PARCC presents: Stephen Zunes

"The Role of Strategic Nonviolent Action in Global Democratization." Despite periodic setbacks and occasional reversals, the past three decades have witnessed a remarkable wave of democratization worldwide. In the majority of cases, the large-scale use of strategic nonviolent action by opposition activists played the critical role in bringing down autocratic systems. These movements came about not as a result of a spiritual or ethical commitment to nonviolence as much as the realization that neither working within the political system nor armed struggle were viable options. This lecture examines the history and dynamics of civil resistance and why it has proven to be such a powerful tool in pro-democracy struggles.