Mubarak Awad
Mubarak Awad
Updates-A Story of Realistic Hope
Nonviolence International is proud to share this inspiring piece from Northern Spirit Radio, featuring Sami Awad, NVI Co-Director’s reflections on living out faith through nonviolent resistance. The interview, based on Sami's recently published book, entitled The Sacred Awakening: Reclaiming Christ Consciousness, explores the spiritual and practical dimensions of following Jesus while standing in solidarity with Palestinians advocating for justice and peace.
"What if Jesus didn’t start a religion, but sparked a revolution of consciousness? The Sacred Awakening invites us to embody Christ’s radical path—not worship him. Through history, scripture, and lived experience, Sami Awad reveals a hidden power of love and presence that can heal, transform, and awaken our true humanity."
Through stories of courage, persistence, and moral conviction, this interview, along with Sami's book, invites readers to consider how nonviolent action can be a powerful expression of faith and humanity in the face of oppression.
You can listen to the full conversation on Northern Spirit Radio's website here.
Dear friends,
As we honor Human Rights Day, we recall Dr. King's statement that humanity MUST choose between nonviolence or nonexistence. We need to build global movements that use the tools and values of nonviolence now more than ever.
Below are 17 leading groups that inspire, train or mobilize nonviolent resistance and social change. Most work multi-nationally and across multiple social movements. Given the rise of dictatorship in the US, this year we are emphasizing US groups. Please consider becoming a consistent donor and ask yourself if you can devote 1% of your income to the global nonviolence movement. Please also contact or visit them and see how you can volunteer.
The groups are listed in no particular order.
Backbone Campaign - 150 Solidarity Brigades nationwide doing overpass banner actions almost weekly, along with light projections and other artful activism. They deployed giant We the People banners to major cities for the No Kings marches.
Africans Rising - envisions Africa-wide activism, solidarity and unity and that the Peoples of Africa will build the future they want, with a right to justice, peace, dignity and shared prosperity.
Nonviolent Peace Force - Does unarmed civilian protection in Ukraine, Sudan, Philippines, and performs much training in conflict de-escalation.
CANVAS - with an HQ in Belgrade, Serbia, they operate a network of international trainers and consultants with expertise in building and running successful nonviolent movements. They work to build a more just, democratic, and responsible society.” Srda Popovich and Slobodan Djinovic are brilliant people-power coaches.
DC Peace Team - Provides some of the best and most affordable and frequent online trainings. Led by Eli McCarthy, and operated on a modest budget.
Beautiful Trouble - great online resource center for creative nonviolent action and training, and a leader in support of artistic activism and social change. It's co-led by the extraordinary Nadine Bloch.
Metta Center & Nonviolence Radio - wonderful podcasts and many Gandhian inspired resources. Michael Nagler and Stephanie Van Hook are a treasure.
Pace e Bene - founded in 1989, the name is an Italian greeting from St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi meaning “Peace and all Good.” The organization coordinates Campaign Nonviolence with the help of the indefatigable Ken Butigan and many others.
Acción Noviolenta en las Américas - provide education, training, leadership development and research in the Americas in Spanish, French and Portuguese.
Nonviolence News - each week, this newsletter brings 30-50 stories of nonviolence in action to readers, illuminating the scope of how nonviolence is actively shaping our world. It is the best site for nonviolent action news and movements, thanks to the superstar Rivera Sun.
Waging Nonviolence - is a nonprofit media organization dedicated to providing original reporting and expert analysis of social movements around the world. NVI fiscally sponsored WN for years before they spun off under the inspired leadership of Eric Stoner and others.
Detention Watch Network - immigrant rights group in the USA doing nonviolent action and training.
Training For Change - training and capacity building organization for activists and organizers. They believe strong training and group facilitation is vital to movement building for social justice and radical change. Founded by none other than our dear friend George Lakey.
Nonviolence Education and Research Center in Turkey - primary resource center for Turkish language speakers supporting all kinds of marginalized communities. Training, research, activism in a challenging environment, based in Istanbul.
Federal Workers For Democracy - a newly formed coalition of federal workers and allies, mobilizing the federal workforce to directly defy dangerous, illegal orders. They are building networks across every federal agency, from executive to frontline worker, in every state and across the globe. They provide training and support resources to federal workers to equip them to resist, together, and mobilize the public to have their backs.
