Where is your CVC code?
Democracy hangs in the balance this year — not just in the United States, but around the world, where a record number of people are heading to the polls in more than 60 countries. At Waging Nonviolence, we have a unique and important role to play in dangerous times like these. In 2020, we published a series of viral stories that gave concerned citizens the tools to thwart an attempted coup by Trump. Their success led to the launch of a national organizing effort called Choose Democracy, which trained over 10,000 people ahead of that year’s election.
This year, we once again teamed up with Choose Democracy to provide resources on how to stem the rising authoritarian tide. This page is a collection of those resources, divided into sections highlighting: 2024 post-election coverage, conversations with experienced organizers and movement thinkers, original reporting and analysis from the frontlines of the democracy struggle, a look back at our 2020 coverage and more from WNV‘s archives.
For movements trying to harness the energy that emerges during political upheavals, mass training provides a crucial means to develop leadership and bring in new participants.
Our job is to translate outrage over his agenda into action toward a truly transformational vision.
This is not our first rodeo with authoritarianism. Americans have collectively risen to seemingly impossible challenges in the past, and we can do so again.
The key to taking effective action in a Trump world is to avoid perpetuating the autocrat’s goals of fear, isolation, exhaustion and disorientation.
Movement elder George Lakey and others led a series of interviews with people experienced in fighting authoritarianism, which Choose Democracy incorporated into its newest resource “What If Trump Wins.”
Former chief climate diplomat for the Philippines Yeb Saño discusses his work with Greenpeace Southeast Asia and the challenges climate activists face under repressive governments.
A Gambian organizer who helped bring an end to Jammeh’s 22-year rule explains the importance of agreeing on a common purpose and demystifying despots.
Pedro Telles helped rally Brazilians against the far right. Here he explains how communications strategies can be used to fight authoritarianism.
Anti-authoritarian organizer and strategist Scot Nakagawa explains the importance of confronting political violence and learning from pro-democracy struggles abroad.
Janet Cherry was a student leader in the anti-apartheid movement. Here she discusses the importance of vision, strategy and conviction in the fight for a better future.
A leading Hungarian organizer and teacher discusses the struggle to defend public education from Orban’s increasingly authoritarian government.
Hardy Merriman helped prepare Americans for a Trump coup attempt in 2020. In this conversation, he offers insights into overcoming threats to this year’s election.
Lessons on movement building from one of the founders of the Serbian student movement that brought down dictator Slobodan Milosevic.
For those angsting over how to cast their vote, consider these insights on the role elections play in building long-term power.
Georgia is particularly vulnerable to election subversion this November, but there are steps everyone can take to uphold democracy.
Venezuelan democracy defenders are showing that the conflict isn’t about left versus right — it’s about opening a space to struggle for genuine freedom and democracy.
Launched in reaction to the presidential debate, Pass the Torch brought rapid-response organizing and positive messaging to the fight against fascism in the 2024 election.
In India’s Ladakh region, a growing movement for autonomy, statehood, land, jobs and climate justice is readying for its next phase of direct action.
With voter intimidation and political violence on the rise, it’s time to invest in proven nonviolent, civilian-led safety endeavors.
More than a hundred days of Indigenous-led protest played a key role in defending Guatemala’s democracy, but the struggle continues.
To see more of our recent coverage, go here.
In 2020, Waging Nonviolence published some of the earliest and most influential national articles warning Americans of a possible power grab. George Lakey was first to sound the alarm. Then came Daniel Hunter’s article “10 Things You Need to Know to Stop a Coup,” which reached over a million readers. These and other articles on fighting authoritarianism from 2020 remain helpful resources.
To prevent future far-right violence, first we need accountability. Then we must build movements capable of transforming our social, political and economic systems.
A coup needs legitimacy to be successful. If the goal of seizing the Capitol was to gain legitimacy, the action backfired spectacularly.
Being part of the team that trained 10,000 people to defend the election taught me five principles I want to practice going forward.
As coup prevention has gained mainstream attention, here’s a series of tactics with a plan to defend our democracy.
To prevent a stolen election we must win decisively at the polls and use disciplined nonviolent mass action to defend the legitimate results.
As Americans prepare to stop a coup, concerns for safety are rising. Longtime trainer George Lakey offers lessons on overcoming fear and minimizing violence.
While keeping people focused on a strong, robust election process is a must, we also need to prepare for a coup.
Defeating Trump’s “law and order” strategy will mean creating a plan to win based on our strengths and his weaknesses.
To see all our 2020 election coverage, go here.
In this exclusive interview, Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi discusses how Iranians have no choice but to continue their struggle for democracy.
A multipronged movement in Guatemala is rising to defend the surprise election of a progressive president who is under attack from the corrupt old guard.
Government repression has backfired against Thailand’s security forces, fueling a surge in peaceful demonstrations led by women, youth and queer people across the country.
The nonviolent nature of Belarus’ decentralized protests has paralyzed the authorities who seek to discredit and repress the movement.
With fascism on the rise, Indian women are organizing trainings and campaigns to foster communal harmony and safeguard constitutional rights.
A new coalition on the left has come together to stop fascist-leaning Jair Bolsonaro from winning the presidency in Brazil.
While enthusiasm for the struggle seemed high among Women’s March participants, an important question was looming: What’s the strategic plan?
It isn’t enough to compare Trump to authoritarian leaders from the past. We must learn from history in a different way — from the movements that overcame such repression.
Hi,
Why do you write “Democracy hangs in the balance… not just in the United States”?
In my view, Democracy in the United States has strengthened more than I’ve ever seen it, and I an 75 years old. I think it is because equal, opposite sides (the Two Party System) have woken up to the abuses occurring when one political party, or faction controls elections.
The United States has exposed through watchful intervention, and corrected through wise effort, that which the founders of our Democratic Republic foresaw could happen when “honest men say nothing.”
I am heartbroken about this election but i will be alright my hope is its not too late to keep our democracy
Democrats need to look closely at who they are serving before working towards 2026 elections.