Dear friends,

We invite you to join us on December 13, at 10AM ET / 3PM Western Sahara, for an important webinar that sheds light on one of the world’s least-known yet longest-standing occupations: Western Sahara.

The event will begin with a clear and concise political–historical overview of the illegal and brutal occupation, providing the essential grounding needed to understand the resistance movement led by the Saharawi people. From there, our speakers will explore how Saharawi communities have nonviolently organized, documented abuses, and sustained resilience in the face of deepening repression.

You’ll hear directly from long-time Saharawi human rights activists Salka Barca, from the Western Sahara Solidarity Committee (WSSC) and Karama Sahara, Nayua Aduh, from the Committee Against the Exploitation of the Saharawi People, and Mulay Sid Ahmed, from the Saharawi Association in the USA (SAUSA). We will also be joined by David Wildman, who will share his experience joining divestment campaigns that combine Palestine and Western Sahara. The conversation will be hosted by Susan Smith, Director of Operations and Community Engagement at the Fellowship of Reconciliation - USA (FOR - USA).

This webinar is a rare opportunity to learn from voices deeply rooted in the struggle.
What we will explore together:

• The political and historical roots of the current occupation
• How Saharawi communities organize and resist through nonviolent means
• Firsthand testimonies from human rights defenders
• How international allies can play a meaningful and ethical role
• Recent developments on the ground, including rising repression and documentation efforts
• Practical advocacy tools and ways to support Saharawi-led initiatives
• Live dialogue and Q&A with speakers

Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding and stand in solidarity.
Register now to be part of this important conversation.

This webinar is sponsored by the Western Sahara Solidarity Committee, and hosted by the Fellowship of Reconciliation - USA and Nonviolence International.

Please share this webinar invitation with your networks. As with many NVI events, we welcome your active participation. A recording will be shared with all who register and also be posted on our Youtube channel.

Peace,
Michael Beer & Sami Awad
NVI Co-Directors 

P.S. We still have a few slots open in our Nonlinear Leadership Training, beginning January 10th. Join us with participants from all over the world.

Dear friends,

Amidst the flood of emails for giving Tuesday, we ask that you consider giving to more of our amazing partners. We have so many and don’t know where to start, but please consider giving to as many of them as you can. 
                                                   Working Together the People Can Prevail! 

Photo by Nayef Hashlamoun

For starters, our Palestinian Justice partners are just incredible:

• Dignity for Palestinians: delivers humanitarian aid into Gaza led by the heroic doctor Musallam Abukhalil.
• Center for Jewish Nonviolence: has been on the front lines accompanying Palestinian and modelling what a Jewish society should be: Compassionate, Courageous, and Respectful.
• Holy Land Trust: (HLT) based in Bethlehem and founded by NVI Co-Director Sami Awad, continues its mission of nonviolent resistance and focus on trauma resilience.
• Unarmed Civilian Protection in Palestine: With NVI and HLT support, Amira Musallam and Mel Duncan have organized some of the elite peacemakers in the world to come to the West Bank and help ameliorate Israeli violence against Palestinians. This is growing fast and needs much support.
• We Are Not Numbers: led by Walaa Sabah, continues to give voice to heroic Gazans. They also have an eponymous new book which is a must read and holiday gift.
• US Boat to Gaza and the Freedom Flotilla: For 17 years we have fiscally sponsored this effort and raised a few million dollars. Unfortunately, David Heap, Canada’s Gaza Boat leader was disgracefully arrested 4 days ago. We are never giving up. Please dig deep because we will return until the siege of Gaza is lifted.
• Villages Group: Led by Tamar Almog and Ehud Krinis. Israeli activists have been supporting and protecting Palestinians in Masafer Yatta every week for 24 years! This amounts to thousands of visits. Incredible.
• Hebron International Resource Network: Provides crucial humanitarian support and programs for Palestinians facing ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.
• Mennonite Action: A new powerful solidarity movement that is lighting up Christians in the US and Canada to support Palestinians. Listening to them sing is a must.

Wait, there is more! Please support our global partners!

• Western Sahara Solidarity Committee, 
• Ploughshares (direct action against nuclear weapons) program called Isaiah Project, 
• the Syrian nonviolence movement Sullam, and 
• Andre Kamenshikov’s anti-war work for Russians.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, feel free to email or call us and we can talk with you and advise. Feeling overwhelmed is a good thing. It shows that people-power is on the march and together we can move boulders and mountains.

The bottom line is that one of the powerful nonviolent people-power resources is your money. Please invest a percentage of your income or wealth and hit that benchmark every year. Together with a discipline of boycotting malign actors, you can have a powerful impact with your money.

Peace,
Mubarak Awad, NVI Founder

P.S. There are so many amazing groups highlighted here, that we ask you to flag and star this email so that you can return again later when you feel despair and want to move the boulder another centimeter!

Photo by Nayef Hashlamoun

From October 23 to 26, 2025, Barcelona hosted 4 Days 4 Peace, a series of events co-organized by the Centre Delàs d’Estudis per la Pau and the International Peace Bureau (IPB). The gathering brought together peace builders, researchers, and activists from various fields around the world to exchange perspectives, coordinate strategies, and strengthen the global movement for peace and disarmament.

The event opened on Thursday, October 23, with the Conference “Darkest Before Dawn. Pacifism in Times of Genocide and Rearmament.” The conference reflected on two years of genocide in Gaza, Western complicity, and the growing normalization of militarism. Participants called for non-violence and alternatives to the policies of rearmament and authoritarianism. The conference featured two main sessions: a dialogue on “Business and Complicity in the Genocide and Occupation of Palestine” with Shir Hever and Maha Abdallah, moderated by Laura Ferre Sanjuan; and a roundtable on “Rising Militarism and Power Politics in the International Arena” with Katerina Anastasiou, Joseph Gerson, and Corazon Valdez Fabros, moderated by Antonella Di Matteo.

