African Academy for Nonviolent Activism Well kick your

African Academy for Non-violent Activism We’ll kick your ass. Peacefully

Non-violent change �Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals. Martin Luther King, Jr. �Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable JFK

Non-violent change "Those who profess to favor freedom, yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightening. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. “ Frederick Douglass, African-American abolitionist

Concept �Promoting non-violent change �Targeting existing activists -civil society leaders veterans in their fights �Transferring valuable knowledge to where it is needed most �increasing effectiveness of non-violent struggles �Creating the first in-Africa school for nonviolent resistance

Content 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Theory of non-violent change Historical Lessons Field actions Communication E-activism

1. Theory of non-violent change �Thoreau, �Saul Alinsky, �MK Gandhi, �M. L. King �etc.

2. Historical Lessons �Orange revolutions, �Jasmine revolutions �Iran �Arab spring revolutions �etc.

3. Field actions �Effective demonstration techniques – marches, rallies, sit-ins, picketing, blockades etc. �Police violence, �Demonstrations and the law, �Police interrogations �Handling court procedure.

4. Communication �Maximizing use of media �Communicating your message �Controlling the framing of the issue �Deflecting smear campaign �Artivism

5. E-activism �Use of social media �WWW �Email communication �Twitter �Blogging �Text messaging

Building Legitimacy � The African Academy of None-violent Activism (AANA) aims to be based in an African country � The long term goal is to build legitimacy to a new concept - civil disobedience in-country school. � As it is, African regimes are not likely to allow this, and the international community will not likely stand behind the concept. � But this can change, riding the wave of growing acceptance to none-violent resistance.

The “Activism House” �Physical school �Training large groups of selected activists �Two weeks program �First stage – “train the trainers” - using external experts to build local capacity for the African academy.

Managing Risks �The Academy’s content is not illegal �Teaching in the Academy is not illegal �No reproach is expected by government (arrests, legal action) �School can be closed down by government

The Virtual Academy �Short term backup to the physical version �Online real-time courses, with trainers answering questions, passing exams etc. �By Webminar software �Participation is controlled �Trainers can be outside of Africa �Participants are protected

Recruitment of trainers �Locating volunteer trainers to build lesson plans for the program � Able to dedicate their time to teach parts of the program in front of the computer.

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