Updates-A Story of Realistic Hope

While there is no equivalency in duration or depth of violence and impunity, we have an opportunity to learn from people who have resisted occupation their entire lives and from those who may or may not have experienced it comparatively recently. Speakers will share their lived experiences, contrast strategies of resistance, shared learning and explore opportunities for solidarity and collective action. Through this exchange, we aim to center community agency, hope, and shared learning, and uplifting practices of resilience and organizing.


The webinar will be hosted by Mel Duncan, from Minnesota, co-founder of the Nonviolent Peaceforce and organizer of the Unarmed Civilian Protection in Palestine (UCPiP). And speakers include Amira Musallam, Head of Mission of UCPiP, Maddie Moon, Minnesota community organizer, and Emilia Gonzalez Avalos, Executive Director for UNIDOS MN.

Join us for this important conversation by registering here. 

Goals:

• Share lessons learned from grassroots resistance in both contexts 

• Build and invite compassion and mutual understanding

• Identify opportunities for solidarity and collaboration between movements fighting occupation, displacement, and state violence

Dear friends,

Are you passionate about active nonviolence, social justice, and global movements for change? Do you want hands-on experience in nonprofit management, digital organizing, and international event coordination?

As a small but globally engaged organization, NVI relies on interns as integral members of our work. You will gain meaningful experience supporting programs, communications, digital outreach, and nonprofit operations while contributing directly to global nonviolent movements.

What You’ll Gain

• Direct exposure to global nonviolent activism and movement-building
• Experience in virtual event coordination and webinar production
• Hands-on nonprofit management and operations training
• Opportunity to shape and invest in projects aligned with your interests

Interns work closely with staff while also exercising independence, creativity, and initiative.
With guidance from staff, each intern will split their time between programmatic support, organizational outreach, and administrative tasks. Interns will also have the opportunity to invest significant time and work within their preferred projects of choice.

Internship Structure

• Remote position, from anywhere in the world
• From June to December 2026
• Must be able to commit to 2-3 team meetings per week at 9:30AM ET
• Minimum of 15 hours per week
• $500 USD monthly stipend
• Available to students and non-students
• Can be arranged for academic credit
• Possibility of extension by mutual agreement

Our Commitment to Equity

As nonviolent activists committed to social justice, we recognize that systems of violence disproportionately impact marginalized communities. We are committed to centering these communities in our work and strongly encourage applications from individuals who identify as members of marginalized communities.

Responsibilities

Event Management

• Support organizing and delivering global webinars
  
• Assist with technical management of live virtual events
• Engage diverse international audiences

Communications & Outreach

• Create website updates and blog posts
• Develop content for YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook
• Monitor and engage with online supporters
• Assist with digital storytelling and movement visibility

Data Management

• Update and expand the Nonviolent Tactics database (MySQL)
• Support maintenance of the nonviolence training archive (Omeka)

Website Maintenance

• Update and manage content using Nation Builder

Operations Support

• Learn internal donation workflows and how to use Zapier 
• Understand nonprofit compliance and responsibilities
• Support organizational systems and administrative tasks

Qualifications

We take a holistic approach to applications. We understand that your talents and lived experiences extend far beyond a one-page resume. While educational background and professional experience are considered, we equally value passion, curiosity, initiative, and commitment to nonviolent social change.

How to Apply

Please apply through our Idealist ad and send us the requested information and documents until April 23, 2026.

If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us at [email protected]. 

Dear Friends,

The Middle East (West Asia), and the world, are facing deeply dangerous moments. 

The recent war by the United States and Israel on Iran has pushed an already fragile region closer to a wider and potentially devastating war. In moments like this, it can feel as though the machinery of violence moves unchecked, while ordinary people and civil society are left watching helplessly.

But history reminds us that this is precisely when our voices matter most.

Civil society has always carried a sacred responsibility in times of crisis: to speak when others are silent, to insist on humanity when violence dominates the headlines, and to remind the world that another path, embedded in nonviolence, is still possible.

A coalition of organizations is therefore launching an urgent international petition calling for immediate de-escalation, restraint, ceasefire and diplomacy instead of further militarization.

