Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Seminar to inspire people power and civil resistance
The three-day seminar, which is being hosted by Peace Studies at Leeds Beckett and run by the International Centre for Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC), will take place at the Carriageworks in Millennium Square, Leeds, from Monday 18 to Wednesday 20 April.
Dr Rachel Julian, organiser of the event and Senior Lecturer in Peace Studies at Leeds Beckett, explained: “The local and global challenges of inequality, injustice, climate change, human rights abuses and violence are being tackled every day by people working together to make a difference. This is people power - nonviolent civil resistance - and it has challenged powerful structures, brought about civil rights and the end of apartheid, and is changing our world today.”
The seminar, which will run each day from 9am to 5pm, with space to reflect time provided in the evenings from 6pm to 9pm, will see guests join students and staff from Leeds Beckett, local and national activists, and others interested in learning more about people power. The seminar will be presented by global experts in the theory and practice of nonviolent civil resistance, and all participants will have access to an electronic library of material to follow up with after the three days.
The seminar is free to attend, however guests must be able to attend all three days. To book, please go to http://bit.ly/CivilResistanceSeminar and register by Wednesday 16 March.
The seminar will introduce guests to themes including: the effectiveness of civil resistance and how it works; managing repression; democratisation; and historical and contemporary cases of civil resistance. It will be led by experts including: Dr Maciej Bartkowski, writer and researcher of civil resistance and strategic non-violent conflict; Professor Stellan Vinthagen, Director of the Resistance Studies Initiative at The University of Massachusetts, USA, and academic advisor to the ICNC; Shaazka Beyerle, ICNC Senior Advisor; and Roddy Brett, Lecturer in the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of St Andrews.
Dr Julian added: “We aim to share our knowledge of the strategies and tactics of civil resistance and an understanding of the effectiveness of civil resistance, alongside time to network and reflect on the issues with other people.
“The evening reflective spaces are organised by West Yorkshire Nonviolence Network and will be a time for participants to work with others on how to apply the learning during the day to current challenges.“This international seminar is open to all. You do not need any prior knowledge of civil resistance to attend, and those experienced in the field will find new examples and approaches, as well as time to debate and reflect.”