The Power of the Powerless:
Nonviolent Resistance Begins with Ordinary Acts 

In the midst of cascading global crises - war, repression, climate breakdown, and democratic backsliding, the world briefly paused this week to listen to Canada’s prime minister’s speech at the World Economic Forum, in Davos. Mark Carney opened his speech with an unexpected story: The Power of the Powerless. 

The reference comes from a 1978 essay by Czech dissident and playwright Václav Havel, who would later become president of Czechoslovakia. It remains one of the most important texts on authoritarianism and nonviolent resistance. What makes his analysis enduring is not simply its critique of repression, but its clarity in explaining a question many people still struggle to articulate: why do authoritarian systems persist even when few genuinely believe in them? Havel’s answer is both unsettling and empowering: because society participates in the lie, not necessarily out of conviction, but out of habit, fear, and self-preservation.

Authoritarianism is sustained not only by force, but by conformity. Authoritarian regimes are often imagined as systems held together exclusively by violence, and Havel does not deny the role of coercion, but he argues that the more efficient form of control is subtler: fear that becomes routine. Such systems function because millions of ordinary people quietly adjust their behavior to what is expected of them and, over time, this compliance becomes normalized. People learn how to perform loyalty without believing it. In this sense, authoritarian power depends less on ideological devotion and more on daily participation in a collective performance. This is what Havel calls “living within the lie.”

One of the essay’s most famous examples is that of a greengrocer who places a political slogan in his shop window, written “Workers of the world, unite!” The key point is not the slogan itself, but why it is displayed. The greengrocer does not post it because he believes in it. He does so to signal that he understands the rules of the game. The sign becomes a silent message: I am obedient. I will not cause trouble.

Here, Havel exposes a fundamental weakness of authoritarian systems: they rely on these visible rituals of submission. Such gestures reassure the regime and society that everyone is still playing their assigned role. So Havel asks a deceptively simple question: What happens if the greengrocer removes the sign? He does not topple the regime. But some things do change: 

• the ritual is broken
• the illusion of consensus cracks
• the system’s dependence on performance becomes visible

And once that happens, others begin to see that the system is not inevitable.

“Living in truth” as Nonviolent Action

For Havel, the real power of the “powerless” lies in choosing to “live in truth.” This is not a moral slogan, but a practical decision to stop reproducing messages one does not believe, to refuse participation in the lie that sustains the system. These acts may appear small. That is precisely why they are powerful. Nonviolent resistance does not always begin with mass protests or dramatic confrontation. Often, it begins with:

• a worker who refuses to repeat propaganda
• a teacher who teaches honestly
• an artist who creates despite censorship
• a journalist who documents reality
• a neighbor who protects another
• a community that organizes itself

To live in truth is a form of nonviolent direct action - one that interrupts automatic obedience. When ordinary people withdraw their participation from the daily theater of obedience, slogans lose their power, fear loses its monopoly, silence no longer signals consent, and truth begins to circulate again. From a nonviolent perspective, political change often emerges not as a clash of force, but as a crisis of obedience.

Why The Power of the Powerless Matters Today

Havel also points toward a strategy deeply aligned with contemporary nonviolent movements: the creation of parallel structures: spaces of social, cultural, and civic life that exist beyond the regime’s control. Rather than waiting for a single moment of rupture, these initiatives build long-term resilience:

• independent cultural spaces
• community networks
• alternative education
• solidarity economies
• independent media
• civil society organizations

Often, repression does not arrive only as open violence, it appears as normalization: cynicism, self-censorship, isolation, and the belief that “nothing can be done.” Havel’s essay offers a crucial reminder:

Power does not reside only at the top.
Power is embedded in daily life.
And so is the possibility of change.

When people choose to live in truth, they create the conditions authoritarian systems fear most: a society that begins to recognize its own agency. Havel shows that obedience has mechanisms. So does resistance.

Nonviolence, in practice, is the collective refusal to sustain a lie as a form of governance.
It is the patient reconstruction of public life through truth, solidarity, and dignity.

History does not change only when people seize institutions. Often, it changes when people decide, together, to stop performing for power.

Dear friend,

This year we invite you to re-read Dr. King’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, (or you can watch it on here).

“I conclude that this award which I receive on behalf of that movement is a profound recognition that nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral question of our time – the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression…. we will know that we are living in the creative turmoil of a genuine civilization struggling to be born…I refuse to accept the cynical notion that nation after nation must spiral down a militaristic stairway into the hell of thermonuclear destruction. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.” 