In the midst of despair, this is our moment to act together.

We invite NGOs, human rights organizations, faith communities, peace networks, and civil society groups to add their voices, to affirm that the expansion of the war is not inevitable.

Please sign your organization’s name to the appeal here by Tuesday, 10 March 2026.

This petition recognizes and encourages governments that have shown restraint, while urging all parties to step back from the brink and pursue diplomacy, accountability, and international law. But signing the petition is only the beginning.

At this critical time, we also encourage you to:

• Contact your government representatives and urge them to support immediate de-escalation and ceasefire efforts.
  • Share this appeal with partner organizations and networks so that more civil society groups can join.
  • Speak publicly for peace and for the protection of civilians across the region.

There are moments in history when the future feels uncertain and dark. Yet those same moments have often become the turning points when ordinary people and courageous organizations refused to accept that violence was inevitable.

We cannot control the decisions of governments or armies. But we can ensure that the voice of humanity, justice, and nonviolence is heard clearly across the world. Hope is not passive. It is something we practice together.

Let us take up that responsibility now.
Feel free to reach us at [email protected] or +1-202-244-0951.

In solidarity,

Nonviolence International

Nonviolence International is proud to announce our sponsorship of From Here Forward, a new initiative dedicated to strengthening leadership, advancing strategic documentation, and mobilizing moral and political pressure to end apartheid, occupation, and ethnic cleansing in Palestine.

Founded by Mattan Berner-Kadish, whose life has unfolded between the United States and Israel/Palestine, From Here Forward emerges at a moment of profound urgency.

From Grief to Responsibility

In the days following the murder of Awdah Hathaleen, Mattan found himself in conversations with activists and organizations asking a painful but necessary question: What comes next? One answer kept coming up repeatedly - that this horrific reality was not going to change without meaningful pressure from the United States and the international community.

Having witnessed firsthand how U.S. political decisions shape conditions on the ground, and having watched mainstream Israeli society grow increasingly apathetic, and in some cases even openly supportive, toward Palestinian suffering, Mattan concluded that inaction was no longer an option. Out of concern for the future of both Palestinians and Jews, and in response to rapidly deteriorating conditions, From Here Forward was born. 

Witnessing and Documenting Reality on the Ground

Central to the project is the role of firsthand documentation.

“It is far easier to convince someone to change their mind when your story starts with ‘I saw’ than when it starts with ‘I think,’” Mattan explains.

Over the past several years, documentation from the ground has profoundly shifted international understanding of what is happening in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. Images, testimony, and direct witness have made it harder to deny reality.

But Mattan recognizes that documentation alone is not enough - it is necessary that those telling those stories are sharing them strategically, not simply to inform, but to influence. Documentation must reach the rooms where decisions are made, pushing those in power to act differently. It must contribute to creating conditions in which what is documented no longer continues. 

From Here Forward seeks to build that bridge between witness and impact.

Understanding the System Behind Settler Violence

One of the largest gaps in international and U.S. understanding, Mattan notes, concerns the role of Israeli settler violence. “It does not require spending much time on the ground to see the extent to which settler terrorists are an arm of the state,” he says. “They work hand in hand with the army, Civil Administration, and police to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from their land.”

“While global awareness is growing, there is still a lingering belief that settler violence is chaotic, spontaneous, or disconnected from state policy. In reality, it is well-funded, organized, strategic, and methodical.”

Recognizing this structure changes how movements must respond. If dispossession is coordinated and systematic, resistance must be equally strategic, organized, and intentional.

Leadership That Reaches the Right Rooms

Another central goal of From Here Forward is leadership development.

“It is so important to develop as many powerful leaders and speakers as possible who can spread the truth about the reality on the ground as far as possible,” Mattan emphasizes.

Just as settler groups strategically target specific villages and communities, advocacy must strategically target institutions and political leaders that sustain the status quo.

The project seeks to equip grassroots leaders with:

• Strategic communication skills
• Political analysis and power mapping
• Institutional engagement strategies
• Relationship-building tools
• The ability to translate lived experience into policy impact

Some emerging leaders already have relationships and access to influential spaces, and this project aims to support them in bringing truth into those rooms, where shifts in perception can become shifts in policy.

