Happy International Day of Peace! I invite you to celebrate peace with us this weekend for World BEYOND War’s annual global conference, #NoWar2023: Nonviolent Resistance to Militarism, happening virtually this Friday, September 22- Sunday, September 24. Reserve your spot by registering here.
This year’s virtual conference brings together hundreds of attendees & 35 speakers from 33 countries, and has been endorsed or sponsored by 70+ organizations from around the world.
Throughout three days of online panels, training, and discussion sessions, #NoWar2023 will make the case for the efficacy of nonviolent resistance as a tool for conflict resolution, highlighting case studies from around the world of unarmed civilian-based defense against invasions, occupations, and dictatorships.We will hear from front-line organizers with experience using nonviolent resistance tactics to learn what works, what doesn’t, and how we can better utilize unarmed civilian-based defense in the face of war and militarized violence. We’ll learn about unarmed civilian protection and accompaniment in Latin America; Liberian women who came together to end a bloody civil war armed only with white T-shirts and the courage of their convictions; conscientious objectors in Ukraine and Russia who are refusing to fight each other; land defenders in Palestine who employ nonviolent tactics like planting olive trees to resist Israeli laws that encroach on their ancestral lands; and much more.
As we continue to witness the proliferation of ongoing wars and humanitarian crises around the world, along with the failings of the rule of law and diplomacy to stop them, both seasoned activists and newcomers alike question whether unarmed resistance can be effective against military invasion, occupation, and war. #NoWar2023 creates a much-needed space for this discussion in addition to global community building, reflection, learning, and skills sharing.