Despite making much progress in alleviating racism, sexism and reducing global poverty, we see violence and injustice growing in wars and occupations that destroy civilian life, in places like Palestine, Sudan, Western Sahara, Burma, Ukraine, Uganda, and the Congo. The world has surpassed 100 million refugees, as militarism and war have accelerated.

We see governments across the world suppress dissent and weaken human rights in the name of “security.” Racialized police violence continues. Mass incarceration that destroys communities. Economic inequality is growing while basic needs go unmet. Voting rights are under attack. Protest is criminalized. Migrants are treated as threats rather than human beings.

In the United States, the home of Dr. King, the US government is abetting genocide, attacking constitutional and international laws and institutions, and throwing the world over the cliff into climate chaos, all for the sake of transferring vast wealth and power to the few.

Nonviolence International exists because we refuse to accept this as normal.

Nonviolence is harder than violence. We are not going to kill or threaten our way to a just and sustainable future. We must use persuasion, nonviolent coercion, the rule of law, global cooperation and governance in order to survive and thrive. And we must bring on board the huge segments of humanity who succumb to greed and cruelty and elect abusive leaders out of fear or coercion.

Nonviolence is a way of resisting violence without becoming it.
It is organized, courageous, and disciplined. It is about telling the truth, confronting power, and standing with those who are most impacted.

Dr. King understood that nonviolence demands commitment. It demands action. And it demands a willingness to be uncomfortable for the sake of justice.

Following Dr. King’s example, we ask you to write or video record your own speech on nonviolence! You can write for the world, but we ask that you do it to your kids, your community, and/or your country and in your native language.

We will help you publish it on our website or tag / collaborate us on Instagram and Facebook!

The arc of the moral universe does not bend by itself. It bends when people choose to act.

Thank you for walking this path with us, today and every day.

In solidarity,
Michael Beer & Sami Awad, Co-Directors

P.S. Register for our upcoming webinar: Beyond Political Illusions: What This Moment Demands of Us, on Jan 21, at 10AM ET / 5PM Jerusalem time. We will have a powerful panel, including Jonathan Kuttab, Huwaida Arraf, and Jeff Halper.

This Webinar on January 21, at 10AM ET and 5PM Jerusalem time, entitled Beyond Political Illusions: What This Moment Demands of Us is a strategic conversation bringing together Jonathan Kuttab, Huwaida Arraf, and Jeff Halper. Building on earlier discussions that focused on NVI’s book “Beyond the Two State Solution” this webinar responds to the current reality of genocide, escalating violence, and deepening impunity across Palestine. Our guests will clarify what international law and moral responsibility require of us now to manifest a new society committed to nonviolence, justice, equality, and the dignity of life. Register here!

Goals:

• Support Jeff Halper’s 1 state campaign

• Encourage worldwide book groups around Jonathan’s book

• Clarify the political reality in Palestine and move beyond dominant political frameworks that have collapsed 

• Explore what international law, nonviolent action and moral responsibility require of individuals and movements

• Challenge all the existent political frameworks and question how individuals and movements can actually push for alternative frameworks to be put in action

Register here!

Nonviolence Must Prevail in Iran

As we write this, the people of Iran are demonstrating in the streets of their cities and towns for the last 3 weeks.. They are calling for change and  demanding to be heard, despite the violence they are facing from their own  government — the death toll may be over 2000 people. The world needs to understand what is happening and why we must respond with urgency and wisdom.

What Is Happening in Iran?

In late December 2025, shopkeepers in Tehran closed their stores. These were not political radicals,these were ordinary business owners who could no longer survive. The cost of food had risen dramatically, after Iran's currency, the rial, lost nearly half its value in 2025. What began as protests about the economy quickly became something much larger. People across Iran, students, pensioners, young people, merchants, took to the streets. They are now calling not just for economic relief, but for fundamental change in how their country is governed. The protests have spread to at least 185 cities. Demonstrations have erupted on university campuses. The chants in the streets express deep frustration: "Death to the Dictator" and "Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, My Life for Iran."

This is not the first time Iranians have risen up. Many remember the Woman, Life, Freedom protests in 2022 after Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, died in custody after being arrested for not wearing her hijab "correctly." Those demonstrations were met with brutal force—tear gas, mass arrests, and live ammunition. Hundreds died and thousands were imprisoned, but Iranians now state that the morality police are less visible in many urban areas, and many women are openly foregoing the veil without immediate crackdowns. 

