discuss what kinds of strategies, tactics and practices are effective for people organizing movements and waging civil resistance campaigns.

TOPICS COVERED:

Topics to be discussed include:

• The Current State of North American Organizing and Activism
• The Core Dynamics of Nonviolent Civil Resistance
• Movement Formation, Sustainability, and Coalition Building
• Strategy, Tactics, and Planning
• Movement Language and Media
• Managing Repression, Radical Flanks, and Maintaining Nonviolent Discipline

The content is a mixture of theory and practice and is based on the experiences of numerous activists and organizers around the world as well as leading scholarship in the field of social movement and civil resistance. The daily schedule usually includes two presentations and two exercises, as well as an evening program. We will learn from case studies, theoretical frameworks, participant exercises, planning tools, academic research, and each other.

Sessions will be facilitated by James Lawson and the advisors and staff of the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC).

APPLICATIONS:

Who Should Apply: North American organizers and activists who are working to organize within the United States or Canada.

The educational environment of the Institute will be rigorous, and we encourage participants to apply who want to share, learn, and work hard for the full eight days. Also, at least half of the learning during the week will draw from participants’ experiences and insights so a good base of field work and/or study in grassroots organizing, movement building, campaign organizing, nonviolent civil resistance, media work, or related areas will be very helpful.

The original application deadline of April 13, 2014 has now been extended to April 20, 2014.  No applications will be accepted after April 20, 2014.

You can stay up to date with all the news on the James Lawson Institute (JLI) 2014 on our Facebook page and Twitter feed. You can view the JLI 2014 flyer here. If you have any questions, or would like to request a paper application, please send an email to jli@nonviolent-conflict.org .

When: August 16-23, 2014
Where: Scarritt Bennett Center, Nashville,Tennessee

COST AND SCHOLARSHIPS:

Registration fees for participants are as follows:

$500 – Individuals employed by media, commercial or government organizations
$350 – Individuals with large nonprofit organizations and foundations
$200 – Individuals with local nonprofit and educational organizations
$100 – Organizers, activists and individuals not institutionally affiliated

The JLI registration fee is the only charge requested. Accommodation, all meals, and learning materials for the entire course are paid by the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC).  Accommodation is in the dormitories at the Scarritt Bennett Center and meals are arranged through the Scarritt Bennett Center.

In addition to the JLI registration fee, participants or their sponsoring organizations are expected to cover their own travel expenses to and from Nashville, Tennessee.  However, if an applicant or sponsoring organization cannot afford to pay for travel and/or registration costs, need-based scholarships are available and can be applied for in your JLI application.

Learn more about Rev. James Lawson and nonviolent civil resistance:

“‘A Totally Moral Man'”: The Life of Nonviolent Organizer Rev. James Lawson” by Peter Dreier, Truthout.org, August 15, 2012

Elizabeth “Betsy” Cepparulo, an ICNC High School Curriculum Fellow, developed, offered and moderated a course on the introduction to civil resistance in 2016 as part of the ICNC High School Curriculum Fellowship.

The information featured below was submitted as part of the fellowship requirement that, among others, included creating a detailed course proposal, developing curriculum content, designing evaluation tools, selecting participants and extensive moderation throughout the course.

Learn more by clicking on the topic links:

• About the Curriculum Fellow
• Course Abstract
• Learning Gains Survey Results 

Go back to the main ICNC High School Curriculum Fellowship page.

Elizabeth “Betsy” Cepparulo is a History teacher at Wilmington Friends School, in Wilmington, Delaware. She specializes in a course called Global Peace and Justice, which teaches world history through topics such as women’s rights, civil disobedience, social justice, and peace in a time of conflict. Prior to teaching, Betsy was an attorney in Pennsylvania for four years, focusing mainly on family law and criminal defense. She has her BA from Skidmore College, her JD from Temple University, and her Masters in Education Policy and Leadership from Stanford University.

Course Title: Nonviolent Direct Action

High School:  Wilmington Friends School, Delaware

Abstract: In this course, students will explore civil resistance movements from both practical and personal standpoints. Practically, students will learn concrete steps to engaging in a nonviolent direct action (NVDA) campaign. This will differentiate civil resistance and NVDA from passivity, which is sometimes confused with peaceful resistance.  Personally, students will study Gandhi and Indian Independence, James Lawson and MLK Jr with the Civil Rights movement, and finally Colombian civil resistance in the face of violence.  Students will write their own NVDA plans, contemplate a “peace force,” and explore the pros and cons of fighting violence and oppression with active peace. In the end, students will be able to articulate concrete steps and nuanced perspectives in ending conflict with civil resistance.

Learning Gains Survey Results:
The Learning Gains Survey aims to measure knowledge gains among course participants. Participants take the Pre-Seminar Survey at the beginning of the course and take an identical survey (Post-Seminar) at the end of the course. Included below is the graphed responses to the questions from the Pre-Seminar and Post-Seminar Surveys. In general, the surveys illustrate a positive trend in the knowledge gains achieved by participants as a result of the course.

Learning Gains Survey Answer Key:

The following questions were answered on a scale of 1-5, where:

1= None            2 = A little bit                3= adequate                  4= Good           5 = Excellent

Learning Gains Survey Questions:

1. Rate your level of familiarity with nonviolent direct action as a specific strategy for achieving change
2. Rate your level of familiarity with the definition of Nonviolent direct action
3. Rate your level of familiarity with Gandhi’s methodology for achieving nonviolent civil resistance
4.  Rate your level of familiarity with India’s struggle for independence
5. Rate your level of familiarity with James Lawson’s techniques for nonviolent civil resistance
6. Rate your level of familiarity with Martin Luther King, Jr’s techniques for nonviolent civil resistance, specifically his four-step plan
7. Rate your level of familiarity with nonviolent direct action during the civil rights movement in the American south
8. Rate your level of familiarity with using civil resistance against violent groups
9. Rate your level of familiarity with the “comunidades de paz,” in Colombia and their methods of civil resistance
10. Rate your level of familiarity with “peace forces” as an alternative for a military army
11. Rate your level of interest in nonviolent civil resistance as an alternative to war
12. Rate your likelihood of using nonviolent tactics in the future to create change that you believe in

Learning Gains Survey Results Explained:

As you can see in the graph above, the majority of students reported having low levels of familiarity with various civil resistance struggles and tactics when completing the Pre-Seminar LGS at the start of the course. However, by the time students completed the Post-Seminar LGS, at the end of the course, they reported much higher levels of familiarity with each struggle listed and general civil resistance knowledge. The overall civil resistance knowledge level of the students more than doubled as a result of their experience in this course.

