This course addresses a key challenge facing the peace and anti-war movement — and the global community more broadly: What should unarmed civilians do when militaries attack or occupy their communities? What alternative do they have but to fight back with violence? The ideal response is to prevent such situations from arising in the first place. But in today’s increasingly militarized world — and given the urgency of this question in the struggle for mutual survival — what meaningful alternatives can peacebuilders offer?

This six-week online course offers one such alternative: a comprehensive introduction to Unarmed Civilian Defense (UCD) — a people-powered approach to protecting communities and resisting violence without weapons. The course features six core learning modules, three optional live Zoom sessions, and an end-of-course strategic simulation. It explores how UCD can be used to resist military force, invasion, occupation, dictatorship, and war. Through real-world case studies, conceptual frameworks, practical tools, and shared learning with a globally diverse cohort of peers and facilitators, participants will gain a strong foundation in the theory and practice of nonviolent alternatives to war.

See here for more information and registration.