The following articles include opinion pieces on the current situation in Ukraine, the case for nonviolent civil resistance, information about the history of nonviolent uprisings in Ukraine, and ways to keep up to date on the unfolding war.
The Case for Nonviolence in Ukraine
- Ukraine: nonviolent resistance is a brave and often effective response to aggression, Alexandre Christoyannopoulos, The Conversation, 5/03/20222. Nonviolent resistance spreads hesitation and doubt in the invading force.
- Ukraine’s secret weapon may prove to be civilian resistance, Daniel Hunter, Waging Nonviolence, 17/2/2022. Unarmed Ukrainians changing road signs, blocking tanks and confronting the Russian military are showing their bravery and strategic brilliance.
- Ukraine doesn’t need to match Russia’s military might to defend against invasion, George Lakey, Waging Nonviolence, 25/02/2022. Throughout history, people facing occupation have tapped into the power of nonviolent struggle to thwart their invaders.
- Why Ukrainians are ready to fight for their democracy, Olga Boichak, The Conversation, 4/02/2022. Although this article doesn’t focus on nonviolence it addresses the growth of civil society and the history of civic activism that has prepared Ukrainians to defend their democracy.
- Pulling Away Putin’s Pedestal: Opportunities and Challenges for Nonviolent Resistance, Jason MacLeod, ICNC, 11 March 2022. Noncooperation will be key to defeating Putin and ending the Russian military’s occupation of Ukraine.
- Ukrainian Nonviolent Civil Resistance in the Face of War, Felip Daza Sierra. Analysis of trends, impacts and challenges of nonviolent action in Ukraine between February and June 2022,
Civil Resistance & Strategic Nonviolence Texts
- 198 Methods of Nonviolent Action, Gene Sharp, 1973. The classic text which outlines the many varied tactics that can be used in strategic nonviolence.
- Civil Resistance Tactics in the 2ist Century, Michael Beer, 2021. An update of Dr Sharp’s work by documenting additional methods of nonviolent action and scholarship. Includes a webinar to watch.
A History of Revolutions
The Euromaidan Revolution of 2014
- Ukraine: a nonviolent victory, Open Democracy, 2014.
- How Ukraine Ousted an Autocrat: The Logic of Civil Resistance,
- Assessing Ukrainian Grassroots Activism Five Years After Euromaidan, Carnegie, Europe, 2019.
The Orange Revolution of 2004
- Orange Revolution, International Center for Nonviolent Conflict. Includes a film available to watch.
- How Ukraine’s Orange Revolution shaped twenty-first century geopolitics, 2020, Atlantic Council. Includes commentary on Putin’s response to the Orange Revolution.
The Granite Revolution of 1990
- The Revolution on Granite in 1990: How Ukrainian Youth Defied the Soviet Ukraine, Young European Ambassadors Blog, 2024
- The 1990 Revolution on Granite as Ukraine’s New Beginning, Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia, 2023