We believe that nonviolent movements – which are rooted in communities and led by the very people facing injustice – provide an opportunity to tackle the drivers of violent conflict in today’s world, and support for these movements can build power and agency across a broad range of actors.
Disempowerment is a self-perpetuating cycle in many conflict regions: We know that people give up the power they might hold when they perceive themselves as powerless. The manifestation of this disempowerment is fear, distrust, polarization, and apathy, and these dynamics feed systems underpinned by greed and violence.
In deeply restrictive, violent, and authoritarian environments, supporting non-violent movements to engage in collective action has catalyzed greater coordination among actors across sectors and borders, bringing together a broad range of knowledge, critical skills, and networks to tackle crises from multiple fronts.
At Humanity United, we leverage small, yet highly flexible, funds that emphasize rapid response, calculated risk-taking, and innovation that bridges nonviolent action, peacebuilding, and democratic governance during windows of opportunity.
Within this area, we support partners who:
- Create cross-movement/geographic connections, solidarity, and action
- Support research to strengthen movement effectiveness
- Provide civil resistance and peacebuilding coaching for activists, movement organizers, and allies
- Organize community, national and regional-level dialogue, negotiation, and mediation spaces
- Ensure partners have access to holistic care
- Weave together key networks across sectors and geographies for collective action
- Develop curricula, research, and resources for activists, movement actors, and their allies on both civil resistance and peacebuilding approaches
Learn more about our approach in our strategy.