On Friday, October 24, participants took part in workshops and strategy sessions organized around four thematic areas:

1. Global Disarmament and Militarization – the risks of global rearmament and the need for civil society–led disarmament initiatives was addressed. Topics such as the impact of militarization on austerity policies and public welfare, the diversion of resources from social, environmental and next-generation programs, and ethical concerns related to war and genocide where discussed. Initiatives such as GDAMS, StopRearmEurope, the No to NATO Network, the 10% for All Campaign agreed to build synergies between the campaigns for stronger collective impact and proposed setting a common global mobilization date to unify efforts and increase visibility.
   
   
2. Geopolitical Shifts and Global Governance Reform – how to strengthen international law, multilateralism, and the UN system to respond to current crises was explored. Proposed future visions included decentralizing global power structures, democratizing global institutions, reforming the UN system and redefining the notion of security.
   
   
3. Solidarity with Palestine and Peoples Impacted by Militarism Worldwide – coordinating civil society action in solidarity with affected communities in Palestine, Sudan, DRC, Western Sahara, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Ukraine was the focus of the workshop. Solidarity platforms, webinars, conferences linking movements across regions, workshops integrating different analyses and investigative journalism efforts exposing violations of human rights were highlighted as examples of current strategic actions. Looking forward, it was suggested that solidarity strategies are framed by decolonial and justice-based lenses that prioritize the following: ensuring solidarity is interactive and grounded in local realities, strengthening the promotion of democratic and peace-oriented initiatives and broadening anti-imperialist analysis, among others.
   
   
4. Stronger Together: Linking Peace, Climate, Social, and Gender Justice – examining the interconnected nature of the conflicts and global issues we are facing today. Participants highlighted the need to give space to underrepresented voices, bridge generational and regional divides, and remain mindful of power dynamics that can replicate forms of oppression even within peace movements.

4 Days 4 Peace unfolded in Barcelona at a moment when militarization is accelerating worldwide, social protections are eroding, and fear continues to be weaponized for political gain. Throughout the workshops, conversations, and plenaries, one insight resurfaced in every region, from Brazil to Georgia, Israel to Russia, South Africa to Italy and Spain: despite vastly different political contexts, military spending is rising everywhere, often justified by narratives of fear: fear of crime, fear of immigrants, fear of neighboring states, fear of terrorism. Yet what became equally clear is that these fears rarely reflect the real insecurities people face in their daily lives. Participants repeatedly emphasized the widening gap between elite security, defined through weapons, borders, and geopolitical rivalry, and human security, rooted in healthcare, education, housing, social welfare, and climate resilience.

The testimonies shared during the conference revealed patterns that transcend borders: in Latin America, the “war on drugs” continues to feed militarized policing and surveillance. In the Middle East and North Africa, the “war on terror” sustains decades of repression and foreign intervention. Across Europe, rearmament plans are advancing under the banner of deterrence, while pension systems fracture and inequality deepens. From Russia’s cultural normalization of military solutions to Spain’s record-high defense budget to Greece’s per-capita military burden, the logic is the same: resources are diverted from social needs toward weapons systems that do little to protect the people who fund them.

Despite these stark realities, the conference centered not on despair but on possibility. Hope, as many articulated, is not a passive feeling but a discipline—a conscious decision to imagine and build alternatives. Campaigns such as those mentioned above demonstrated that civil society is already constructing transnational strategies for demilitarization. Yet the discussions also highlighted the urgent need to expand these efforts: to reach younger generations, to engage cultural workers and trade unions, to collaborate with African and Latin American organizations, and to frame demands not only against militarization but for something: health, climate justice, shared security, and dignified futures.

Throughout the sessions, a recurring question emerged: How do we shift public opinion when most people never question military budgets at all? Participants emphasized that peace movements must reclaim the language of security itself, grounding it in human needs and everyday struggles. Fear will continue to be exploited unless we counter it with a vision that recognizes people’s desire to feel safe, and shows that true safety comes from community, social investment, and justice, not from arms races.

For Nonviolence International, the days in Barcelona reaffirmed three strategic priorities: deepening work on Western Sahara and other under-addressed struggles of decolonization; building pathways to engage younger audiences; and strengthening connections across the Global South, especially in Africa and Latin America. The conference made clear that the fight against militarization cannot remain Eurocentric and US-centered. It must be global, intersectional, and grounded in the lived experiences of those most impacted by violence, whether state, structural, or economic.

4 Days 4 Peace offered not only analysis but also direction. It reminded us that while militarism feeds on fragmentation, peace grows through connection. And it called on all of us, researchers, activists, movements, and communities, to expose the systems that profit from conflict while amplifying the possibilities of cooperation, accountability, and common security. As the climate crisis accelerates and geopolitical tensions rise, this work becomes not only urgent but existential. The task ahead is to turn shared concerns into shared action, and shared action into global change.

“The real act of discovery consists not in finding new lands, but in seeing with new eyes.” Marcel Proust

We are living in a time of unprecedented change. Old systems are collapsing and uncertainty is rising. Trust in leadership is eroding. Our institutions — political, social, religious, and even activists — are struggling to inspire faith, courage, or direction. Leaders rise, but few lead — the best ones are trying their best to manage crises after crises, caught in the same cycles they were meant to transform.

When it comes to true leadership, vision has been replaced by visibility and noise has taken the place of wisdom. We are drowning in information but starving for insight. In the landscapes we live in, leadership as we know it is no longer enough.

The challenges we face, such as climate collapse, systemic injustice, polarization, and despair cannot be solved by the same mindset that created them. What is needed is not better management of the old, but the birth of the new.

A new kind of leadership. A nonlinear one.
Leadership that emerges from consciousness, not control.
From vision, not fear.
From possibility, not precedent.