Go back to the main ICNC High School Curriculum Fellowship page.

ICNC offered a moderated online course on civil resistance in partnership with Rutgers University Graduate School, which took place from February 18, 2013 to April 5, 2013.

Click the following links to navigate:

• Applications, admission and course participants
• Course content
• Selected testimonials

Applications, admission and course participants

ICNC received close to 100 applications and accepted 42 participants. Among these 42 participants, 35 countries were represented including Latvia, Kenya, Germany, Uganda, New Zealand, South Africa, Guatemala, Israel, Brazil, Nigeria, among others. The course participants were mostly mid-level professionals that included lawyers, journalists, NGOs executives, development managers and civil society experts, as well as doctoral students and academics.

Course content

The online course consisted of an introduction module and seven thematic modules. Each thematic module was released at the beginning of the week and the participants and moderators engaged in different forums of the module throughout the week. A detailed course outline is provided below.

Module 1. Welcome and Introductions

Meet Your Course Facilitators
ICNC and Rutgers
Course Schedule
Course Requirements
Video Presentations
Tips for Online Learning

Module 2: Theoretical Foundations of Civil Resistance

Civil Resistance in Context
Fundamental Ideas
Common Misconceptions

Module 3: Historical Development of Civil Resistance

Centuries of Nonviolent Conflict
Core Dynamics of Civil Resistance
Nonviolent Action in the Islamic World
Movements Learn from One Another

Module 4: Tools of Conflict Analysis + Strategies and Tactics

Pillars of Support and Mechanisms of Change
Spectrum of Allies
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT)
A Force More Powerful: Nashville segment
Experience from the Thai/Burma Border

Strategic Planning and Tactical Choices
Principles of Strategic Nonviolent Conflict
Cultural and Creative Dynamics of Nonviolent Tactics
Experience from Palestine
Methods of Nonviolent Action

Module 5: Skills vs. Conditions and Tactical Innovation in Nonviolent Conflict

Conditions and Their Impact
Skills vs. Conditions
Tactical Innovation
People Power: The Game of Civil Resistance

Module 6: What about Violence?

Violent vs. Nonviolent Action
Radicalized, Extreme Violence
The Paradox of Repression and Backfire (Part 1)
The Paradox of Repression and Backfire (Part 2)
Radical Flank Effect

Module 7: The Role of Media in Civil Resistance

Civil Resistance and Conventional Media
Digital Tools and New Media
Citizen Journalism

Module 8: Final Evaluation

Final Quiz
Final Course Evaluation

Selected testimonials:

“Everyone was engaged and made interesting contributions; there was real debate in the forums, with the facilitators adding new ideas and summaries.”
-ICNC Online Course Participant, 2013

“I really enjoyed the range of different materials used to support learning. I really appreciated the opportunity to understand our own struggles.”
-ICNC Online Course Participant, 2013

“This was such an interesting course, full of material I didn’t know about, and new ideas, and really accessible.”
-ICNC Online Course Participant, 2013

“[I liked] learning from other students, and making potentially long- term contact with some of them.”
-ICNC Online Course Participant, 2013 

An ICNC moderated online course on civil resistance offered in partnership with Rutgers University Graduate School took place from April 23, 2012 to June 5, 2012.

Learn more by clicking on the topic links:

• Applications, admission and course participants
• Course content
• Selected course evaluation results
• What participants liked best about the course
• Selected testimonials

Applications, admission and course participants

ICNC received 56 applications and accepted 31 participants. Among these 31 participants, 12 countries were represented including Cameroon, Spain, Thailand, United States, Canada, New Zealand, Germany, Georgia, among others. Selected participants included graduate students, educators, activists, and civil society professionals.

Course content

The online course consisted of an introduction module and seven thematic modules. Each thematic module was released at the beginning of the week and the participants and moderators engaged in different forums of the module throughout the week. A detailed course outline is provided below.

Module 1. Welcome and Introductions

ICNC and Rutgers
Course Schedule
Course Requirements
Meet Course Facilitators
Video Presentations
Tips for Online Learning

Module 2: Theoretical Foundations of Civil Resistance

Civil Resistance in Context
Fundamental Ideas
Common Misconceptions

Module 3: Historical Development of Civil Resistance

A Century of Nonviolent Conflict
Core Dynamics of Civil Resistance
Nonviolent Action in the Islamic World
Movements Learn from One Another

Module 4: Tools of Conflict Analysis + Strategies and Tactics

Pillars of Support
Spectrum of Allies
Experience from the Thai/Burma Border
A Force More Powerful
Strategic Planning and Tactical Choices
Principles of Strategic Nonviolent Conflict
Cultural and Creative Dynamics of Nonviolent Tactics
Experience from Palestine

Module 5: Skills vs. Conditions and Tactical Innovation in Nonviolent Conflict

Conditions and Their Impact
Skills vs. Conditions
Tactical Innovation
People Power: The Game of Civil Resistance

Module 6: What about Violence?

Violent vs. Nonviolent Action
Radicalized, Extreme Violence
The Paradox of Repression and Backfire (Part 1)
The Paradox of Repression and Backfire (Part 2)
Radical Flank Effect

Module 7: The Role of Media in Civil Resistance

Civil Resistance and Conventional Media
Digital Tools and New Media
Citizen Journalism

Module 8: Final Evaluation

Final Quiz
Final Course Evaluation

Selected course evaluation results

How would you rate your learning experience in this course?

How would you rate the course instructors and their facilitation of the course?

What participants liked best about the course:

• The contemporariness of the materials
• The organization and structure was easy to follow
• The varieties of learning techniques
• The live webinars were really valuable
• The video intro and recap of the past unit was really helpful
• The feedback was useful and relevant
• The times when we connected via webchat and video conference were most engaging
• The forum interactions
• Excellent course materials
• Access to a cornucopia of new resources
• The wealth of knowledge provided through readings, presentations, and forum discussions
• Helpful nature of tutors’ comments
• Logical structure and development of course
• Respectful and friendly way of orchestrating and interacting with participants
• Interactive sessions with course instructors and other experts
• Instructors were all highly qualified, informative and accessible
• I  appreciated instructors’ weekly video updates. They made the course more personal
• The learning from other students, and making potentially long-­term contact with some of them

Selected testimonials

“The ability to discuss things in the forum was very valuable….This was such an interesting course, full of material I didn’t know about, and new ideas, and really accessible. I loved having a variety of media…I could put the reading into ibooks and have the links to the videos on YouTube. I thought it was so clever when the tutors gave short video feedback after the first week – it was very motivating and engaging. I really enjoyed the links to other materials provided by other participants – really interesting things I would not know how to find out otherwise. Finally the daily digest from the Forums was great – even when I had days when I didn’t get a chance to contribute it reminded and encouraged me to contribute.”
-ICNC Online Course Participant, 2012