Looking ahead, Mattan envisions From Here Forward seen as a impactful force in creating a Jewish community that stands proudly against apartheid, genocide, ethnic cleansing, and occupation, stands in solidarity with Palestinians, and has trained leaders and provided important linkage between the many amazing organizations doing the work to create a better future for all of us.

Consider supporting this project with a one time donation or by becoming a monthly donor here. 

Colonial empires feed on fear and trauma. But most of all, they feed on the indifference of their citizens, the quiet acceptance of violence as inevitable, necessary or beyond our responsibility. As long as we normalize, excuse, defend, or ignore state violence, these systems continue. They thrive not only through bombs and weapons, but through the collective silence and moral disengagement of societies that benefit from or turn a blind eye to war.

Watch NVI’s Co-Director Sami Awad’s video on this matter here.

Nonviolence International condemns the accelerating global escalation of militarization and the devastating consequences it continues to impose on civilian populations across the world. The recent attacks carried out by Israel and the United States in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran represent not isolated eruptions of violence, they are part of a systemic escalation of militarized policy that has become a defining feature of global power politics.

The expansion of militarization does not create safety. It entrenches cycles of retaliation, fuels authoritarianism, diverts resources away from social needs, and undermines international law and multilateral norms designed to protect human life. As weapons stockpiles grow and military budgets swell, investments in diplomacy, climate resilience, healthcare, education, and conflict prevention are sidelined, despite being far more effective pathways to lasting peace.

Nonviolence International rejects the false premise that security can be achieved through domination, preemptive strikes, or collective punishment. History has repeatedly shown that militarized responses deepen grievances and prolong conflict rather than resolve it. True security is built through justice, accountability, and the protection of human dignity, not through the expansion of war.

It is not only the immediate loss of life that should concern us, it is the long-term destabilization, trauma, displacement, and erosion of human dignity that follow. We must withdraw our consent from the old model of war and invest our collective energy in alternatives that reflect our stated commitments to peace. As voices for peace have long asked:

• What would a peace economy look like, one that prioritizes human needs over military spending?
• What is a peace community, anchored in mutual respect rather than fear?
• What does it mean to live in peace, not just imagine it?

To answer these questions requires courage. It demands that we challenge comfortable narratives, confront inconvenient truths, stop outsourcing responsibility and reclaim our agency to refuse that indifference continues to be the engine of harm.

At this critical moment, we call on governments, institutions, civil society organizations and citizens to:

• • Halt further military escalation and attacks on civilian populations.
  • Uphold international humanitarian and human rights law without exception.
  • Center collective security and welfare, not warfare, as the foundation of global security
  • Support diplomatic solutions rooted in accountability, justice, and self-determination

Colonial empires feed on fear. Their greatest weapon is our indifference. By refusing to accept violence as necessary, by actively choosing peace and accountability, we weaken their grip and move closer to a world where all lives are protected and valued.

We stand in solidarity with all communities affected by military violence and reaffirm our commitment to nonviolent action as both a moral imperative and a practical strategy.

Nonviolent movements around the world have demonstrated that sustainable change is possible through organized, people-powered resistance, dialogue, and international cooperation.

Nonviolence International is proud to announce our fiscal sponsorship partnership with Green Foster Action Uganda (GreFA), a youth-led organization working at the intersection of democracy, human rights, climate justice, and environmental protection. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to nonviolent action as a strategic and essential tool for social change in contexts marked by political repression, environmental harm, and structural inequality.

Nonviolent Action in Practice

GreFA emerged from lived experience and collective resistance, bringing together young activists dedicated to protecting democracy, human rights, and the environment. The organization challenges corporate and political practices that exacerbate climate injustice, food insecurity, energy poverty, and economic vulnerability. Their approach is practical, locally grounded, and community-led, empowering people to confront social, economic, and environmental challenges in their own contexts. Key strategies include:

• Mobilizing, educating, and organizing youth and grassroots communities
• Conducting nonviolent campaigns, demonstrations, petitions, and protests
• Strengthening community capacity in civic engagement and nonviolent resistance
• Supporting peaceful advocacy campaigns and movement-building initiatives

GreFA’s work gained national visibility through the Stop EACOP campaign, opposing the East African Crude Oil Pipeline. Communities along the pipeline route faced displacement, environmental degradation, and food insecurity, yet their voices were marginalized in decision-making processes.

