"The tasks of democratic governments is to pay attention to change, and in a spirit of solidarity of free peoples, support legitimate aspirations of people everywhere to widen their democratic space." -A Diplomat's Handbook for Democracy Development Support
Local nonviolent activists and movements, along with the tactics and strategies they use, will always be the primary drivers of bottom-up change. However, external actors, both governmental and non-governmental, can play an important role in supporting those activists and movements and shaping the environment for civic activism. Effective 21st century diplomacy, notably, must emphasize development and civilian power as much as military might.
Still, there are challenges to state support for indigenous movements. These include constraints imposed by normal bilateral relations and conflicting geo-strategic interests. This module will address the following questions:
- What are the pros and cons of external support (notably governmental support) to nonviolent activists?
- What tools do diplomats and other external actors have at their disposal to enhance the effectiveness of nonviolent activists and movements?
- Where have those tools been used effectively or not effectively?
- What are key lessons for future engagement between diplomats/policy-makers and nonviolent activists?
External Factors in Civil Resistance - Dr. Maria Stephan and Rob Wilkinson (FSI2013)
1. Civil Resistance Movements
and External Actors
Maria J. Stephan, Ph.D.
2013 Fletcher Summer Institute for the
Advanced Study of Nonviolent Conflict
19 June 2013
2. Outside Help: Framing questions
How important is external assistance?
What types of support do NV activists need?
Authoritarian backlash vs. right to receive help:
should there be a responsibility to assist?
3. Pros and Cons of GOVT support
Cons:
• Inconsistent, often untimely, bureaucratic
• Used by regimes to undermine the legitimacy
of indigenous movements
Pros:
• NV activists need funds, knowledge, skills,
connections to global solidarity networks
• Can help inhibit regime repression
• Solidarity boosts morale/confidence
4. Diplomats’ Handbook
• Resources + assets available to diplomats to help
democrats; Activists should be aware of them too!
• A few tools:
www.diplomatshandbook.org
Meeting
activists/Reporting
Trial monitoring/prison
visits
Connecting activists to
international
actors/networks
Diplomatic immunity Funding/training Physical
deployment/solidarity
actions
Demarches to foreign
govts
Convening opposition,
members of other pillars
Provide refugee
asylum/sanctuary
