Minds of the Movement

The Russian invasion of Ukraine. The rise of Russian-style hybrid warfare. General receptivity to the idea of nonviolent civilian-based defense (CBD) in Latvia, one of the two Baltic states that share a border with Russia, has never been lower. It was the US Special Operations Forces (US-SOF) and NATO that succeeded in drawing the Latvian state’s attention back to CBD, presented as an integral part of national defense. The question of how to implement this concept, known as “comprehensive defense”, remains rather delicate in Latvia to this day—with the exception of a very convincing defense education project. […]

“Civil defense—a type of generalized, nonmilitary action against occupation and various societal threats—has partly risen recently in Taiwan out of efforts for civilians to have a greater say over defense against the Chinese threat. But civil defense efforts are importantly an outgrowth of Taiwan’s rich history of civil society and social movement activism, as expressed in historical moments such as the 2014 Sunflower Movement or the 1990 Wild Lily Movement, both primarily student-led. […]

As the recent tensions with India left many of us on edge—emotionally, physically, spiritually—I saw something beautiful rise from the cracks: humor that cuts through fear, creativity that brings color to our wounds, and a kind of shared care that reminds us we are never alone. Neighbors making jokes over chai, artists sketching satire onto Instagram reels, children reenacting peace talks in schoolyards, and mothers cracking the kind of jokes only grief can shape. Some might say we laugh to avoid pain. But here, in this land of dust and devotion, we laugh to survive it. […]

While armed conflicts were once fought on the front lines, today social media has become a parallel battlefield. Without bombs, rifles or machetes, social media now allows anti-democratic parties to manipulate opinion, spread false narratives, and harass and demonize activists, journalists and researchers who do not share their narratives. In this regard, the current conflict in Congo offers a telling example of the nature and scope of online disinformation, as well as the strategies that peace activists can adopt to counter it. […]

During a three-year judicial training in Poland, I was taught how to deal with different cases as a judge. I had to pass a very difficult judicial exam knowing all Supreme Court case law in criminal and civil law. Nobody, however, taught me how to deal with populists, how to defend judicial independence, or how to communicate with the public in accessible language. Much less how to combat politicians’ lies and their attacks on courts. […]

I’m sitting by the window in my office, in front of my computer. The chirping of birds and the backfire of a motorcycle are not enough to cover the explosions of heavy weapons nearby, up in the hills above Kenscoff, in Obléon, less than 5 kilometers away. The armed gangs launched their first attack on Kenscoff on January 27, 2025, in the Belot area. There, they massacred farmers and burned down their homes. […]