Dear John,

You are invited to join participants from around the world in World BEYOND War’s next global online course, Unarmed Civilian Defense Instead of War, beginning February 2, 2026.

This six-week course explores a central question facing societies today: What can unarmed civilians do when communities face invasion, occupation, repression, or political violence — beyond responding with violence?

👉 Enroll and read full course details: https://worldbeyondwar.org/unarmed-civilian-defense-instead-of-war-an-online-course/

👉 Watch a short course introduction (3 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MQ1QXPysDA&t

🧭 Course details at a glance

Dates: February 2 – March 16, 2026
Format: Online course
Structure: Self-paced modules + live sessions + strategy simulation
Time commitment: 3–6 hours per week
Cost: $100 standard fee (sliding scale available from $25+, based on ability to pay)

🌍 Why this course matters now

Across the world, millions of people live in contexts shaped by war, repression, and political violence. At the same time, societies are becoming increasingly militarized, even as military responses continue to cause harm and fail to protect civilians. This context highlights the urgent need for credible, nonviolent ways to protect civilians and communities.

🕊️ The answer: people power, no more wars and weapons

Unarmed Civilian Defense (UCD) is part of a wider family of nonviolent approaches — including civil resistance, social defense, and unarmed civilian protection — that have frequently been regarded as naïve or unrealistic, in mainstream security thinking, polocy, and practice. Today, the evidence tells a different story.

Across history and regions, organized, strategic nonviolent action has achieved more peaceful, inclusive, and sustainable processes and outcomes than armed responses, with fewer casualties, lower short- and long-term costs, reduced risks of escalation, and stronger democratic participation and civic space.

At a time when security debates focus on weapons and technologies, this course offers a vital reminder: The most effective tools for defending civilians are not new technologies, but ancient and proven practices of organized, strategic people power.

Unarmed Civilian Defense has been used to:

Protect civilians in active conflict zones and other high-risk contexts
Resist invasion, occupation, and coups
Challenge dictatorship and repression
Prevent mass atrocities
Strengthen democracy and human rights

📚 What you will learn

Through six online modules, optional live dialogues, and an end-of-course strategy simulation, participants will explore:

What Unarmed Civilian Defense is and how it works
What it has achieved in real-world contexts
What individuals, organizations, movements, and governments can do
How media and narratives shape war and peace
How to design strategic, context-sensitive UCD responses

(Full module and facilitator details are available on the course page.)

Each year, this course fills quickly with participants from around the world. If you are seeking a practical, evidence-based understanding of how individuals and communities can defend themselves without war, we invite you to join us.

👉 Register here:
https://worldbeyondwar.org/unarmed-civilian-defense-instead-of-war-an-online-course/

In peace and solidarity,

Phill Gittins, PhD
Education Director
World BEYOND War
📧 [email protected]

World BEYOND War is a global network of volunteers, chapters, and affiliated organizations advocating for the abolition of the institution of war.
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