Nonlinear Leadership was created for those who feel this tension; leaders, changemakers, and activists who know that something deeper must shift.
It is for those ready to think differently, act courageously, and lead from vision rather than fear.

• Are you in a leadership position but find yourself struggling to move forward efficiently and effectively? 
• Are you an activist striving to make a difference but feel stuck?
• Do you want to have a breakthrough and lead with more clarity and confidence?
• Are you seeking to achieve greater results in your life and for those around you?

Join Nonviolence International in the launch of our second online training program, and designed to develop strong and effective leadership for the challenges of our time. It will begin on January 10th, at 11AM ET and 6PM Jerusalem time, on a weekly basis, until February 14th.

What is the Nonlinear Leadership Development Program?

This is a deep personal development journey designed to awaken your inner leadership.
It gives you tools to make the impossible possible—in your personal life, your work, your community, and your country.

Developed from the pioneering work of Miki Walleczek, Nonlinear Leadership begins at the individual level. It reconnects you with your innate creativity, intelligence, and responsibility, giving you access to action through the power of nonlinear thinking and language.

Participants first cultivate inner clarity and vision—discovering what it truly means to lead—and then expand their leadership into the collective, building communities capable of self-organization, innovation, and sustained transformation.

This approach helps distinguish facts from interpretations, moving beyond the weight of the past to act from future possibilities. Through this, participants engage in deep reflection, challenge limiting mindsets, and foster environments where people can thrive amidst uncertainty and change.

The training will be facilitated by Sami Awad, Co-Director of Nonviolence International.

What will you learn?

• Deal effectively with challenges and breakdowns on personal, professional, community, and national levels.
• Build relationships based on mutual trust and respect.
• Respond effectively to what is happening here and now.
• Create bold, future-driven visions that honor but are not bound by the past.
• Accomplish breakthrough results.
• Lead purposeful, outcome-oriented meetings.
• Understand and harness the power of context in leadership.
• Build networks that empower and sustain your vision.

What will you accomplish?

• Gain access to powerful, action-oriented language.
• Learn nonlinear tools applicable across all dimensions of life.
• Free yourself from constraints of the past.
• Create an inspiring and transformative future for yourself, your community, and your organization.
• Build self-organizing networks that turn the impossible into reality.
• Engage with the principles of nonlinearity, self-organization, and emergence.
• Strengthen your sense of self-responsibility and clarity in decision-making.

We welcome:

• Leaders committed to building a future founded on nonviolence, justice, equality, and peace.
• Leaders ready to create breakthroughs in their lives and work.
• Those seeking to challenge what they know and open new possibilities.
• Anyone willing to learn, grow, and explore new approaches to leadership.

Participation is limited to 30 people, ensuring an intimate and high-impact learning experience.

Contribution:

The full program value is $600, but Nonviolence International is committed to accessibility.
We invite voluntary contributions based on each participant’s ability to give, ensuring no one is turned away for financial reasons.

Apply Now

If you’re ready to redefine what leadership and community means in your life.
If you’re ready to think and act beyond the limits of linear systems - then this program is for you.

To apply, please fill in the following form.

Western Sahara Solidarity Committee 

Who We Are?

• The Western Sahara Solidarity Committee (WSSC) was formed in 2025 to help support the struggle for self-determination in Western Sahara, which has increasingly come under attack by its occupier, Morocco, and western countries who are promoting the ongoing colonization of Western Sahara under the guise of autonomy.

How Did We Start?

• In March of 2022, a group of unarmed civilian protectors gained entrance into Western Sahara to serve as witnesses to the Moroccan siege on the home of Sahrawi human rights defenders Sultana and Luara Khaya. The Khaya sisters are members of the Saharawi Organ against the Moroccan Occupation (ISACOM), an organization founded in September 2020 to advocate for the right of non-violent self-determination for people in Western Sahara and to work for the release of Saharawi political prisoners. 
• The individuals who helped organize that trip, together with new volunteers and Sahrawi organizers, have formed the WSSC as a means to draw attention to the ongoing struggle which has persevered since the United Nations' first call for decolonization in 1965 and the formation of the indigenous Sahrawi independence movement in 1973.

Modern Day Imperialism in Western Sahara

• Since November 2020, Moroccan authorities have intensified their crackdown on pro-independence Sahrawi activists through arrests, ill-treatment, and harassment aimed at silencing dissent. Amnesty International documented abuses against 22 individuals, including torture, house raids, and detention for peaceful acts like social media posts, protests, and displaying the Sahrawi flag. Such repression followed by clashes in Al Guerguerat, where Moroccan forces dismantled a peaceful Sahrawi protest camp. 
• Both Western Sahara and Palestine are recognized by the United Nations as non-self-governing territories with unresolved status. Morocco claims sovereignty over Western Sahara, while Israel asserts control over the West Bank, East Jerusalem. In both cases, the indigenous populations–Sahrawis and Palestinians–continue to demand self-determination, which is systematically denied by the occupying power.   
• The Sahrawi struggle In 1975, Morocco invaded the territory following the departure of the Spanish colonizers, and has occupied Western Sahara ever since.  Following years of armed struggle, a ceasefire was brokered by the UN in 1991 which included a provision to hold a referendum on self-determination. That referendum has yet to take place. 
• In recent years, the Moroccan government has been pushing an autonomy plan of its own creation and without the input of Sahrawis or their elected representatives, which would continue the colonization of Western Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty.
• As part of Morocco's agreement to normalize relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords (announced in December 2020), the United States under President Trump recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara. This was the first time a Western power took such a position publicly. This was followed by Spain recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara in 2022, Israel in 2023, France in 2024, and the United Kingdom in 2025. 
• To be clear, although the governments of these countries have recognized Moroccan sovereignty, these moves have been opposed by members and organizations of their civil society. Western Sahara remains a "non-self governing territory" as recognized by the United Nations, and a plurality of countries support the right to self-determination in Western Sahara.
  
