6 hands in the air holding different shapes with their fingers such as a thumbs up, peace sign and fist. The fists are surrounded by little shapes such as a star, spring and starburtn.

Defending Democracy with Humor and Dilemma Actions Tactics

Introduction

Explore how humor and dilemma actions empower pro-democracy movements by exposing authoritarian absurdities and fostering community resilience.

Humor and dilemma actions are powerful tools for defending democracy, especially in repressive environments. By placing authoritarian regimes in “lose-lose” situations and engaging public attention, these creative tactics help counter repression and strengthen communities.

As Ivan Marovic commented during the workshop, “Strategic humor isn’t about making fun—it’s about exposing the absurdity of power that claims to serve the people but often betrays them.”

The following insights are inspired by “Defending Democracy with Humor and Dilemma Actions Tactics,” a webinar hosted by the Democracy Resource Hub and Horizons Project on the 28 Oct 2024 as part of the Intermestic Learning Series, which fosters global knowledge-sharing to support democracy.

The global panel of speakers included:

Speaker Contributions

Khumbulani Maphosa (Zimbabwe)

Core Insights

  • Humor in Service Delivery
    Khumbulani shared how creating “burst” certificates for water leaks humorously highlighted government neglect, pressuring local authorities to act on their service mandate.
  • Global Resonance of Local Tactics
    Their actions demonstrate how relatable, humorous protests can draw attention to systemic issues and inspire similar campaigns worldwide.

We created ‘burst’ certificates for water leaks,” an example of “the dilemmas that we’ve been doing to push the local authority to act on their mandate in terms of service delivery.

A Certificate on a pole with a hand on the right hand side holding it up. The certificate is titled 'Burst Certificate' and has text.

Sophia McClennen (USA)

Core Insights

  • Effectiveness of Dilemma Actions
    Sophia shared research showing that nonviolent movements using dilemma actions had a significantly higher success rate, underscoring the strategic value of humor and satire in social movements.
  • Humor as a Cognitive Tool
    She explained that humor reduces counter-arguing by engaging people’s desire to “get the joke,” which allows the underlying message to resonate more deeply. Watch here

We found that nonviolent movements using dilemma actions had a 63% better success rate. – Sophia McClennen

Ivan Marovic (Serbia)

Core Insights

  • Symbols of Oppression as Props: Ivan explained how humor turns symbols of oppression into absurd props, shifting power dynamics and making regimes appear ridiculous.
  • Strategic Use of Self-Deprecation: He discussed the role of self-deprecating humor in activism, which can foster self-reflection and encourage people to examine their own role in societal issues.
  • Mockery vs. Teasing in Humor: Ivan noted that gentle teasing, rather than harsh mockery, can prompt people to see their own complicity in societal problems without feeling attacked, creating a space for cathartic self-reflection.

Strategic use of humor is not just making fun of somebody, but making fun of somebody in a way that they change their behavior because they want to step out of that position where they’re at the butt of the joke. – Ivan Marovic

Pedro Silva (USA)

Core Insights

  • Reframing Fears through Comedy
    Pedro emphasized that laughter enables people to process fears, helping them confront biases in a safe, non-threatening way.
  • Tension Release and Self-Reflection
    He uses humor to help audiences laugh at themselves, encouraging reflection and reducing defensiveness toward others.
  • Comedy as a Tool for Empathy
    By laughing at their own fears and biases, audiences can begin to see others with less fear and more understanding, creating a shared experience that builds empathy.

When we laugh at something, typically we only can laugh at things that we’ve processed. So if we haven’t processed it yet, then it’s very difficult to laugh at it. – Pedro Silva

David Perdue (USA)

Core Insights

  • Unity through Laughter
    David highlighted how self-deprecating humor creates camaraderie, fostering openness and reducing defensiveness.
  • Comedy as a Tool for Connection
    He explained how laughter brings people together, even those with different views, creating shared moments that open doors for dialogue.

When people laugh, it’s a moment of unity, even if they don’t share the same views. – David Perdue

Case Studies from the Event

  • Khumbulani Maphosa’s “Pothole Plants”
    Residents placed uprooted grass or shrubs in potholes to highlight neglect, prompting the city council to take action. 
  • Ivan Marovic’s “Barrel of Laughs”
    In Serbia, activists set up a barrel labeled for donations for Milosevic’s retirement, allowing citizens to hit the barrel with a bat if they didn’t have money. This humorous action led to the police arresting the barrel, making the authorities look absurd.
  • David Perdue’s “Name Mix-Up”
    He shared how having the same name as a senator led to receiving misdirected messages. He used this confusion to create a humorous platform, highlighting misunderstandings and misinformation in politics.

Watch Full Webinar

Defending Democracy with Humor and Dilemma Actions Tactics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wC6URVsNBQ

Recommended Resources

Dilemma Action

Humor & Creativity for Advocacy

Podcasts

What’s So Funny About…? with Pedro Silva

Episode 13 w/ Nick Marx“: In this episode, of the “What’s So Funny About…?” Podcast, brought to you by the Liberation Comedy Project, we talk to Nick Marx co-author of That’s Not Funny: How the Right Makes Comedy Work for Them 

What’s Good, Atlanta? with David Perdue & Mark Kendall

About Us

This event and resource page is a collaboration between The Horizons Project, 22nd Century Initiative, Community Justice Project and Fair and Just Prosecution, and the Democracy Resource Hub.

The Horizons Project recognizes the urgency for diverse movements to come together in the United States to protect democracy, stand for nonviolence, and demand peace. Our vision, mission, and values represent our deep commitment to systems-level organizing with the existing ecosystem of social change.

The Intermestic Learning Series aims to foster a dynamic exchange of knowledge, strategies, experiences, and insights among organizers and movement builders from the United States and around the globe on defending and promoting democracy in their respective contexts.
Previous event in this series: 

The Democracy Resource Hub is a collaborative effort supported by the 22nd Century Initiative, United Vision Idaho, the SHIFT Action Lab, and the Horizons Project. It is hosted by the Commons Social Change Library. For more information and to access a wealth of learning resources to complement these webinars, visit the Democracy Resource Hub Collection.


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