But the roots go deeper. For decades, Iranians have lived under a system where one man, the Shah Pahlavi, and then the Religious Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, holds ultimate power over all major decisions. Elections happen, but real power remains concentrated in an unelected official. Young Iranians, who make up a large portion of the population,see no future for themselves. They watch their government spend money supporting armed groups in other countries while they struggle at home. They see corruption, mismanagement, and their voices ignored.

The government blames Iran's economic problems on international sanctions—restrictions placed on Iran by other countries, particularly the United States. While sanctions have certainly contributed to economic hardship, Iran's leaders have begun to admit that their own governance failures share responsibility. President Masoud Pezeshkian, elected in 2024 on promises of economic reform, acknowledged this reality even as the protests spread.

The Violence We Condemn

We are deeply concerned about active violence from all sides. Some protesters have thrown stones and burned government buildings. Government armed actors have been killed. We understand the rage that drives such actions, but we believe that sustainable democratic change comes through disciplined, nonviolent resistance.

Our greatest concern, however, is the violence perpetrated by the Iranian government. The state possesses a complete monopoly on weapons—guns, tear gas, riot control equipment, and the entire security apparatus. Reports indicate that hundreds of protesters have been killed, many shot at close range with live ammunition. Thousands have been arrested. Iran's attorney general has warned that protesters could face charges carrying the death penalty.

The government has shut down internet access in many areas, cutting Iranians off from the outside world and making it difficult to document what is happening. In 2025, Iran executed at least 1,500 people—the highest number in nearly 40 years—as part of what appears to be a deliberate strategy to instill fear. As adherents to Islam, a religion espousing peace, this violence against your own people is haram and unacceptable.

We call on the US and Israel to stop their attacks and continued threats of bombing and regime change. Some desperate Iranians have unwisely called for foreign armed intervention hoping for some miracle. This is more likely to increase government repression.

International sanctions, particularly those imposed by the United States, have for the most part devastated Iran's economy. These sanctions fall most heavily on ordinary Iranians—the same people now protesting in the streets. Sanctions make food more expensive. They restrict access to medicine. They destroy jobs and opportunities. In effect, the international community is punishing the Iranian people for the actions of a government they did not choose and cannot change through normal democratic means.

What the World Must Do

The United States and the international community must lift economic sanctions on Iran. Sanctions strengthen authoritarian governments by giving them an external enemy to blame, by forcing citizens to depend on the state for survival, and by creating a siege mentality that makes reform more difficult. Lifting sanctions would empower the Iranian people. It would improve their economic conditions and give them breathing room to organize and demand change. It would remove the government's favorite excuse for economic failure. And it would demonstrate that the international community stands with the Iranian people, not against them. A best outcome would be for the US and other nations to pay reparations for unwarranted suffering. The US and the UN should call for and enforce a Nuclear Weapons Free Middle East (West Asia).

A Nonviolent Path Forward

We call on the Iranian government to recognize the legitimate grievances of its people, and to engage in dialogue and compromise rather than violence. When a government responds to peaceful protest with bullets, it reveals its own weakness and desperation.

The best outcome we can envision is a referendum on Iran's constitution and genuinely free elections where Iranians can choose their own path forward. The current constitution concentrates power in the hands of unelected religious authorities. The previous constitution did so with an unelected monarch.

Iranians deserve the opportunity to decide what kind of country they want to live in.

What matters is that the Iranian people are the ones who determine their future. Not foreign governments, not military intervention, not external pressure. The people themselves, through their courage and their commitment to justice. We have witnessed people power transform nations—from the Philippines to Poland to Chile to South Africa. We have seen ordinary citizens, armed only with their conviction and their willingness to stand together, overcome seemingly invincible authoritarian systems. The path is never easy. The cost is often high. But change is possible.

Our Message to the People of Iran

You are not alone. The world sees you and our courage inspires us. Your determination to build a better future for yourselves and your children gives us hope.

As part of developing any nonviolent strategy in any situation, certain issues are important to take into account. We urge you to remain disciplined in your protests. We understand that the government uses violence out of desperation, but we encourage Iranians to continue to use measures that sometimes lowers the violence and in some cases improves effectiveness:

• Protest primarily during the day time.
• Invite all people, including women, elderly and children to participate.
• Support the creation of a national network of Mothers and Families of the Martyrs. 
• Video record everything.
• Denounce attacks on mosques or Islam, even though many see that the religion has been corrupted and misused by state power.
• Look to the medical community for emerging and credible alternative leadership.
• Build mutual aid networks
• Use of non-cooperation techniques such as boycotts and merchant strikes.
• Use of tactics dispersed over a large area.
• Build unity with the diaspora in spite of its extreme elements.