“I found the facilitators very active and appreciated how they offered weekly video updates. It made the course more personal. I also liked the simulation exercise and how most of the materials were downloadable, such as the slides from the YouTube presentations.”
-ICNC Online Course Participant, 2012

“The other participants! Everyone was engaged and made interesting contributions; there was real debate in the forums, with the facilitators adding new ideas and summaries.”
-ICNC Online Course Participant, 2012

“This course was excellently conducted. The interactive sessions with our course instructors and other experts were fantastic and a unique opportunity to interact with specialists we might never otherwise have the opportunity to meet in person. The variety of materials — from readings, to lectures to the online simulation — were incredibly well chosen, informative, interesting and appropriate. It was also great to see our instructors in the weekly videos and hear their feedback and thoughts about the prior week’s segment and learn more about other.”
-ICNC Online Course Participant, 2012

“The triangle of personal-scientific-and-technical expertise. Thanks for your respectful and friendly way of orchestrating and interacting with us during the last six weeks. This was just amazing. The range of educational resources was stunning. Thanks for this inspiring mix and hints to follow up. I also really liked how precise everything was set up. Everything just worked out smoothly.”
-ICNC Online Course Participant, 2012

“I really enjoyed the range of different materials used to support learning. I also really appreciated the opportunity to link that into direct examples and try to understand our own struggles though the context of the theory.”
-ICNC Online Course Participant, 2012

Clay Fuller, the ICNC Curriculum Fellow, developed, offered and moderated a classroom-based course on civil resistance in Fall 2016 at the University of South Carolina as part of the ICNC Curriculum Fellowship. The course was conducted at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina.

The information featured below was submitted as part of the fellowship requirement for classroom-based course that, among others, required a detailed course proposal with clearly developed sections on civil resistance, assigned readings, assignments relevant to the subject matter and evaluation tools.

Learn more by clicking on the topic links:

• About the Curriculum Fellow
• Course Abstract
• Course Structure
• Assignments
• Course Evaluation
• Learning Gains Survey Results

Section I: Summary Statistics
Section II: Discussion of the Survey Results
Section III: Discussion of the Question-Specific Results
Section IV: Survey Template
Section IV: Granular Data

Go back to the main ICNC Curriculum Fellowship page.

Clay Fuller is a research assistant for the Walker Institute of International and Area Studies, a sixth year PhD candidate (ABD) and adjunct instructor at the University of South Carolina, and he also teaches international relations online for Western Carolina University (NC). Clay studies non-democratic political institutions and the conditions under which these allow for liberal economic experimentation.The title of his dissertation is ‘Authoritarian Liberalism: Dictatorship in the 21st Century.’ His dissertation proposes an alternative assumption to the largely held belief that authoritarian regimes that grow the domestic economy and adopt semi-democratic political institutions will eventually lose control of the process and democratize. Essentially, modern authoritarian regimes are quite capable of adopting most of the necessary conditions for democracy while successfully avoiding the sufficient. His first field is comparative politics and second is international relations. Clay’s research resides in the nexus of these two fields and offers promising new data and insight concerning the use of special economic zones (SEZs) and sovereign wealth funds (SWFs). He regularly teaches an original topics course on modern dictatorships (to which this fellowship is applied) and regularly teaches basic international relations theory courses.

Course Abstract:

This political science course combines the traditionally domestic and/or area focus of comparative politics with the global and/or interstate levels of analysis associated with international relations. Authoritarianism, neo-authoritarianism, soft authoritarianism, dictatorship, monarchy, autocracy, totalitarianism, single-party regimes, military juntas, and the all-encompassing ‘non-democracy’ are merely a few of the many names given to world’s oldest and most common form of government. Despite ‘waves of democratization,’ in 2015 Freedom House reported that 55% of the world’s countries and 60% of the world’s population are not fully “free.” They also currently report a steady decline in freedom around the world for the entire past decade (freedom measured by civil liberties and political rights). This class explains and explores what these data and terminology mean, the methodologies used to generate these stats, and the major theoretical explanations for the continued survival of non-democracies and their leaders. In addition to learning the various theories concerning non-democratic survival, there are three other components to the course: 1) a section on data collection in dictatorships, 2) a semester-long computer simulation of the fall of a dictatorship to a civil resistance campaign, and 3) a large segment on civil resistance including its history, strategies, and tactics. It is actually not very difficult to remove a dictator from office relative to the difficulty of building a democratic society. The aim of this course is not only to educate students about the 80+ non-democratic regimes that exist today, but also to inspire students to learn more about the front end of the democratization process (removal of the dictator or regime) while simultaneously warning them about the pitfalls that face the group that replaces the regime.

Course Structure:

 The civil resistance units in this course were presented over the last three weeks of the semester. We followed the approved syllabus in the execution of the class, especially in regards to the civil resistance modules. Class goals were met through lecture, discussion, videos, on-line discussion, writing assignments, and a guest speaker. Evaluation was done based upon evidence of reading and participation.Before beginning the section on civil resistance, we did an in-class simulation of the fall of a dictatorship. It is a role-playing strategy game developed by a professor in Boston. It explores strategies between the ruling coalition and the people in a fictional dictatorship (like the People Power game, but this is in-class and in-person). The in-class simulation does not incorporate civil resistance tactics; however, it makes a great transition into the civil resistance section of the class because it exposes the dynamics that make a dictator susceptible to removal and fires up the imaginations of the students. The students always enjoy and have fun with this simulation. In future iterations, I plan to do the simulation a second time, incorporating nonviolent strategies in the player profiles.

Assignments:

The main assignments was a paper that each student wrote either 1) explaining and analyzing a historical nonviolent resistance movement using the assigned readings or 2) identifying a current situation where a nonviolent resistance movement could be effective and evaluating the prospects of such a plan (using the assigned readings). One extra assignment was added to encourage further reading. Students were offered extra points to create a “tweet” and a “hashtag” for specific readings and then write a paragraph explaining what message the tweet was intended to convey. The students enjoyed this exercise and in future iterations I will be using it again in a more systematic way.