Through peaceful demonstrations, petitions, community dialogues, and coordinated public actions, GreFA enabled young people and rural communities to safely participate and demand accountability. These disciplined, people-led actions generated media attention, national awareness, and meaningful public pressure, demonstrating that nonviolent strategies can influence both local and international decision-makers.

Nonviolent action strengthens solidarity, exposes power imbalances, and allows communities to confront extractive systems while safeguarding dignity and safety. GreFA believes that lasting climate justice and systemic change require organized, people-powered action.

Climate and Democracy Work in Uganda

Uganda is a challenging environment for activists. Strict laws limit assembly and protest, while dissenters face harassment, politically motivated arrests, torture, surveillance, and intimidation. Large-scale extractive projects, including EACOP, cause environmental destruction and threaten livelihoods, while silencing those who expose harm. For GreFA, defending democratic space is inseparable from advancing climate justice. They equip youth and grassroots communities to speak truth to power, build collective power, and demand accountability, transparency, and sustainable practices.

Training Young Activists

GreFA sees young people as leaders in climate justice and democratic renewal, so part of their work includes training young people to engage safely and effectively in nonviolent resistance. Programs include:

• First Exposure Trainings (FETs): Introduce principles of civil resistance, strategic leverage, and risk assessment
• Training of Trainers (ToT): Deep skills in campaign design, facilitation, coalition-building, and safety protocols
• Ongoing mentorship and coaching to sustain leadership and campaign effectiveness

To date, GreFA has trained over 300 youth activists and community groups across Uganda, fostering civic engagement and accountable governance alongside climate action. 

To find out more about the organization you can access their website here.
Also, please consider supporting them with a one time donation, or becoming a monthly donor here. Together, we are committed to strengthening nonviolent movements that defend human dignity, protect the environment, and imagine a more just and democratic future.

I recently returned from a trip to the Twin Cities in Minnesota.
Below is a snapshot of my experiences and what I learned.

For several months now, Minnesota has been invaded by 3000 ICE agents who were sent to abduct as many people as possible to send to for-profit immigration prisons. Most of those abducted were there legally and some were American citizens. Two of these people, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were murdered for observing US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities. I decided to go and support and learn what I could.Minnesota Nine Press Conference, St Paul Federal Building

I arrived in the Twin Cities in time to support a press conference of 7 of the Minnesota Nine who were arraigned on federal charges (which is rare) for protesting and reporting on a deacon of a church who also serves as the Director of a local ICE office. Is it a coincidence that 8 of the 9 people being prosecuted by the federal government for protests in the Twin Cities are African American?      

On my first evening, I met with Veterans for Peace, including Ann Wright who was visiting from Hawai’i. They had just finished a protest against genocide in Palestine and shared their outrage about the murder of Alex Pretti, who was a Veterans Administration nurse. They recounted with pride their recent public memorial event for Alex - which you can watch here.

I later met other Veterans for Peace, including a Quaker retired coast guard from California, who were guarding the Eureka Compass which serves as a large food bank. Unfortunately, guards are needed because the food banks are at risk of being invaded by ICE agents, and the food distributors are frequently followed.

On Saturday, I met with Mel Duncan, who founded the NVI Palestine Unarmed Civilian Protection project in the West Bank. He returned to the Twin Cities in December to find his hometown also occupied by outside armed actors acting outside the law. He jumped into patrol work at a local school, and has provided much needed training to local activists wanting to learn how to do unarmed civilian protection in a US city under occupation.

I ate lunch at a Salvadoran restaurant that was locked to prevent ICE from entering, but we knocked and were warmly welcomed. Businesses with immigrant staff or customers have been hard hit by people staying at home, fearful of abduction or mistreatment.

