Webinar Series: The Missing Peace: Talking About Nonviolence

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Can nonviolence really make change? Can it be a useful strategy in the face of war and oppression?

Webinar: 8pm AEST, Thursday 12 September 2024

In this webinar, we will be privileged to hear from three extraordinary women whose personal experiences in Serbia, South Sudan and Ukraine show us that, yes, nonviolence has extraordinary power – that it is a tool of the oppressed that has been long successfully used to fight extreme violence and oppression, respond to war, and take down dictators.

With so much conflict in the world, from actual war and genocide through to deep divisions that feel impossible to cross, it’s understandable that many people, even in our movement and party, are sceptical of nonviolence. But, as Judith Butler writes in their book, “The Power of Nonviolence”, nonviolence is “a practice of resistance that becomes possible, if not mandatory, precisely at the moment when doing violence seems most justified and obvious.”

It’s easy, when violence is so embedded in our systems, to believe Mao’s statement that “power comes from the barrel of a gun”. But, as Hannah Arendt wrote, “Out of the barrel of a gun grows the most effective command, resulting in the most instant and perfect obedience. What can never grow out of it is power. … Power springs up whenever people get together and act in concert.” Violence may be able to destroy. It can never create.

Arendt, like so many others, saw how the violence of the state, of the oppressor, can never be beaten by more violence. Nonviolence is the tool of the oppressed who seek to cultivate a better world. It is the tool that can make violent power crumble, offering people a path to defect, finding paths to build a future together.

Like millions of others, our three speakers have personal experience of this power.

REGISTER BELOW.

Vesna Cerroni

Vesna Cerroni, now living in Australia as Canberra lobbyist for the Bob Brown Foundation, is an environmentalist and human rights activist with over 20 years’ experience in working with governments, international organisations and civil society. During her student days, Vesna raised her voice against the regime in the raging conflict areas of the Balkans. She was engaged as a Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs of the Resistance with OTPOR, the nonviolent movement which helped bring down Slobodan Milosevic, transformed Serbian political culture and built on grassroots decentralised civil society. This enabled her to promote and work on conflict prevention, non-violent actions, peace building and reconciliation.

Dr Felicity Gray

Dr Felicity Gray is the Global Head of Policy & Advocacy for Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP). She is currently based in Washington DC, following working for NP in Ukraine (2022) and South Sudan (2020-21). Felicity is a former adviser to Senator Christine Milne and Senator Richard Di Natale, and has previously served as a Green Institute board member and International Secretary of the Australian Greens. Felicity holds a PhD from Australian National University, her research focusing on the uses of nonviolent action for the protection of civilians, and spanning field research across Myanmar, Lebanon, South Sudan, Europe, and the United States.

Sunday Stephen

Sunday Stephen Nhial Thiang is a National Protection Officer with Nonviolent Peaceforce in South Sudan. Since 2018, she has designed and delivered unarmed civilian protection programs during the civil war and intercommunal violence in South Sudan. She is simultaneously completing her Bachelor of Development Studies at Starford International University Juba. As part of her job, she uses nonviolent strategies like protective presence and accompaniment to protect civilians at risk of violence. 

Register below to join in the discussion. This webinar is the second in a series we’re hosting over the coming months as part of our project The Missing Peace: Talking About Nonviolence. We look forward to having you along!

Full bursaries are available. Email event organiser (email listed below) with your request.

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