Unlike most news retrospectives — which will only remind you of what’s wrong in the world — the most-read Waging Nonviolence stories of 2017 show the upside to a very difficult year: people confronting those wrongs and making serious advances toward justice.
10. A manual for a new era of direct action | by George Lakey
An organizing manual that powered the civil rights movement gets a 2017 update.
9. Why Black Bloc tactics won’t build a successful movement | by Kazu Haga
Black bloc tactics have received much praise in recent weeks, but there are many valid questions about their effectiveness that we ignore at our own peril.
8. How prisoners organized to elect a just DA in Philly | by Kerry “Shakaboona” Marshall and John Bergen
Thanks to an insurgent criminal justice reform campaign waged by prisoners, their families and community groups, Philadelphia elected an anti-incarceration district attorney.
7. Syrians roll back extremism in Idlib without military intervention | by Julia Taleb
Syrian citizens are managing their civil affairs, alleviating suffering and rolling back extremism in Idlib City without Assad or outside military force.
6. Don’t feed the trolls — how to combat the alt-right | by Kazu Haga
Using humor and creative tactics or overwhelming the alt-right with our sheer numbers is the best way to win, and for that nonviolent discipline is key.
5. How anti-Vietnam War activists stopped violent protest from hijacking their movement | by Robert Levering
The tactics of isolation that kept groups like the Weathermen away from peaceful protests may help today’s activists struggling with Black Bloc disruptions.
4. The urgency of slowing down | by Kazu Haga
We need to act, but addressing this crucial moment can’t come at the expense of strategy, process, intention and remembering to slow down enough to breathe.
3. Gandhi’s strategy for success — use more than one strategy | by Mark Engler and Paul Engler
How creating a healthy “ecology of change,” as Gandhi did in India, can help propel social movements.
2. Why Nazis are so afraid of these clowns | by Sarah Freeman-Woolpert
Clowns have an impressive track record of subverting Nazi ideology, de-escalating rallies and bringing communities together in creative resistance.
1. A 10-point plan to stop Trump and make gains in justice and equality | by George Lakey
While enthusiasm for the struggle seemed high among Women’s March participants, an important question was looming: What’s the strategic plan?