International Peace Bureau - global non‑governmental network founded in 1891 that works for disarmament, non‑violent conflict resolution and a “world without war.” 400 member organisations in 100 countries, together with individual members, form a global network, bringing together knowledge and campaigning experience. They do great work with a small staff, led by Sean Conner.
Rete Pace e Disarmo - coalition of numerous civil‑society associations, trade unions and movements in Italy united since 2020 to promote peace, nuclear and conventional disarmament, restrict arms exports and oppose military escalation.
In peace,
Sami Awad & Michael Beer,
Co-Directors
P.S. Please let us know of more groups that we could highlight next year. If you are really wanting to focus on Palestine, please look at NVI's remarkable partners who are supporting Israelis and Palestinians who seek to build a shared future together.
On International Human Rights Day, Sahrawis Under Moroccan Occupation Need Urgent Attention
Working Group on Human Rights in Western Sahara
10 December 2025
On the occasion of International Human Rights Day, the Working Group on Human Rights in Western Sahara wishes to draw the attention of the international community to the serious and persistent deterioration of fundamental rights in the occupied territories of Western Sahara, where the Sahrawi people continue to face a climate of repression, impunity and systematic violence. This day, which marks the 77th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, reminds us that dignity, justice and freedom must be universal. However, for thousands of Sahrawis under Moroccan occupation, these principles continue to be denied on a daily basis five years after US President Donald Trump illegally recognized Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara, emboldening Morocco to heighten its repression and contributing to a climate of impunity in the territory.
A Pattern of Systematic Violations
According to data from the latest report published this year by the Working Group on Human Rights in Western Sahara, the situation in the occupied territory shows a pattern of systematic repression against human rights defenders, who face daily harassment, constant surveillance and restrictions on their mobility. Sahrawi activists who carry out peaceful documentation and advocacy work suffer physical and verbal attacks, while Sahrawi organizations face increasing obstacles to carrying out their work, including the confiscation of materials, the impossibility of holding meetings and the forced closure of spaces. Added to this are arbitrary detentions and trials without guarantees. Many people are arrested without a warrant for participating in peaceful demonstrations or expressing critical opinions. Judicial proceedings lack transparency, are based on forced confessions, and often take place without the accused having adequate defense. These practices result in disproportionate sentences that seek to discourage Sahrawi social and political activism. There is also excessive use of force against demonstrators and the civilian population, accompanied by night-time raids, destruction of property and threats against Sahrawi families. Several reports document cases of torture, cruel treatment and ill-treatment in detention centers, further aggravating the humanitarian situation. Other grave violations include economic strangulation imposed on human rights defenders, land grabbing for colonial purposes, whether by the occupying State or by foreign investors, as well as gender-based violence weaponized against women human rights defenders. Furthermore, severe restrictions on freedom of expression, association and the press persist. Independent journalists are subject to persecution, while cultural activities and family gatherings linked to Sahrawi identity are frequently banned. Access to the territory remains blocked for international observers, non-governmental organizations, journalists and parliamentary delegations, preventing independent monitoring and fostering an environment of impunity.
Absence of International Protection Mechanisms
The absence of a permanent international mission with a human rights mandate remains one of the biggest obstacles to the effective protection of the Sahrawi people. In fact, for nine consecutive years, Morocco has continued to block the entry of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights into the occupied Sahrawi territories. Despite this, in May this year, in response to a complaint submitted by the Working Group on Human Rights in Western Sahara, the Sahrawi Association of Victims of Grave Human Rights Violations Committed by the Moroccan State (ASVDH) and the Collective of Human Rights Defenders in Western Sahara (CODESA), eight United Nations Special Rapporteurs have publicly denounced Morocco's ongoing campaign of repression, racial discrimination and violence against Sahrawi human rights defenders, journalists and activists in a historic communication. In the communication, the Special Rapporteurs highlighted 79 Sahrawi victims, emphasising "the widespread pattern of violence and systematic attacks that demonstrate racial discrimination against Sahrawis". The lack of independent observation creates an environment of impunity, where violations can be committed without oversight or consequences.
Urgent Appeal
On this symbolic date, the Working Group on Human Rights in Western Sahara makes an urgent appeal to the international community, UN member states, the African Union and regional organizations to:
1. Demand an immediate end to all forms of repression against the Sahrawi civilian population.
2. Release those arbitrarily detained for exercising their fundamental rights.
3. Guarantee full and unrestricted access to the territory for international observers.
4. Establish an independent human rights monitoring mechanism within the framework of the United Nations.
5. Protect Sahrawi defenders from reprisals.
6. Promote a fair and transparent political process, in accordance with international resolutions and the right to self-determination of the Sahrawi people.