Course Evaluation:

 In sum, I think the students enjoyed and learned a lot from the civil resistance modules. I learned a lot as well. My experience with this bled into a related class that I taught this fall – Political Violence and Revolutions. In it, I gave my students the options to design a nonviolent resistance movement in the United States to fix the student loan problem. I first established with every student that there was a problem. I asked them to share their experiences and thoughts. They mostly expressed apathy or helplessness. Some even expressed resentment for people who complain about it (even though they also recognized it was a big problem). I then simply asked “what are you going to do about it?” Most said “nothing.” I then asked them what would happen if all 50 million+ students and the millions more paying off student loans simply refused to make any more payments. I could tell that many had never even considered this. They became excited. Many tried to rationalize by saying that it would ruin their credit rating. I countered by asking them how that logic works.Many were struck by the concept of power through consent (we were studying the Color Revolutions at the time). Many wrote papers planning a student-led nonviolent movement to fix the student loan problem. I have found that if framed correctly, nonviolent struggles are very attractive to US college students.

Learning Gains Survey Results: 

Clay distributed pre-seminar and post-seminar surveys to measure gains in learning progress among course participants. Included below are the graphed responses to selected questions from the surveys. In general, they illustrate a positive trend in learning gains achieved by the participants as a result of the course. The survey results and questions are displayed and briefly analyzed in descriptive form. The survey was given on the second day of class and then again on the last day of class during the fall semester of 2016. The raw data (in .csv form) is available for the use of ICNC staff. Confidentiality of respondents is strictly preserved. The data contains two identification markers. Each student has a randomized identification number (id) that matches across pre and post survey results. Each id number matches with another indicator of whether the student is male or female (female = 0, male = 1). There are 40 subjects – 21 males, 19 females. They were mostly juniors and seniors. ~75% of the class plans on a law degree. The analysis is split into four sections explained below.

SECTION I: Summary Statistics of Raw Data(Note: Questions 10 and 11 are nominal and results are discussed in section III.)

SECTION II: General Discussion about Survey Results

In general, the students had learning gains across all questions. The standard deviation decreases in the post-survey results across all continuous answers except questions 8 (list of tactics and strategies) and 9 (list of CRMs). The decrease in the standard deviation in questions 1-7 implies that the teacher was effective in conveying coherent knowledge on the subject matter to all students. The increase in standard deviations for questions 8 and 9 may imply that some students had a stronger interest in the subject and did more of the readings and independent research than other students.All survey instruments can be improved. A few suggestions for this one would be to change up the words under the numerical scales to possibly increase variation in answers (i.e. more specificity). Several students suggested that some questions could be more specific (for example, questions 9 and 10 should specify whether or not it is referring to historical or modern (or all) examples. Respondent descriptive questions would be helpful for a deeper analysis (i.e. race, age, student standing, major, etc.).I think that a standardized survey instrument for all instructors can be fashioned out of this first cut. A standardized instrument could help the ICNC clearly identify where its strengths and weaknesses are in the teaching curriculum program and other programs. Identifying strengths and weaknesses would help the ICNC make an already strong program even more effective.

SECTION III: Discussion of Question-Specific Results

SECTION IV: Granular Data Demonstration
The raw data are displayed below so the reader may see variation across individual students.

Section V: Sample Survey

Go back to the main ICNC Curriculum Fellowship page.

An online course on civil resistance created and moderated by Etiene Martins, developed with the support of the ICNC Curriculum Fellowship Program.

Learn more by clicking on the topic links:

• Curriculum Fellow
• Course Abstract
• Learning Gains Survey & Final Evaluation Results
  • Module 1: Introduction to Nonviolence
  • Module 2: Civil Resistance in History: Martin Luther King
  • Module 3: Leadership, Negotiation and Strategy
  • Module 4: Nonviolence Applied to Policing
  • Module 5: The Future of Civil Resistance
  • General Questions about Educational Content

Go back to the main ICNC Curriculum Fellowship page.

Etiene Martins is a Brazilian Federal Judge and a former police officer. He was a police officer for 16 years at Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, and served at its Legal Department. In 2014, he was appointed Federal Judge and, currently, serves at the 4th Federal Court of Guarulhos City, District of São Paulo. He holds a B.A and a M.A in Public Security. In 2008, he earned LLB from the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro. Since November 2015, Etiene Martins has been Professor of Constitutional Law and International Law at Enfase Institute (Brazil). Etiene has additionally started teaching Criminal Law at the D. João VI Police Academy. Etiene is active in the field of civil resistance training. He is a Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Resolution Co-Trainer affiliated with the Center for Nonviolence & Peace Studies (University of Rhode Island) In 2011, he attended the Kingian Nonviolence Training – Level I (University of Rhode Island) and, in 2015, the Fletcher Summer Institute on the Advanced Study of Nonviolent Conflict. In June this year, he will embark on the “Kingian Nonviolence Training – Level II – ADVANCED TRAINING in Leadership, Organization, Mobilization” at the University of Rhode Island. He is the author of the chapter “Law, Violence, and Public Security: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Philosophy Applied” published in the book Kingian Nonviolence: Applications for International & Institutional Change, 2015.

Course Abstract: This is an online seminar that aims to introduce police officers to ideas and concepts of civil resistance scholarship and practice, and to show how important social and political changes can be brought about by nonviolent actions. The course also intends to make participants aware of how civil resistance campaigns can help to reduce violence and enforce the rule of law. Since civil resistance campaigns can play such an important role in fighting corrupt practices, state abuses and strengthening rule of law, police would benefit from understanding and gaining greater insight from the field of civil resistance studies. The course aims to teach its participants how to identify civil resistance campaigns, deconstruct misconceptions about civil resistance actions and nonviolent movements, and how to constructively work with activists and civil resistance campaigns. The course consists of five components: 1) an introduction to civil resistance through a historical and practical perspective; 2) an examination of nonviolent action in history, focusing on the Martin Luther King campaign; 3) a look into the strategies and skills that create successful civil resistance movements; 4) applying nonviolent action to policing; and 5) an exploration of the future of civil resistance. Collectively, these components examine the proponents, philosophies and techniques of nonviolent action in transforming violent conflicts into more constructive nonviolent contentions that will benefit resolution of personal interpersonal, societal, and international conflicts.

Selected Learning Gains Survey and Final Evaluation Results

1. Learning Gains Surveys
2. Final Evaluation

Learning Gains Survey Results:
Etiene distributed pre-seminar and post-seminar surveys to measure gains in learning progress among course participants. Included below are the graphed responses to selected questions from the surveys. In general, they illustrate a positive trend in learning gains achieved by the participants as a result of the course.

1. On the scale below, circle the choice that best represents your current knowledge of civil resistance and nonviolent movements.  (Left: Pre-Seminar Results, Right: Post-Seminar Results)

Explanation: In the Pre-Seminar LGS, only 17.6% students felt that they had a very strong knowledge base (8-10) of civil resistance and nonviolent movements. In the Post-Seminar LGS, 66.7% of participants reported having a strong knowledge base on the subject.

