Dear John,
I can't believe we are less than 1 month out from our annual global conference, #NoWar2023: Nonviolent Resistance to Militarism, happening virtually on September 22-24 to celebrate the International Day of Peace. If you haven't yet, reserve your spot by registering here. I've been busy behind-the-scenes lining up speakers, updating the conference website, and getting the Zoom Events platform set up for this 3-day online conference. I can say that I'm blown away by this year's line-up of over 30 speakers from 16 countries, who will be sharing incredible stories about the use of nonviolent resistance against invasions, occupations, dictatorships, and militarized violence.
Over 70 organizations have endorsed or sponsored the event, which says something about the relevance of this year's theme. #NoWar2023 tackles the quintessential question that many of us peace activists grapple with: how do we maintain a nonviolent stance when the bullets are flying overhead? We will hear examples of unarmed civilian protection and accompaniment in Latin America; Liberian women who came together to end a bloody civil war armed only with white T-shirts and the courage of their convictions; conscientious objectors in Ukraine and Russia who are refusing to fight each other; land defenders in Palestine who employ nonviolent tactics like planting olive trees to resist Israeli laws that encroach on their ancestral lands; and much more.
There are too many exciting sessions to highlight in one email (view the full schedule on the website here!); below are just some of the sessions to look forward to (including a live debate with David Swanson on whether war in Ukraine is justified - scroll down for details):
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Day 1 on September 22 features a panel on unarmed civilian protection and accompaniment around the world, with Jhony Arango of Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT) Colombia; representatives from Peace Brigades International (PBI) Honduras; and Marna Anderson, Director of Nonviolent Peaceforce USA. Este panel incluirá interpretación español-inglés.
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Day 2 on September 23 begins with a panel on nonviolent resistance to overthrow dictatorships & occupations, moderated by Ivan Marovic, Executive Director of the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict. This panel will share the courageous stories of activists who have used nonviolent resistance in the face of militarized violence, including Liberian activist Vaiba Flomo, who was instrumental in bringing an end to Liberia’s 14-year civil war through advocacy, protests, and political organizing; Karen Spring, Co-Coordinator for the Honduras Solidarity Network (HSN), who has lived and worked in Honduras since the U.S. and Canada-backed 2009 military coup; and Safoora Arbab, a scholar/educator who will tell the history of the Pashtun nonviolent resistance movement, the Khudai Khidmatgars.
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Day 2 of the conference includes a training with the celebrated author/activist, Rivera Sun, who is also the editor of Nonviolence News and the Program Coordinator for Campaign Nonviolence. This training will explore the toolbox of nonviolent tactics and explore how to craft strategy, how to make small changes for big impacts, and how to prepare to take action – mentally, spiritually, emotionally.
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Day 3 kicks off with a panel on community and land-based nonviolent resistance, featuring Juan Gómez Ruiz, a member of the Civil Society Organization of the Las Abejas de Acteal in México; Carlos Zorrilla, a leader in the successful effort to defend the cloud forests of the Intag Valley in North Western Ecuador; and Daoud Nassar of the Tent of Nations in Palestine. Este panel incluirá interpretación español-inglés.
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The final day of the conference wraps up with one of WBW's signature events, a debate with David Swanson on whether war is ever justified. Moderated by Marcy Winograd of CODEPINK, we’ll hear 3 perspectives debated: 1) Russia had no choice but to invade Ukraine, argued by former CIA analyst Ray McGovern, 2) Ukraine had no choice but to fight Russia, argued by journalist James Brooke who works as the Ukraine/Russia columnist for The New York Sun, and 3) Russia and Ukraine both had options better than war, argued by WBW Executive Director David Swanson. Tune in to hear the arguments and ask our debaters the tough questions about the efficacy of nonviolence when the tanks are rolling in.
This is just a sampling of the many sessions we will hear throughout the 3-day virtual conference from September 22-24. Visit the conference website for the full schedule here.
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There are still opportunities for endorsement and sponsorship of #NoWar2023!
Endorsement means that the endorsing organization will be listed on the conference materials and will help promote the event through its organizational email list, website, and/or social media channels.
Sponsorship comes at different levels, starting at $125 USD, and includes various perks, including event tickets, social media posts to WBW’s channels promoting the sponsor, and a virtual expo booth at the conference to interact with attendees in real time.
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