  Renee Good Memorial

The memorials of Alex Pretti and Renee Good are not far apart and had many visitors bringing flowers, candles and all kinds of beautiful momentos. A brass quartet played. These memorials are located on the very streets where they were murdered. The intensity of the pain and loss were evident by the many tears shed of people who were present.

On Sunday, I attended a Twin Cities Friends Meeting which had many of its members actively engaged in mutual aid, boycotts, sing-ins, protests, and patrols. One older friend said, “There is a role for everyone. I drive my neighbor to and from work and help with grocery shopping because they are too afraid to leave the house.” 

I attended a Workers Assembly at the Twin Cities Labor Center. There were at least 300 people, and everyone had a vote. Proposals for upcoming actions were debated and voted on and they agreed on a proposal to call for a general strike on May 1, with the goal of abolishing ICE. Labor has played a big role in organizing resistance, including a successful general strike on January 23, 2026.

On Monday, I bagged items at the Eureka Compass at the Zion Lutheran Church with my Quaker Friends who came from the DC area. The huge operation in the church basement was staffed by dozens of volunteers, including two elderly women who came in from Michigan to help for a week.

I joined a local group that engages in singing protests. We sang and held signs at an Enterprise rental car franchise and gently urged them to stop renting their cars to ICE. Many beautiful new songs have been created for this resistance movement.

I went to a Somali restaurant for dinner owned by a woman. Her community has been hit very hard by the US government with abductions, business failures, and intimidation, despite most of them having US citizenship and legal residence.

On Tuesday, I attended another protest and press conference for 2 of the Minneapolis 9 who chanted “Down Down with Occupation. Up Up with Reparations!” I had a late night meeting with Pastor Lena Gardner who is a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement. I learned that the response to George Floyd helped mobilize, organize and prepare Twin Cities residents. Minnesotans are still angry at the abduction of 3000 to 4000 residents and are calling for accountability, dismantlement of ICE, the return of abductees and reparations. They also see too much backsliding after George Floyd’s movement reforms and wants real lasting change.

On Wednesday, my last day, I supported the Isaiah Coalition in their protest against ICE at the state capitol. Hundreds filled the dome and marched in a snow storm. 

Finally I stopped by the Whipple Center which serves as the ICE headquarters and detention center, where I witnessed the release of one abductee who was greeted by 24/7 medical teams with blankets and food. Resistance activists take photos of the thousands of cars going in and out of the gates while others yell profanities at the incoming and outgoing ICE agents.

Some Learnings
In just 5 days, I witnessed an occupation of a U.S city, but also a robust resistance. Because of the occupation, I  witnessed lots of damage  - lasting damage, well beyond the abductees. Kids who have missed school, businesses that have failed, income lost with no further funds for basic necessities, such as rent or food, 2 people killed, many others injured. I believe we should be inspired by the resistance happening on the ground, but more importantly, we cannot let this happen again. ICE must be dismantled. Accountability and lasting changes are needed  - masks should be illegal for all armed actors worldwide, and State actors must be held accountable and borders need to be opened. 

Some Nonviolent Tactics
The resistance has deployed a range of nonviolent tactics. As listed in the stories of my trip above, mutual aid of many sorts, patrols looking for ICE agents, guards, observers, locked doors, signs that said ICE not welcome at certain businesses, singing protests, boycotts, sit-ins, whistles, signs, frog costumes, flags, memorials, a database of ICE cars and license plates, speeches, rallies, fraternization, and red hats! People use all the tools at their disposal. And they refused to take the bait. Trump wanted them to use violence so he could send in troops, but nonviolent persistence and resistance prevailed.

What's Next?
When people  see their towns and cities being occupied, whether in Palestine, Kashmir, Western Sahara, or Minnesota, one option is to invite visitors to support and volunteer. We always think we can’t do much, but they are not looking for heroes.  So don’t be a burden. Wash their clothes, walk their dog, do their grocery shopping, cook them a meal, take them out to dinner, fix their computers, and drive them to appointments. The goal is to listen and co-resist alongside them.

Michael Beer, with Co-Resisting Friends from the DC Area near the George Floyd Memorial in the Twin Cities.

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.

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.