2. On the scale below, identify your comfort level in speaking about Community Policing.  (Left: Pre-Seminar Results, Right: Post-Seminar Results)

Explanation: In the Pre-Seminar LGS, 11.8% of participants reported having a very low comfort level in speaking about community policing  (1-2). In the Post-Seminar LGS, 0% of participants reported having a very low comfort level and 83.3% reported having a very high comfort level (8-10).

3. On the scale below, which choice best represents your view that revolutions against brutal regimes (dictatorships, for instance) can succeed only if revolutionaries retain the option to use violent means?  (Left: Pre-Seminar Results, Right: Post-Seminar Results)

Explanation: In the Pre-Seminar LGS, 17.6% of participants held the view that revolutions against brutal regimes can succeed only if revolutionaries retain the option to use violent means. In the Post-Seminar LGS, 0% of participants maintained that view and 91.7% disagreed or strongly disagreed with that view.

4. On the scale below, which choice best represents your view that protests, marches, and demonstrations in Brazil are violent (consider the last 10 years)?  (Left: Pre-Seminar Results, Right: Post-Seminar Results)

Explanation: In the Pre-Seminar LGS, 5.9% of participants believed that protests, marches, and demonstrations in Brazil are always violent. However, in the Post-Seminar LGS, no participants reported maintaining that view.

5. On the scale below, circle the number that best represents your view that movements/campaigns that face repression must fail.  (Left: Pre-Seminar Results, Right: Post-Seminar Results)

Explanation: In the Pre-Seminar LGS, no participants strongly disagreed that movements/campaigns that face repression must fail. In the Post-Seminar LGS, 16.7% of participants strongly disagreed that such movements must fail.

6. On the scale below, circle the number that best represents your view about how important you think strategic planning and leadership are in policing.  (Left: Pre-Seminar Results, Right: Post-Seminar Results)

Explanation: In the Post-Seminar LGS, 83.3% of the participants thought that strategic planning and leadership in (nonviolent) policing are important, which was an increase by almost 7% in comparison with the result (76.5%) for the same question in the Post-Seminar LGS.

Final Course Evaluation Results:

Included below are graphed responses to selected questions from the Final Course Evaluation.

Module 1: Introduction to Nonviolence

This module introduces the main concepts and ideas of civil resistance. It reflects on its effectiveness and its power to overcome adversarial conditions.

The amount of study material provided in this module was:

Relevance to your interests or work:

Would you recommend this session be included in a similar program in the future?

Module 2: Civil Resistance in History: Martin Luther King

This module introduces Kingian Nonviolence and discusses the Kingian framework for conflict reconciliation, management, mediation, and arbitration. It includes analysis of the different types and levels of conflict, and how they escalate and deescalate.

The amount of study material provided in this module was:

Relevance to your interests or work:

Would you recommend this session be included in a similar program in the future?

Module 3: Leadership, Negotiation and Strategy

This module aims to empower participants with knowledge to become better leaders. It discusses BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) and the importance of unity, planning and nonviolent discipline in developing and leading a movement.

The amount of study material provided in this module was:

Relevance to your interests or work:

Would you recommend this session be included in a similar program in the future?

Module 4: Nonviolence Applied to Policing

This module analyzes why people are violent. It discusses negotiation, mediation and conflict resolution. It covers community policing and its definition, challenges and application.

The amount of study material provided in this module was:

Relevance to your interests or work:

Would you recommend this session be included in a similar program in the future?

Module 5: The Future of Civil Resistance

This module discusses ways that external non-state actors can support campaigns and civil resistance, the police as a nonviolent actor, the importance of communication and media strategies for successful nonviolent resistance movements, and different roles of technologies in civil resistance struggles.
The amount of study material provided in this module was:

Relevance to your interests or work:

Would you recommend this session be included in a similar program in the future?

General Questions about Educational Content:

Which Module was the most important for you?

Overall so far, the quality of the content has been: (Scale: 1 = very low; 5 = very high)

Go back to the main ICNC Curriculum Fellowship page.

Lilit Makunts, an ICNC Curriculum Fellow, developed, offered and moderated an online course on the introduction to civil resistance in Fall 2016 as part of the ICNC Curriculum Fellowship. The course was conducted on the ICNC Moodle platform.

The information featured below was submitted as part of the fellowship requirement that, among others, included creating a detailed course proposal, developing online content, designing evaluation tools, selecting participants and extensive moderation throughout the course.

Learn more by clicking on the topic links:

• About the Curriculum Fellow
• Course Abstract
• Learning Gains Survey Results 
• Final Course Evaluation Results
• Selected Testimonials
• Useful Tips from Participants for Course Success

Go back to the main ICNC Curriculum Fellowship page.

Lilit Makunts is currently an Associate Professor at Russian-Armenian University in Yerevan. She earned her Ph.D. in Cognitive Linguistics specializing in Political Discourse. She teaches Sociolinguistics, Cognitive Linguistics, and Discourse Analysis. After attending the Fletcher Summer Institute for the Advanced Study of Nonviolent Conflict in 2015, she initiated an academic course on Civil Resistance in the Department of Political Science this fall.

Still a student, she was very actively engaged in civic initiatives. Her aspiration for democratic changes in Armenia made her enter politics in 2004 and try to promote universal values. However, after about 8 years as a political board member in the Liberal Party of Armenia and the head of the youth organization (2004-2012) she realized that, without civic education and the acknowledgment of people power among society, no substantial democratic changes can take place. This was the major reason she quit political activity and started working with civil society groups and individuals. Along with academic teaching, she works as a trainer on different civil society platforms.

Course Abstract: This is an online seminar that aims to provide civil society representatives, social/political activists and students with basic knowledge of civil resistance history as well as to introduce them to strategies and tactics that are employed worldwide to make nonviolent resistance effective. The course intends to discuss various cases of nonviolent campaigns and movements and reflect on their efficiency by drawing parallels across local contexts. The course will begin with an introduction to civil resistance and its historical background and will discuss its common misconceptions. It will analyze the reasons why nonviolent campaigns succeed more often than violent ones and will touch upon the idea of people power and how it works. The seminar will further discuss strategic frameworks for analyzing campaigns and movements, as well as explore issues related to innovative and creative tactical choice. Cultural resistance will then be discussed as a creative way to challenge and fight oppression. The last component of the online course will be devoted to the discussion of the role of negotiations in civil resistance and the options regarding their application in nonviolent struggles in Armenia.