  

What Are Some Of The Values We Reflect? 

• Respect for human rights to include the right to self-determination
• True decolonization rather than imperialism by other means
• A commitment to the principles of nonviolence

What Are Some Of The Approaches We Employ To Pursue Our Goals?

• Education and increased awareness of the history and current brutal occupation of Western Sahara by Moroccan forces
• Grassroots campaigns in support of the Sahrawi quest for self-determination
• Encourage U.S. policy to align with the ideals of decolonization and human rights

Fiscal Sponsorship:  

• WSSC is currently under the fiscal sponsorship and support of Nonviolence International (NVI).

Nonviolent Resistance to the Occupation and Annexation of Western Sahara by Morocco

For those new to this topic, please scroll down to learn from the many resources below.

NVI supports Just Visit Western Sahara, a project of the Western Sahara Solidarity Committee. Our mission is to support the human rights and self-determination of the Sahrawi people and to encourage international tourists to visit the region. NVI has long supported Sahrawis who continue to resist the occupation and annexation of Western Sahara by Morocco. Invaded by Morocco in 1975 (with strong support from the United States), Sahrawi resistance has included both armed struggle and nonviolent action. NVI specifically supports nonviolent resistance and calls for an end to the Moroccan occupation. Western Sahara is recognized by the United Nations as a non-self-governing territory. In 1991, the UN promised to hold a referendum on self-determination for the people of Western Sahara. To this day, that referendum has not taken place.

In recent years, nonviolent resistance has been led substantially by Sahrawi women including the Khaya Sisters. In 2022, NVI in conjunction with other groups, intervened in the siege of the Khaya Sisters.  At the invitation of the Khaya family in Boujdour, Western Sahara, US-based volunteers arrived at their home to protect them from human rights abuses and break the almost 500-day siege of the house imposed by Moroccan occupation forces. Sultana Khaya was escorted to Spain by our team on Jun 3rd, 2022 to obtain medical care.

In June of 2023, Wynd Kaufmyn and Adrienne Kinne who were participants in the intervention to visist the Khaya family, spoke powerfully of their experiences of the Saharawi people and Moroccan illegal occupation at the UN Special Committee on Decolonization. Please these 4 minutes videos and read more below the Saharawi people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsUYr25VRxw&ab_channel=KaramaSahara

Here is Wynd Kaufmyn's testimony!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFmpw8zsRn4&ab_channel=KaramaSahara

Here is Adrienne Kinne's testimony

September 2023 Waari Khaya and Sahrawi Women Protest During UN Visit. 

"Sahawaris peacefully demonstrated in the capital city of El-Aaiún in response to the arrival of the United Nations Special Envoy to Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura."

Nonviolent resistance to occupation and annexation continues. The media release is here and the results of her beating by Moroccan authorities are shown below.

Sultana Khaya is touring the world speaking out against Moroccan occupation and abuses. 

On February 7th, 2023, Sultana Khaya spoke to the European Parliament about her experience in the aftermath of a scandal in which massive Moroccan corruption of the European Parliament led to failure to win the Sakharov Prize.

In December, the Vice President of Parliament, Eva Kaili as well as other key figures were arrested in conjunction with allegations that they recieved money in exchange for favorable actions for Qatar and Morocco.  " The Italian newspaper "Il fatto quotidiano", quoting investigators from the federal prosecutor's office in Brussels, indicated that the interference of the Moroccan regime would not have been limited to influencing the decisions of the European Parliament concerning Morocco, but would also have been focused on the "appointment of members of Eurochamber committees that dealt with sensitive issues for the Maghreb country", including that of 'candidates for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought'.  See here for the full article. https://www.spsrasd.info/news/en/articles/2022/12/24/43391.html For more information on the scandal, watch the Democracy Now Interview. 

The Siege of the Khaya Sisters in 2021 and 2022.

A report with photos can be found here.

US-Based Volunteer Adrienne Kinne interrupting the siege with Sultana Khaya and friends. 

Supported by the Human Rights Action Center (HRAC), NVI and a network of other human rights groups, the international unarmed civilian protection (UCP) volunteers, Ruth McDonough, Adrienne Kinne, Merwyn De Mello and Tim Pluth visited the Sultana family.

Since November 2020, the Khaya Sisters had been forcibly confined to their home and the family has faced many forms of abuse, including home invasions, sexual violence and injections of unknown substances. The Khaya sisters have been raped by Moroccan security forces in front of their 84-year-old mother. Furthermore, their water has been poisoned, furniture and property destroyed, and electricity cut-off.

Referring to her experience, Sultana Khaya shared, “I am not the first Saharawi woman to be raped by the occupiers. I am simply the first woman to speak publicly about it. I have to expose the reality of the occupation. And I need to pave the way for the next generation of Saharawi women.” 

Sultana Khaya is a Saharawi human rights defender whose work focuses on promoting the right of self-determination for the Saharawi people and ending violence against Saharawi women, through active participation in nonviolent efforts and demonstrations. She serves as the president of the Saharawi League for the Defense of Human Rights and the Protection of Western Sahara’s Natural Resources, and is a member of the Saharawi Commission against the Moroccan occupation (ISACOM). She is a nominee for the Sakharov Prize and winner of the Esther Garcia Award. As an outspoken activist, she has been targeted by the occupying Moroccan forces while engaged in peaceful protests, enduring abductions, beatings, and having one eye gouged out.

The US-based visitors called for an end to the rapes, freedom of movement for the Khaya family and all visitors, and an independent international investigation of these human rights abuses.

Grounded in international law, Unarmed Civilian Protection is a nonpartisan strategy that revolves around the use of nonviolent methods by civilians to protect other civilians under threat. Such protection is provided on invitation from local actors and supports local agency and infrastructures for peace.

Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and other highly respected investigative groups have documented widespread detentions, the torture of dissidents, and violent suppression of peaceful protests by Moroccan forces in Western Sahara. 

On 1 July 2021, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, condemned the reprisals against Sultana Khaya and expressed “particular concern about the apparent use of violence and the threat of violence to prevent and obstruct women human rights defenders in their peaceful human rights activities.” 

Nonviolence International's History of Nonviolent Action in Western Sahara

NVI has been worked to support nonviolent resistance to Moroccan occupation since 1991.

September 2022, NVI launches an online pledge calling on everyone to support nonviolent resistance to all occupations and forcible annexations, whether they be in Western Sahara, Golan Heights, Greater Jerusalem, or Ukraine.

June 2022, Sultana Khaya is escorted to Spain for medical care.

May 2022, A 2nd delegation of US based visitors to the Khaya family were kidnapped by unknown Moroccans and deported from Western Sahara.

May 2022. Moroccan authorities repeatedly smash the Khaya residence with a massive truck to kill all of its residents and US guests.

April 2022: In Nonviolent Strategies and Stories in Israel-Palestine and Western Sahara, Michael Beer and Osama Elewat speak with the Metta Center for Nonviolence on the power of nonviolence.

March 2022: NVI in conjunction with other NGOs, organized a team of US based activists to visit the Khaya Sisters and break the almost 500 day siege.

January 2022: Stephen Zunes writes in Foreign Policy in Focus that President Biden's refusal to reverse President Trump's policy on Western Sahara has dangerous global implications. 

Zunes piece in The Progressive warned that the threat of further Russian aggression against Ukraine was real and noted that the Biden administration is in a weak position to lead an international response.

December 2021: Khaya Family Update

March 2021: Nonviolence International is proud to make connections across boundaries that for far too long we have allowed to divide us. This NVI webinar connects those resisting occupation from Palestine to Western Sahara. We believe in the power of active nonviolence and offer this conversation as a way to celebrate brave nonviolent leaders and our shared use of creative Nonviolent Tactics and Training to make us even more impactful. 

(Video above shows Sultana Khaya - while under heavy surveillance - joining our webinar through Salka Barca. Note the 22-minute mark, at which Sultana Khaya dramatically confronts those who besiege her house.)

CNN featured Sultana Khaya’s powerful op-ed on a difficult topic that rarely gets the attention it deserves (Morocco: Western Sahara Activist Raped)

November 2020: NVI's Director, Michael Beer co-wrote this piece calling for an End to the Conflict in Western Sahara) and encouraging the US Government to change it policies towards Western Sahara. 

Nonviolence International supports international law and opposes the unlawful and violent occupations of its neighbors by Israel, Morocco and Russia.

July 2020:  Nonviolence International's statement on annexation. 

(Mubarak Awad & Jonathan Kuttab in Western Sahara in 2015)

2015, NVI's co-founders Mubarak Awad and Jonathan Kuttab are some of the few Palestinians and Americans who have gone and done solidarity work with them in the occupied territory.

2014, Jonathan Kuttab visits Western Sahara to speak about nonviolent resistance to occupation, human rights, and international law.

2005, NVI invites a Sahrawi representative to speak in Bethlehem at the World Conference on Nonviolent Resistance.

1991-2013, NVI is one of the only organizations to lead protests in Washington DC against Moroccan occupation and abuse in Western Sahara.

Resources on Western Sahara

A BATTLEFIELD TRANSFORMED: FROM GUERILLA RESISTANCE TO MASS NONVIOLENT STRUGGLE IN THE WESTERN SAHARA
Dr. Maria J. Stephan and Jacob Mundy. 

War Resisters International’s January 2021

Statement in the Face of War and Western Sahara Country Profile

The Washington Institute for Near East Policy's nine minute video on Western Sahara

Democracy Now's hour long documentary: Four Days in Occupied Western Sahara: Africa's Last Colony. 

An 2022 update on the Geo-politics of Western Sahara, by Jacob Mundy.

https://theconversation.com/unpacking-the-power-plays-over-western-sahara-186675  

Donate to support NVI's ongoing efforts to promote nonviolence in Western Sahara here.

As the Brazilian government prepares to host COP30 in the city of Belém do Pará, during November 10-21, a massive, highly militarized and violent police operation is happening in Rio de Janeiro. On October 28, over 2,500 officers and soldiers launched a raid in the favela complexes of Complexo do Alemão and Complexo da Penha, targeting the criminal network Comando Vermelho. The attack resulted in at least 128 deaths, including 4 police officers.

This operation is not only the most lethal in the city’s modern history, but also illustrates a troubling contradiction: while Brazil seeks to position itself as a global environmental leader, it simultaneously continues to invest vast resources in militarized security interventions. These operations reflect a broader logic of militarization in Brazil’s security policy: deploying large-scale armed interventions into low-income communities that treat the citizens living in these areas as enemies of the state. Guided by a “counter-insurgency” approach, these interventions treat urban communities as battlefields, rather than prioritizing public safety or adopting prevention-oriented strategies. 

Fernando Frasão/Agência Brasil

Residents reported indiscriminate gunfire, bodies left in the streets, and civilians trapped in the crossfire. Historically, these operations provide no real increase in public safety and fail to effectively dismantle criminal networks, as the true leaders of these organizations do not operate from the favelas. The governor of Rio framed the operation as a success after saying he was “at war” with criminal groups, while human rights organizations denounced the raid as a “state-sponsored massacre” under the narrative of the “war on drugs” in Latin America. 

There is also an important connection to be made here: Brazil’s military and specialized police units have received training from Israeli instructors and acquired Israeli-made weapons, drones, and armored vehicles. These interventions are also supported by surveillance technologies exported from Israel, with systems that have been labeled “battle-tested” through their deployment on Palestinians. The transfer of these tools and tactics underscores a troubling link between the methods used to control and repress Palestinian populations and the strategies applied in Brazilian favelas.