Finally, on this International Human Rights Day, we recall that the struggle of the Sahrawi people for justice, freedom and dignity is a struggle for human rights, which deserves urgent attention and international solidarity.
Contact: Working Group on Human Rights in Western Sahara ([email protected])
If you wish to support Western Sahara solidarity or learn more, please visit the Western Sahara Solidarity Committee website and contact them.
Fifty Years of Occupation: Nonviolent Solidarity with Western Sahara
November 2025 marks 50 years since Morocco’s Green March into Western Sahara, an event that reshaped the region and set in motion one of the world’s longest-standing, unresolved struggles for self-determination. In 1975, as Spain prepared to withdraw from its colony, Morocco organized a mass mobilization of over 350,000 people, to cross into Western Sahara.
Framed as a peaceful act, it was in reality a state-sponsored occupation, followed by military invasion and decades of repression. The International Court of Justice had just affirmed the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination, yet their homeland was divided and occupied, leading to their exile in the Algerian city of Tindouf, where about 174.000 continue to live in refugee camps to this day.
Half a century later, the consequences of that march endure. Families remain separated by the 2,700km Moroccan military wall — one of the longest and most heavily mined barriers in the world. In the occupied territories, Saharawi activists face imprisonment, harassment, and the denial of basic rights. In the refugee camps in Tindouf, generations have grown up in exile, sustained by community resilience and an unbroken commitment to their cause.
Despite the immense challenges of occupation and exile, the Saharawi struggle has long embodied the principles of nonviolent resistance. Saharawi activists, many of them women and youth, continue to advocate for justice through peaceful protest, human rights documentation, international legal appeals, and global awareness campaigns.
Western Sahara remains Africa’s last colony, yet the international community too often looks away. Decades of UN resolutions affirm the Saharawi right to self-determination, but the promised referendum has never taken place. Meanwhile, the exploitation of Saharawi natural resources, from phosphates to fisheries to renewable energy, continues without their consent.
Last week, the UN adopted a resolution on Morocco’s Autonomy Proposal, backed by countries including the U.S, U.K, France and Spain, sidelining the Polisario Front’s long-standing call for a referendum.
On this 50th anniversary of the Green March, Nonviolence International calls on:
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Governments to uphold international law and support the long-delayed referendum on self-determination and reject Morocco’s Autonomy Proposal.
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Companies to end the exploitation of Western Sahara’s resources without the consent of its people.
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Media and educators to amplify Saharawi voices silenced by the media blackout on the region.
- Activists and civil society to engage and donate to projects, such as the Western Sahara Solidarity Campaign, that embody the spirit of nonviolent action.
As we mark fifty years since the Green March, and the recent UN discussions, solidarity with the Saharawi people is more urgent than ever. Their steadfast commitment to dignity, justice, and nonviolence in the face of occupation offers a moral compass for the world. True peace cannot be built on occupation or erasure, it must be grounded in justice and self-determination.
NVI Activists Visit Occupied Western Sahara and are Deported by Morocco
El Aaiún (Layounne), Occupied Western Sahara – On Sunday, August 24, Moroccan agents expelled two activists with Nonviolence International – Elaf Hasan and Bianca Peracchi Afonso – who had traveled to Western Sahara to experience Saharawi culture and to meet those who currently live under Moroccan occupation.
Bianca Afonso reported, “I was shocked by the mis-treatment we experienced in El Aaiún by the Moroccan agents. This pales in comparison to the repression and abuses that the Sahrawi people shared with me as they live under illegal occupation.”
According to the International Court of Justice and most countries, Morocco’s occupation and annexation of the Western Sahara is illegal and not recognized.
Prior to their expulsion, the pair had met in Villa Cisneros (Dakhla), Western Sahara, with Saharawis and toured their communities. They witnessed the disparity between the downtown dominated by Moroccan tourist businesses and poor Saharawi communities that have been displaced to its outskirts. They posed for a photo with the human rights defenders and former political prisoners with the Western Sahara flag which was widely circulated after their deportation.
After a bus trip through 7 military checkpoints to El Aaiún, the capital of Western Sahara, they were seized by unknown agents of the Moroccan government who deported and accompanied them to Morocco and all the way to the US and Spain.