Learning Gains Survey Results
The Learning Gains Survey aims to measure knowledge gains among course participants. Participants take the Pre-Seminar Survey at the beginning of the course and take an identical survey (Post-Seminar) at the end of the course. Included below are the graphed responses to selected questions from the Pre-Seminar and Post-Seminar Surveys. In general, the surveys illustrate a positive trend in the knowledge gains achieved by participants as a result of the course.

1. On the scale below, grade your current knowledge of civil resistance or nonviolent movements. (Left: Pre-Seminar Results, Right: Post-Seminar Results)

Explanation:  In the Pre-Seminar LGS, more than one third of participants (35.7% selected option 3) felt they had relatively little knowledge of civil resistance or nonviolent movements and zero participants ranked their knowledge above a score of 7. In the Post-Seminar LGS, close to 85% of participants felt that they had a very high level of knowledge on the subject (8-10).

2. On the scale below, identify your comfort level in speaking to others about civil resistance or nonviolent movements. (Left: Pre-Seminar Results, Right: Post-Seminar Results)

Explanation: In the Pre-Seminar LGS, participants reported a wide range of comfort levels when speaking about civil resistance or nonviolent movements; some participants ranked their level as very low and others as very high. [Participants might have understood this question not only in relation to their knowledge of/familiarity with the subject but also in relation to their willingness to speak about it with others in a relatively closed society].  The results of the Post-Seminar LGS indicate that all participants now feel confident in their ability to speak about this topic, with 77% ranking their comfort level as a 9 or a 10 and the remaining 23% ranking their comfort level as an 8.

3. On the scale below, select the number that best represents your knowledge on the history and effectiveness of nonviolent civil resistance. (Left: Pre-Seminar Results, Right: Post-Seminar Results)

Explanation: There is a clear growth in participants’ knowledge of the history and effectiveness of nonviolent civil resistance. In the Pre-Seminar LGS 42.9% of participants ranked their knowledge of this topic as low (3). However, in the Post-Seminar LGS 92.4% of participants ranked their knowledge as very high (8-10).

4. On the scale below, grade the effectiveness of nonviolent campaigns over the violent ones. (Left: Pre-Seminar Results, Right: Post-Seminar Results)

Explanation: In the Pre-Seminar LGS, participants were divided in their feelings of the effectiveness of nonviolent campaigns over violent ones. However, in the Post-Seminar LGS 69.3% of participants, no doubt informed by the readings and class discussions, reported that nonviolent campaigns can be highly effective, even more so than their violent counterparts.

5. On the scale below, select the number that best represents your view on the statement that movements that face repression cannot succeed. (Left: Pre-Seminar Results, Right: Post-Seminar Results)

Explanation: In the Post-Seminar LGS the number of participants who strongly disagreed that movements that face repression cannot succeed nearly doubled from 28.6% to 46.2%.

6. On the scale below, select the number that best reflects your view about how effective cultural resistance can be. (Left: Pre-Seminar Results, Right: Post-Seminar Results)

Explanation: The number of the participants who reported that cultural resistance can be highly effective (9-10) nearly doubled, from 35.7% in the Pre-Seminar LGS to 61.6% in the Post-Seminar LGS.

7. On the scale below, indicate the number that best represents your view on the statement that violent campaigns can be more effective for democratic transitions than nonviolent ones. (Left: Pre-Seminar Results, Right: Post-Seminar Results)

Explanation: The number of participants who felt strongly that violent campaigns cannot be more effective for democratic transitions than nonviolent ones, increased from 14.3% on the Pre-Seminar LGS to 23.1% on the Post-Seminar LGS (1).

8. On the scale below, indicate the number that best represents your opinion about how effective nonviolent movements are against repressive regimes. (Left: Pre-Seminar Results, Right: Post-Seminar Results)

Explanation: On the Pre-Seminar LGS, 28.6% of participants believed that nonviolent movements are very effective (8-10) against repressive regimes. The number of participants who held this view increased to 46.2% in the Post-Seminar LGS.

Final Course Evaluation Results:

Included below are graphed responses to selected questions from the Final Course Evaluation.

1. Course content was organized and planned (1: Strongly Disagree; 5: Strongly Agree)

2. The goals of the course and its modules were clear (1: Strongly Disagree; 5: Strongly Agree)

3. Course modules and content were timed and sequenced well (1: Strongly Disagree; 5: Strongly Agree)

4. Course content was comprehensive and balanced, and topics were well selected (1: Strongly Disagree; 5: Strongly Agree)

5. Taking this online course was a positive experience (1: Strongly Disagree; 5: Strongly Agree)

6. I now have more knowledge about civil resistance and its various topics than I had before taking the course (1: Strongly Disagree; 5: Strongly Agree)

7. I have reviewed some misconceptions that I had on nonviolent resistance as a result of the course (1: Strongly Disagree; 5: Strongly Agree)

8. I found the module on “Developing Strategy and Tactics” useful (1: Strongly Disagree; 5: Strongly Agree)

9. I consider analyzing the spectrum of allies to be important for planning (1: Strongly Disagree; 5: Strongly Agree)

10. I found weekly module summaries shared by the course moderator relevant and helpful (1: Strongly Disagree; 5: Strongly Agree)

11. Course moderator offered useful comments (1: Strongly Disagree; 5: Strongly Agree)

12. I learned about civil resistance from other course participants (1: Strongly Disagree; 5: Strongly Agree)

13. Course content matched my interests and professional needs (1: Strongly Disagree; 5: Strongly Agree)

14. The course met or exceeded my expectations (1: Strongly Disagree; 5: Strongly Agree)

15. I would recommend this course to other people (1: Strongly Disagree; 5: Strongly Agree)

16. How would you assess your own engagement with the course material, including participation in the course forums? (on a scale from 1 to 5)

17. I feel my knowledge on nonviolent resistance can be resourceful for researchers, activists and other interest groups (1: Strongly Disagree; 5: Strongly Agree)

Selected Testimonials

• “Initially, I was very enthusiastic about this online course and, now, my expectations are justified…..Before the course I was very pessimistic about the changes that one can make in their own country, but now it is quite the opposite picture. The examples, the people, the achievements were so influential, that you could not help believing in its power. The most valuable part for me were the discussions, because here you can, directly, feel the great concerns of different people on one issue, and discussions, in that sense, were the beginning of something new.”

• “For me the part of “Developing Strategies and Tactics” was the most interesting and important, because it shares theoretical knowledge on very practical part of social/political life.”

• “Each module of the course was valuable and in each step we got a new knowledge. In future I will use my knowledge from the course. She is a great moderator because she constantly reminds us that she is willing to listen to anything we have to say and discuss.”