While this incident grabbed global headlines, we should be questioning, once again, the scale of investment behind such operations, and how might those funds serve alternative aims? What could be achieved if even a fraction of these funds were redirected toward climate resilience, affordable housing, education, and public health?

The COP30, to be held in Belém, represents a moment of global significance: a time when governments, businesses, and civil society will exchange commitments around climate change, adaptation, and financing. Brazil, as host, will be under the spotlight — not just for its Amazon policy, but for how it addresses domestic inequality, human rights, and environmental justice.  Some key points to think about are:

• Demilitarization of security: shift away from war-zone policing in communities towards community-led prevention, mediation, social services, and restorative justice.
  
• Reallocation of budgets: redirect funds from security deployments into climate adaptation (particularly in vulnerable urban and rural communities), affordable housing and basic services, and education programmes that empower marginalized youth.
  
• Linking environment and social justice: recognize that climate vulnerability and social exclusion are deeply intertwined. Favelas, Indigenous territories, coastal zones — they suffer multiple layers of crisis. Investing in their resilience demands more than policing.
  
• Accountability: international forums should push Brazil not only on emissions and deforestation, but also on human security, police accountability, and social equity.

As Brazil hosts COP30, it stands at a crossroads: will it invest in control and repression, or will it channel its resources toward care, prevention, equity, and climate resilience? For the international community, the lesson is clear: true climate leadership must include demilitarization and a reallocation of public resources toward human and planetary well-being. This means adopting the principles of human security, ensuring that every person’s basic needs, rights, and safety are protected, and common security, which recognises that security for one group cannot come at the expense of another. 

True and sustainable security requires investing in nonviolent strategies, the rule of law, economic and environmental protections, fair and transparent elections, and robust regional and global governance. Without addressing these structural conditions, the militarized approach merely reproduces inequality and violence, leaving communities exposed rather than protected.

Rooted in Sumud: Palestinian Nonviolence Resistance 

Watch the video here for the Online Film Salon, that NVI co-sponsored with Voices From the Holy Land, on Palestinian Nonviolent Resistance. Sami Awad, NVI-Co-Director, together with other panelists, such as Bill "Damani" Keene (civil rights activist, author and college administrator (ret.), Fadi Abushammala (Outreach Associate for Gaza at Just Vision), and moderator Jen Marlowe (author, filmaker, founder of Donkeysaddle Projects and Consulting Producer at Just Vision).

Jonathan Kuttab's "The Righteous Jews"

Jonathan Kuttab’s piece, The Righteous Jews, honors those who act on conscience, not in spite of their identity, but because of it. Read this moving tribute to those standing up against genocide and for justice in Palestine here 

To learn more about the great work that NVI's Jewish Partners are doing, check out Center for Jewish Nonviolence and Villages Group. 

You can also follow CJNV on Instagram @cjnvgram 

"The Future of Nonviolence in Palestine/Israel" with Sami Awad

On Friday, Nonviolence International hosted an insightful and powerful talk titled The Future of Nonviolence in Palestine/Israel at St John’s Episcopal Church. This event featured Sami Awad, a prominent advocate for peace and nonviolence, as he shared an in-depth update on the worsening violence and shifting dynamics in the West Bank.

He highlighted the escalating tensions and violence in the region, offering a vision for a peaceful resolution that involves a surge of international tourism and unarmed civilian protection teams. Awad argued that these collective efforts could help alleviate the suffering in Palestine while fostering a sense of solidarity. In the case of Gaza, Awad called for international monitoring to help sustain ceasefires and ensure lasting peace.

The event sparked a vital conversation about the role of global communities in supporting nonviolent initiatives and contributing to long-term peacebuilding efforts in the region. It was an inspiring call to action for all those who believe in a future of peace, justice, and nonviolent solutions.

Click below to view a recording of the event! 

The Future of Nonviolence in Palestine/Israel

Apartheid in Palestine and Israel is intensifying. Nonviolent mobilization is needed now more than ever.

An update on the Arrest Warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu 

The ongoing war on Gaza has seen unprecedented levels of destruction and human suffering, drawing global condemnation and calls for accountability. In a major development, an international arrest warrant has been issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, citing alleged war crimes and violations of international law. This pivotal moment could mark a turning point in the struggle for justice and peace in Palestine.

The Arrest Warrant: A Step Toward Accountability

The arrest warrant signals a significant step by the international community toward holding leaders accountable for actions that may constitute war crimes. Netanyahu’s leadership has been marked by policies and military actions in Gaza that many human rights organizations have decried as disproportionate and in violation of international law. This warrant is a testament to the growing demand for justice for the Palestinian people, particularly in light of the devastating consequences of the recent escalation.

This is a defining moment for the global movement for Palestinian rights. We urge supporters of justice and peace to:

• Contact Your Representatives: Demand that your government supports international accountability mechanisms and presses for an end to the war in Gaza.

• Raise Awareness: Share information about the arrest warrant and its implications on social media, and encourage others to take a stand.

• Support Humanitarian Efforts: Donate to organizations providing critical aid to the people of Gaza.
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Nonviolence International stands in solidarity with the people of Gaza and calls for immediate international action to end the violence and ensure accountability. Together, we can work toward a future where justice and peace prevail.

The apartheid system in Palestine and Israel has reached new levels of repression. Palestinian communities are facing severe and unrelenting challenges—from the ongoing expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank, which force families from their homes and strip them of their land, to the genocidal attacks in Gaza, where civilians suffer devastating loss and relentless violence. These escalating atrocities make it clear that the time to act is now.

