We Need PEOPLE POWER - to Address - a World In Peril

An established body of research tells us that people power movements have been one of the most powerful drivers of democracy worldwide over the past century.4 These movements are also crit- ical factors in producing better climate and peace and security outcomes.5 10 / We Need People Power to Address a World in Peril Moreover, research and past practice offer significant insight into how to work e. [...] In addition to movements demanding democracy, large numbers of local and national nonviolent campaigns also pursue a range of related human rights, including the rights of women, minorities, and marginalized communities; labor rights; and transparency and the rule of law. [...] The high water mark for movement success rates was 65 percent during the 1990s, but this declined to 34 percent in the 2010s, and fell further in the first few years of the pres- ent decade amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.18 Thus, at a time when autocracies are resurgent, the success rates of one of the most powerful democratic forces in the world is falling. [...] For example, movement allies may include activists from other locales and issue areas; journalists and communications professionals; scientists, engineers, and researchers; certain entrepre- neurs and businesses; and attorneys and policymakers 24 / We Need People Power to Address a World in Peril with insider connection and institutional access. [...] Yet over-prioritizing demands of violent actors to the detriment of people power movements in negotiations and post-settlement phases of a conflict (such as 36 / We Need People Power to Address a World in Peril happened after the Sudanese pro-democracy movement ousted autocrat Omar al-Bashir in 2019) can result in unsustainable peace.65 Failing to address deep power imbalances and issues of struct.