• “I liked the discussions in the forums, it was great to know that there are people who value the idea of non-violent civil resistance.”

• “I liked it and everything was balanced. I think all of modules are valuable and they can’t be separated.”

• “First of all the whole course was inspiring and motivating, which, I think, is quite necessary for today’s generation, particularly in our country. Most of all I liked the 6th module, ‘Cultural Resistance’, as it seemed to be the best way of a nonviolent civil movement in many ways.”

• “I got very positive impression from the course, because I learned a lot of new things about non-violent civil resistance. I especially liked when we studied different successful cases of civil resistance all around the world.”

• “I’ll mention 3 topics which really impress me. They are ‘Developing Strategy and Tactics’, ‘Cultural Resistance’, and ‘Negotiations and Civil Resistance’

• “The course was very useful for me. I particularly enjoyed the interaction between participants in the forums.”

Useful Tips from Participants for Course Success

• Time management and self-commitment

• Spend 1.5 – 2 hours per day engaging in the course

• Before watching and reading materials, review the forum discussion questions

• Do not leave tasks to the last day of each module

• Be as attentive and active as possible; taking this course and reviewing this literature is a duty

• Create a schedule

• Read material every day little by little

• Keep up with forum discussions that other participants lead; it is the best way to remember all the course details and to apply various points of view

Go back to the main ICNC Curriculum Fellowship page.

ICNC offered a moderated online course on civil resistance in partnership with the International Institute for Peace at Rutgers University Graduate School, which took place from October 14, 2014 to November 21, 2014.

Click on the following links to navigate:

• Applications, admission and course participants
• Course moderation
• Course content
• Selected testimonials
• Useful tips from participants for course success

Applications, admission and course participants

ICNC received 86 applications and accepted 55 participants. Among those 55 participants, 23 countries of origin were represented including Israel, Pakistan, Venezuela, and Poland. The participant group was made up of activists, scholars, educators, and students.

Course moderation

Course facilitators included Dr. Maciej Bartkowski, Shaazka Beyerle, and Althea Middleton-Detzner.

Course content

The online course consisted of an introduction module and five thematic modules. Each thematic module was released at the beginning of the week and the participants and moderators engaged in different forums of the module throughout the week. A detailed course outline is provided below. (Note: The selection of the ‘Not Applicable’ option indicates that the respondent did not participate in that particular module)

Module 1. Welcome and Introductions 

Module 2. Foundation of Civil Resistance

• What civil resistance is, its dynamics, attributes, power of agency
• Explaining effectiveness of civil resistance: its record and why it was ignored in the past

Module 3. Deconstructing Misconceptions and Structural Determinism

• Common misconceptions and their harmful consequences
• Skills versus Conditions: underlying misconceptions, research findings (Freedom House study, Gaventa and Barrett), interplay between skills and conditions, Thomas Schelling quote

Module 4. Dynamics of Civil Resistance: Strategies and Tactics

• Nonviolent tactics and strategies (what they are/what is the difference between the two)
• Tools for tactical analysis
• Strategic sequencing of tactics (Nashville episode)
• Dilemma actions
• Backfire/paradox of oppression
• Defections

Module 5. Variety of topics [participants chose at least two out of six topics listed below]

• Nonviolent Resistance Against Violent Non-State Actors
• Gender Dynamics in Civil Resistance
• Violent Flank and Civil Resistance
• Unaccountable Exploitative Industry and Civil Resistance
• Grassroots Campaigns and Movements Impacting Corruption and Impunity
• Democratic Transition and Civil Resistance

5.1 Nonviolent Resistance Against Violent Non-State Actors:

If “Not Applicable” was selected it meant learners did not take part in reviewing and discussing this particular topic in Module 5, and instead chose a different one.

5.2 Gender Dynamics in Civil Resistance:

If “Not Applicable” was selected it meant learners did not take part in reviewing and discussing this particular topic in Module 5, and instead chose a different one.

5.3 Violent Flank and Civil Resistance:

If “Not Applicable” was selected it meant learners did not take part in reviewing and discussing this particular topic in Module 5, and instead chose a different one.

5.4 Unaccountable Exploitative Industry and Civil Resistance:

If “Not Applicable” was selected it meant learners did not take part in reviewing and discussing this particular topic in Module 5, and instead chose a different one.

5.5 Grassroots Campaigns and Movements Impacting Corruption and Impunity:

If “Not Applicable” was selected it meant learners did not take part in reviewing and discussing this particular topic in Module 5, and instead chose a different one.

5.6 Democratic Transition and Civil Resistance:

If “Not Applicable” was selected it meant learners did not take part in reviewing and discussing this particular topic in Module 5, and instead chose a different one.

Module 6

• Final Course Evaluations

Selected Testimonials

“It was extremely knowledgeable and very concise and well organised in its structure. I could not have expected more…Very much impressed with the quality of lectures and course work and absolute brilliant administration and organisation by the ICNC Team.” 
-ICNC Online Course Participant, 2014

“The course exactly met my expectations. I thought it was a good combination of theories and case study analysis. The forum allowed to express our opinions and to share own experiences among the participants. Really, thank you!!!”
-ICNC Online Course Participant, 2014

“This course was wonderful overall. I did not expect it to be intensive and to cover a wide range of topics. It came at the right time as I find myself going deeper and deeper in activism for social change in my country and region.”
-ICNC Online Course Participant, 2014

“My role models in nonviolence have been Mahatma Gandhi and Dr Martin Luther King both of whom advocated principled nonviolence yet were very strategic in the use of it. Without realizing it I had taken principled violence as the only form of violence and never considered those who use nonviolence for strategic purposes only. This understanding left me frustrated every time people turned away as I advocated for nonviolence. The course helped me get the message clearer and I will be able now to tell people correctly and draw more activists to adhere to our cause of nonviolent social change.” 
-ICNC Online Course Participant, 2014

“I did not know the extent of women’s involvement in nonviolent movements. I knew it was substantial, but I had still underestimated just how powerful and effective women have been historically and presently in making nonviolence happen. Also, I was unaware of the number of instances in which folks used nonviolence, not because of an ideological commitment, but because it worked.” 
-ICNC Online Course Participant, 2014

Useful tips from participants for course success

• Time management is key
• If you have internet access issues, plan work time efficiently
• Work a little everyday or pick certain days to dedicate large portions of time
• Explore the online course site in the beginning to understand all the tools
• Use your phone to read/work on the go
• Start discussions; ask questions

Interest in civil resistance movements and nonviolent action is rising among high school students.  Whether driven by current events in their country, growing media attention that civil resistance movements are receiving, or other causes, opportunities need to be created for these students to follow their interest and pursue study of this field.