Nonviolent resistance is not passive, it is strategic. It builds broader support, both within Iran and internationally. It withdraws support for the pillars of power, particularly if society uses tax resistance and general strikes.We know that many of you are feeling desperate and wanting revenge for the suffering. But feelings and violent revolution without modern weapons will likely not achieve your goals. You are welcome to get more ideas on possible tactics from our catalogue of 346 tactics in our huge global database and also explained in our Farsi language downloadable book, Civil Resistance Tactics of the 21st Century.

To the international community: Do not abandon the Iranian people in their hour of need. Sanctions are not solidarity. Lift the economic restrictions that make their lives harder. Support their right to determine their own future. And make clear that the world is watching how their government responds.

The road ahead for Iran is uncertain. But in the streets of Tehran, Isfahan, Tabriz, and hundreds of other cities, the Iranian people are writing a new chapter in their long history. They are reclaiming their voice and demanding their dignity. They are showing the world that the human spirit cannot be crushed, no matter how heavily the boot presses down.

History will remember this moment. Let us ensure that history records not just the suffering, but the courage. Not just the violence, but the resistance. Not just the crisis, but the possibility of transformation. The people of Iran are crying out for justice. The question is whether the world will listen—and whether we will respond with wisdom, compassion, and solidarity.

Dear friends,

I am writing to you from Bethlehem, a place many associate, especially this time of year, with hope, good tidings, and comfort. If you are expecting that kind of message from me today, this is not quite it.

Santa Klaus, often mistaken for me, in a Christmas nonviolent protest against illegal Jewish settlement expansion in 2014.

What Bethlehem offers today is not reassurance, but clarity. People here are celebrating not because the “war in Gaza” is over or we are ignoring our reality but because it is what we have left in our resilience. 

You need to know that from Bethlehem to Gaza, from the West Bank to Palestinian communities everywhere, we continue to witness the steady devaluation of our life. At times it erupts with devastating intensity, as we see now in Gaza. At other times it unfolds more quietly, in ways that are easier to ignore. But it follows the same trajectory.

Let us be honest: If Jesus were alive today, he would likely not be celebrating his birth in the ways we have grown accustomed to. He would not be participating in rituals that allow us to feel at peace while others live under siege, displacement, and violence. He would be standing with those under attack, challenging leaders who use sacred language to avoid moral responsibility, and calling for action that costs something.

Hope, when it is not accompanied by action, has become something Palestinians cannot afford.

What continues to happen in Gaza is not happening in isolation. It is the most extreme expression of long-standing political choices, sustained impunity, and a global willingness to tolerate Palestinian suffering. This will not change simply because we are moved or disturbed. It will change when enough people refuse silence, refuse normalization, and insist on accountability.

At Nonviolence International, we work to apply pressure, support nonviolent resistance, and stand with communities insisting that Palestinian life has value. But nonviolence is not symbolic. It requires participation.

This is where you come in. Act now:

• Demand an immediate and real ceasefire, the complete lifting of the siege, and the right of Palestinians to self-determination (along with all other occupied peoples).
• Pressure decision-makers — call, write, organize, to stop our taxes, governments, and corporations from supporting malign domination here and everywhere.
• Support nonviolent frontline work — protective presence, documentation, and community defense rely on real support, including your donations.
• Refuse normalization — do not accept Israeli occupation, mass displacement, starvation, or mass killing as inevitable or “too complex.” Join the divestment and boycott efforts where you live.

 This is not a message meant to inspire false comfort.

It is a message meant to invite responsibility. To work for that day when we all, no matter how we identify ourselves, celebrate real peace, equality and freedom for all. 

From Bethlehem, we are asking you to give birth to renewed action.

In solidarity,
Sami Awad
Co-Director

P.S. If you want to help and still don’t know where to start, please increase your annual or monthly donation to NVI, and/or donations to support our partners. And as bad as things are in Bethlehem, please don't forget Gaza.

Nonviolence International
https://www.nonviolenceinternational.net/

Webinars 2025

If you missed out on any of our webinars from this year, you can find them below and on our Youtube channel.
Stay tuned for more webinars next year!

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.

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.