Elaf Hasan said “I enjoyed the warmth of the people, the stunning beaches and dunes and the taste of authentic Saharawi tea. It is important that people around the world become aware of the plight of the Saharawi people.”
Nonviolence International views the deportations as part of a longstanding pattern of silencing international observers and restricting independent reporting from Western Sahara.
“This expulsion demonstrates Morocco’s fear of transparency,” said NVI founder, Dr. Mubarak Awad, “Instead of allowing peaceful visitors to engage with Saharawi communities, the occupation forces illegally respond with falsehoods and deportations. Just as Israel’s occupation of Palestine must end, so must Morocco’s occupation of Western Sahara end.”
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.
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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.
Standing with Western Sahara: Highlights from the 2025 EUCOCO 49th Conference
At the end of November 2025, Nonviolence International participated, together with a U.S delegation from the Western Sahara Solidarity Committee, in the 49th EUCOCO Conference in Paris. EUCOCO is one of the most significant annual gatherings dedicated to advancing solidarity with the Sahrawi people and their long-denied right to self-determination. The conference brought together European, Algerian, French, Spanish, Latin American, and African parliamentarians, alongside Sahrawi leadership, civil society organizers, trade unions, youth activists, and human rights defenders.
Representatives of the Polisario Front, including Bouchraya Hamoudi Bayoun, Sidi M. Omar, Oubi Bachir Bouchraya, and others, emphasized a unified message:
The struggle of Western Sahara remains the last unresolved decolonization process in Africa, and the international community has a legal, political, and moral responsibility to act.
Below are key takeaways from both days of the conference, including legal advances, civil society strategies, growing European engagement, and emerging campaigns that will shape solidarity efforts in 2026.
The Plundering of Natural Resources and the Landmark CJEU Ruling
The opening panel examined the October 2024 ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), a historic affirmation that:
- Western Sahara is a non-autonomous territory
- Morocco has no sovereignty over Western Sahara
- The Polisario Front is the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people
- EU-Morocco trade agreements cannot include Western Sahara without Sahrawi consent
Professor Carlos Ruiz Miguel outlined the legal foundations of the ruling, stressing that any EU trade activity involving goods from the territory must state “Western Sahara” as the country of origin, and must demonstrate real, traceable benefits to the Sahrawi people.
As Oubi Bachir Bouchraya detailed, Morocco continues to operate in the “third phase” of its occupation: economic expansion, after demographic and military control. Around €800 million in fisheries and resource exploitation continues to flow through agreements that violate international law. Participants drew parallels with similar strategies used to market goods from Israeli settlements, suggesting the need for strong consumer-focused campaigns.
The Responsibility of the UN, Spain, and France
Panelists emphasized that the Western Sahara issue remains an unfinished decolonization process, with Spain still holding the legal status of the administrating power. MEP Estrella Galán called attention to Spain’s unfulfilled historic obligations and announced coordination between the Spanish Parliament and the European Parliament to:
- Affirm support for Sahrawi self-determination
- Expose human rights violations in the occupied territories
- Pressure EU institutions to respect CJEU rulings
French deputies, including Jean-Paul Lecoq, criticized France’s role in blocking progress at the UN Security Council and expressed concern about the erosion of democratic debate within French institutions, while commending Algeria’s principled role in defending international law.
Fundamental Rights: The Human Impact of Occupation
The second day began by centering the human cost of the conflict:
- Drone attacks on civilians in occupied territories
- Systematic demographic engineering
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Disappearance and detention of political prisoners
Exploitation of natural resources (phosphates, fisheries, agriculture, sand, renewable energy) - Lack of international monitoring, including the absence of human rights components in MINURSO
As the conference closed, participants highlighted upcoming milestones, including the protest with all participants in the Place de la République right after the closing of the event, and the demonstration scheduled for December 10, in Brussels, in front of the European Parliament, which is mobilizing people from all over Europe.
The message of EUCOCO 2025 is clear:
Political will, not technical barriers, is what stands between the Sahrawi people and their right to freedom. The world must finally complete the decolonization of Western Sahara.
Nonviolence International remains committed to supporting Sahrawi nonviolent resistance, amplifying their demands for justice, and building global solidarity that turns legal victories into political and material change on the ground.
If you would like to get more involved in supporting our work on this issue, please contact us through the Western Sahara Solidarity Committee we
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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
- 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.