In the face of these threats, our Palestinian partners and allies are undeterred. They continue to resist through bold, creative, and steadfast nonviolent action, holding onto hope for justice despite immense obstacles. Join them—and us—in resisting occupation and apartheid. Here’s how you can make a difference:

Action Items

1. Demand accountability and action for Palestine in the US:
   • Reach congress and other public figures with USCPR Action Alerts.
   • Reject AIPAC! Sign on to show our political leaders, community leaders, and the public that American Jews and allies believe AIPAC has no place in our communities or in our politics. You do not have to identify as Jewish to sign.
2. Support NVI’s fiscally sponsored partners 
   • The US Advisory Committee for the Hebron International Resource Network rebuilds wells, playgrounds, schools, homes in areas threatened by land confiscation.
   • Holy Land Trust mobilizes Palestinians, Israelis and foreigners to work together for a future based on equality. They re-build homes, engage in dialogue, and challenge the fear of the other.  
   • The US Boat To Gaza supports the global flotilla to challenge the blockade of Gaza this summer. . 
   • We Are Not Numbers continues to humanize Gazan Palestinians with its youth-led media training program.  
   • The Center for Jewish Nonviolence engages in direct action and co-resistance in support of Palestinians struggling for dignity and equal rights.
3. Engage with Palestinian leaders of NVI  
   • Read and share Jonathan Kuttab’s inspiring free book Beyond the Two-State Solution.
   • Invite Palestinians to speak to your congregation or group. See our Speaker's Bureau. 
   • join our campaign Every Life A Universe
4. Get involved in a movement or organization working for justice in Palestine–please reach out if we can help guide or connect you. Here are some of the many movements and organizations we admire:
   • Palestine Action (UK)
   • Na'amod (UK)
   • Sabeel (Palestine and global affiliates)
   • Just Peace Advocates (CA)
   • Independent Jewish Voice (CA)
   • American Muslims for Palestine (USA)
   • Palestinian Youth Movement (USA)
   • US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USA)
   • Rebuilding Alliance (USA)
   • Adalah Justice Project (USA)
   • Within Our Lifetime (USA)
   • IfNotNow Movement (USA)
   • Jewish Voice for Peace (USA)
   • Community Peacemaker Teams (USA)
   • Eyewitness Palestine (USA)
5. Commit to changing the conversation towards a realistic solution. Israel’s new extreme government puts to rest any lingering debate about the viability of the Two-State Solution.
   • Sign this statement.

Follow these social media accounts:

https://www.instagram.com/youthofsumud/

https://www.instagram.com/ali_awad98/

https://www.instagram.com/basilaladraa/

https://www.instagram.com/samihuraini/

https://twitter.com/YouthOfSumud

https://twitter.com/SoHebronWatch

https://twitter.com/masaferyatta

https://twitter.com/Cjnvtweets

https://twitter.com/holylandtrust

#SaveMasaferYatta 

#DefendMasaferYatta

Background Information

For those wanting to learn more about the Palestinian struggle for freedom, please see these NVI resources below. Below the NVI resources are primers welcoming people who are not yet immersed in the conversation. 

Jonathan Kuttab's Book - Beyond the Two-State Solution

David Hart's invitation to Jewish Americans

Normalization and Co-Resistance, Jonathan Kuttab

Safety Isn’t Demolishing a School, Tess Greenwood

The Many Faces of Nonviolence - A Taste of Palestine

Gaza: Cruelty Without Consequences

Important Update: Nonviolence International Stands in Solidarity with Al-Haq

Raising Up Impressive Group Challenging GBV in Palestine

Music is the Healing Force of the Universe!

Our Partner's Powerful Piece in the Forward.

The Many Faces of Nonviolence - Rachel Corrie

Expand our Compassion to Include Palestinians

The Many Faces of Nonviolence - Ann Wright

NVI Videos

The Future of Nonviolence in Palestine/Israel

Beyond The Two-State Solution, by Jonathan Kuttab. Interactive webinar.

Co-Resistance and Solidarity with Palestine - Webinar

Writer from Gaza Reflects on the Two State Solution

Spotlight on Nonviolence - Huwaida Arraf

A Video Featuring Ahmed Alnaouq, founder of WANN

A Jew Asks Questions of Two Palestinians in a Time of War

Holy Land Trust's Founder Sami Awad's Wonderful Take on Active Nonviolence - Webinar

Courage Along The Divide - Produced and Directed by Victor Schonfeld 1986

Resources from Other Groups

The Popular University of the Palestinian Youth Movement Presents - OUR HISTORY OF POPULAR RESISTANCE: PALESTINE READING LIST

Palestine 101

Palestine-Israel Primer - MERIP

Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU)

Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories

A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution | HRW

Not a "vibrant democracy". This is apartheid. | B'Tselem

Visualizing Apartheid through interactive maps | B'Tselem

For those interested in learning more about state by state US legislation, please see this impressive map from Palestine Legal. They tell us, "The right to stand for justice is under attack. Politicians are pushing unconstitutional laws to stop the movement for Palestinian freedom and shield Israel from criticism."

Your Guide to Difficult Conversations About Israel/Palestine

Israel-Palestine animated introduction

Primer on the Arab-Israeli Conflict - TeachMideast

The Israel Apartheid Report Database 

Do you have suggestions for other high quality introductory material we should consider including?

If so, please contact us. 

And, of course, please help spread the word. Ask people to visit this page, learn, and take action. 

(Art Credit - Kayla Ginsburg - from CJNV)

The brutal occupation of Palestine is likely to get even more repressive. The coalition government in Israel includes unrepentant haters and racists. They have wasted no time showing their true colors. The impacts will be immediate, widespread, and as usual those harmed the most will be Palestinians. 

People who have been paying attention know that the occupation has been supported by successive governments of all parties. And still we recognize we are entering a new and dangerous moment. We will work to make sure that this is also a time with the potential for real and lasting positive change. 