View the most recent call for High School Fellowships to learn more about the fellowship and requirements. A new call for applications is expected to be launched in the first quarter of every year.

Studying civil resistance movements and nonviolent action as an applied science and creative engagement can have numerous benefits for young students, including:

• Understanding new ways of engagement in making social, political, and economic change in their communities.  This can lead to heightened engagement and a sense of empowerment.

• Preparing students for university-level study.  There is a profusion of scholarly literature, and a growing number of courses on civil resistance offered at various universities in the areas of conflict, peace and security studies, political science, international relations, history, and sociology.

• Offering students general knowledge and skills that are relevant to future advanced studies in any of the broadly understood social sciences.

• For career-oriented students who know they want to pursue work in foreign policy, government, community organizing, journalism, advocacy, or civil society organizations, learning about civil resistance movements and nonviolent action can be a career-oriented learning opportunity.  As this phenomenon increasingly shapes international affairs and domestic politics in countries around the world, government and civic actors are increasingly likely to encounter this phenomenon in their work. In such cases, knowledge about civil resistance movements is an important competency.

In Fall 2016, ICNC  launched its first ever grant program for high school educators from around the world to support development and implementation of education on civil resistance movements and nonviolent action for high school students.

The first seven fellows of the program have been selected from the pool of excellent applicants who responded to the call. The fellows came from different parts of the world (Mauritania, Afghanistan, United States, South Africa, Hungary) and developed and thought civil resistance courses for the high school students in Winter, Spring and Summer of 2017.

View this year’s 2018 High School Curriculum Fellows:

View the final evaluations and learning assessments from the 2016 High School Curriculum Fellows:

• Ahmadullah Archiwal, High School Curriculum Fellow. Ahmadullah’s course evaluation & learning assessment
• Elizabeth “Betsy” Cepparulo, High School Curriculum Fellow. Betsy’s course evaluation & learning assessment
• Regina Feldman, High School Curriculum Fellow. Regina’s course evaluation & learning assessment

ICNC offered a moderated online course on civil resistance in partnership with the International Institute for Peace at Rutgers University Graduate School, which took place from October 9 to November 17, 2015.

Use the following links to navigate:

• Applications, admission and course participants
• Course moderation
• Course content
• Final evaluation results
• Selected testimonials

Applications, admission and course participants

ICNC received 142 applications and accepted 62 participants. The selected participants came from 26 countries, and included activists and organizers, international development and human rights professionals, journalists, educators, and students.

Course moderation

Six ICNC staff members moderated various discussion forums in the online course, adding significant value to the overall educational experience. The course moderators included: Dr. Maciej Bartkowski, Shaazka Beyerle, Althea Middleton-Detzner, Amber French, Katherine Hughes-Fraitekh. The course administrators were David Reinbold and Cathy Smith.

Check what participants thought about the course moderation.

In addition to the interventions in the discussion forums, course moderators provided weekly summaries from the forum discussions in a particular module, highlighting key points made, debates taking place and core information that was shared.

Course content

The online course consisted of an introduction and six thematic modules. Each thematic module was released at the beginning of the week and the participants and moderators would engage in different forums of the module throughout the week. A detailed course outline is provided below.

Check out what participants thought about the course content.

Module 1.  Foundation of Civil Resistance
What Is Civil Resistance?
People and Power
Effectiveness of Civil Resistance

Module 2. Emergence of Civil Resistance, Conditions and Skills
Emergence of Civil Resistance Movements
Conditions and their Impact
Skills Drive Civil Resistance

Module 3. Strategies and Tactics of Civil Resistance
Nashville Lunch Counter Campaign (U.S. Civil Rights Movement)
Strategic Planning and Tactical Choices
Cultural Resistance Tactics
Tactical Innovation
Conflict Analysis Tools

Module 4. Repression and Backfire, Defections, Violent Flank
Repression and Backfire
Defections
Violent Flanks

Module 5. Variety of Topics on Civil Resistance
People Power versus Corruption and Impunity
Civil Resistance in War-Torn Environments
Women and Nonviolent Resistance
Communication Strategies for Civil Resistance

Module 6. Variety of Topics of Civil Resistance
External Actors and Civil Resistance
Civil Resistance and New Technologies
Democratization and Civil Resistance
Civil Resistance and Corporate Governance

 Final evaluation results

Included below are graphed responses to selected questions from the final course evaluation.

• Course content
• Knowledge gains
• Learning from other participants
• Quality of course moderation
• Meeting participants’ expectations
• Recommending the course
• Course relevance to work/study/activism

Course content

1. Course content was organized and planned

2. Course modules and content were timed and sequenced well

3. Course content was comprehensive, balanced and topics well selected

Knowledge gains

4. I now have more knowledge about civil resistance and its various topics than I had before taking the course

Learning from other participants

5. I learned about civil resistance from course participants

Course moderation

6. I learned about civil resistance from course moderators

7. Course moderators offered useful comments

8. I found module summaries shared by moderators relevant and helpful

Meeting participants’ expectations

9. Course met or exceeded my expectations

Recommending the course

10. I would recommend this course to other people

Course relevance to future study/work/activism

11. I expect the knowledge from the course to be relevant in my future study/work

12. Where do you plan to apply the knowledge from this course?

Testimonials

“This course was a wealth of knowledge waiting to be discovered. I was able to take a number of learnings and apply them to my current civil resistance work.”
– Shani Smith, ICNC online course participant, 2015

“This is a great, rigorous course on civil resistance from start to finish, covering more ground than you imagine is possible!”
– Rivera Sun, ICNC online course participant, 2015

“I am really happy to have done this course. It opened my mind to so many subjects. Since I am in the military, [nonviolent conflict] may sound counterintuitive (even though by our own doctrine it should not), but now I will always think of the nonviolent option as probably the most effective one. I am really thankful for all your efforts in carrying out this course. I hope to keep in touch with ICNC.”
– Henrique Siniciato Terra Garbino, ICNC online course participant, 2015

“This is exactly the kind of course I was expecting to complete my quest of more diversified and deeper knowledge, opinions, thoughts and good practices ( from the other participants) on civil resistance. I have definitely gained new approaches to strengthen my human rights activist daily struggle on the ground.”
– Yves Boukari Traore, ICNC online course participant, 2015

“Thank all our Moderators and facilitators of their courage, professionalism and experience they demonstrated in making this a true learning process and experience in my life long career in Global Peace education. Thank you.”
– Kamara Ibrahim, ICNC online course participant, 2015