During this time, we will see suffering increase and we must urge people to open their eyes to the reality of the situation. We must find ways to make the power of active nonviolence relevant to this struggle. NVI co-founder Jonathan Kuttab wrote, 

"Successive Israeli governments have pursued these goals steadfastly, while pretending that their aim was security and that their aspirations were for peace with Palestinians, not domination over them. The new Israeli government abandons all such pretense, rips off the mask, and dares the world to do something about it.

Acknowledging that reality is the first necessary step towards addressing it. When Israel determined it wanted to be a Jewish state, and further that it wanted to keep all the land of historic Palestine, the results were inevitable. The only two options Israel allows for are ethnic cleansing or apartheid. Calls for democracy and equality (where democracy includes giving Palestinians [50% of the population] the vote and a stake in running the country) are totally rejected.

The good news is that with this new government, the mask is off, and many people can see the reality. This includes a majority of the Jewish people in the United states and their supporters, who have always been liberal, democratic, and in favor of progressive values. Facing the reality of Israel may be painful for many of them, but it is an important first step towards seeking a new solution based on equality and human dignity, and which would also bring healing and peace."

Tallie Ben-Daniel, the managing director of Jewish Voices for Peace (JVP), said the new Israeli government has openly embraced apartheid.

“The horrifying actions of this new government, only five days in, prove exactly what Palestinians have been saying all along: Israel is an apartheid state, where Palestinians are treated as inferior. The dangerous escalations by the new Israeli government make clear that now is the time for action.”

US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib wrote, 

“Not even one week into 2023, the new far-right apartheid government is moving to ethnically cleanse entire communities—which would displace more than 1,000 Palestinian residents, including 500 children. All with American backing, bulldozers, and bullets. #SaveMasaferYatta”

Join us on October 8, at 10 AM Eastern time / 5 PM Jerusalem time for a vital online conversation with activists Huwaida Arraf, Haneen Sabbah, Sahar Vardi, and Amira Musallam, Ariel Gold, as we enter the third year of resistance to genocide against Palestinians. This webinar will explore how Palestinians and their allies persist in resisting with courage, resilience, and creativity.

Hear directly from these activists, and nonviolence practitioners, about the strategies and stories that sustain hope and resistance. We’ll examine the continuity of nonviolent action and discuss lessons from both local and global movements for justice.

                                                                                                   

Haneen Sabbah: Palestinian Falahi woman and mother, now based in southern Portugal, is a writer at We Are Not Numbers and contributed two writings to Global Voices. She is also an organizer, singer and storyteller at heart, and teaches Arabic online. Besides all that, she is a culture worker, shining a light on Palestinian culture with songs, food and stories.

Amira Musallam: Palestinian Christian peace activist and the Head of Mission for Unarmed Civilian Protection in Palestine (UCPiP), a pilot initiative she co-founded to deploy and coordinate protective presence teams in high-risk Palestinian communities. With over nine years of experience in project management and fundraising, Amira has worked with B’Tselem, Holy Land Trust, and international networks advocating for civilian protection and accountability. Her lifelong commitment to nonviolence began in her youth after experiencing violence first-hand. She has since dedicated herself to resisting land seizures, supporting threatened communities, and building global solidarity circles to challenge impunity. Amira has spoken at the United Nations, engaged policymakers worldwide, and continues to center the voices of Palestinian women and families facing dispossession and war.

Sahar Vardi: Anti-militarist and anti-occupation activist from Jerusalem. Sahar was a conscientious objector, and has been involved in protective presence and solidarity work with Palestinian throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem for over twenty years. Previously she led the Israel program of the American Friends Service Committee, doing extensive research on Israel’s military export and human rights violations associated with it. More recently, Sahar graduated from the Rotary Peace Fellowship where she researched the environmental impacts of militaries and their action, and continues to research the intersection of environmental and military harm, both in the context of Palestine-Israel, as well as globally. She is currently involved in different grassroots anti-occupation groups, including Free Jerusalem, Boycott from Within, and protective presence projects in the South Hebron Hills. 

Ariel Gold: Executive director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation. She was the national co-director of the antiwar group CODEPINK, where she specialized in campaigns for Palestinian rights. She is a member of Congregation Tikkun v’Or in Ithaca, New York where she resides and has been a longtime active member of Jewish Voice for Peace.

Huwaida Arraf: A Palestinian social justice activist and a civil right attorney, who is the cofounder of the Nobel Peace Prize-nominated International Solidarity Movement (ISM), and leading the Free Gaza Movement, organized 5 sea voyages to Gaza to challenge the Israel's illegal blockade on the Palestinians. Her mission is displaying to the world of what Palestinians are enduring throughout the history and creating a generation of resistance to occupation through nonviolent actions. Huwaida is one of the activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, despite the unlawful interception of the vessel, and enduring the treatment of the Israeli forces, she continues to embody the spirit of steadfast resistance. 

This is a space to learn, connect, and take action. Together, we will explore how international solidarity can support Palestinian communities and amplify their voices, proving that principled resistance can endure even in the most challenging circumstances.

Goals:

• Illuminate the realities of the Palestinian people entering the third year of intensified violence and systemic oppression.

• Highlight the human, social, and political impacts of the ongoing occupation and settler-colonial policies.

• Provide tools for international activists, organizations, and allies to support Palestinian nonviolent resistance effectively.

• Encourage networking, collaboration, and strategic advocacy beyond immediate geographical boundaries.
  
  
• Reinforce nonviolence as a powerful, principled, and effective response to systemic oppression.
  
  

The webinar is a unique opportunity to gain deep insights from sources who have played an important part in the struggle against occupation and who offer valuable knowledge so you, as part of the global family committed to peace and justice, can contribute to the future of the West Bank and Gaza. 

Don’t miss out, register now to be part of this important conversation!