Objectives of the Asian Action Institute

  • Disseminate and share the theory and practice of strategic nonviolent action in the South Asia region
  • Build a vibrant regional network of grassroots activists and scholars interested and/or involved in the study and practice of strategic nonviolent action
  • Identify potential joint scholar-practitioner initiatives to advance knowledge about the study and practice of strategic nonviolent action
  • Identify specific conflicts in the region that scholars and practitioners work on or are involved in which can benefit from integration or reinforcement of a nonviolent resistance perspective

Themes for the Asian Action Institute

  • What is strategic nonviolent action
  • How nonviolent action works
  • Why nonviolent campaigns succeed or fail
  • Nonviolent strategy and tactics
  • Movement and campaign communications and media.
  • Case studies of local campaigns and examples of nonviolent movements from South Asia and a larger region
  • Field trip to a community with a civil resistance campaign
  • How strategic nonviolent action shapes societies, national, and international affairs
  • Work in small groups to create strategic and tactical action plans

Our Instructors

Learn From the best

Dr. Maciej Bartkowski

Senior Director of Education and Research

Dr. Maciej Bartkowski is Senior Director for Education & Research at ICNC. He joined ICNC in 2009 and prior to that he held managerial and teaching positions at Adelphi University and Bard College.
At ICNC, he directs various academic programs for students, faculty, and educators from around the world to support teaching, research, and study on civil resistance. He is also spearheading ICNC efforts to build infrastructure for and expand distance education and online learning. He is also an editor of the ICNC Monographs and special reports series.
He holds an adjunct faculty position at Krieger School of Arts and Sciences of Johns Hopkins University where he teaches strategic nonviolent resistance. In 2016, he was appointed an adjunct professor at Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Dr. Bartkowski is a book editor of Recovering Nonviolent History. Civil Resistance in Liberation Struggles published by Lynne Rienner in 2013.

Dr. Steve Chase

Manager of Academic Initiatives, ICNC

Steve Chase, a long-time activist, educator, and writer, is ICNC’s Manager of Academic Initiatives and a Regular Contributor to Minds of the Movement Blog. His work supports academic research, curriculum development, classroom and online learning, and other educational efforts, with the aim of connecting practitioners and scholars.
During his doctorate work at Antioch University, Steve completed a curriculum action research dissertation entitled, Activist Training in the Academy: Developing a Master’s Program in Environmental Advocacy and Organizing. The dissertation served as the conceptual blueprint for Antioch University’s master’s program in Advocacy for Social Justice and Sustainability and inspired the five-point curriculum framework of The Change Agency, a national nonviolent activist training network in Australia.
As a result of this research, Steve served as the founding Program Director of Antioch University’s Advocacy for Social Justice and Sustainability master’s program for twelve years. He taught blended online/on-campus courses in Organizing Social Movements and Campaigns; Leadership for Change; Political Economy and Sustainability; Corporate Power and Democracy; Diversity, Justice, and Inclusion; as well as several all-online classes in Nonprofit Leadership.

Regional Trainers and Presenters

Additional trainers and presenters from the region, both scholars and activists, will also be engaged to share their experiences, perspectives, and expertise. Photos and bios for these additional Action Institute faculty will be added as the roster of regional trainers and presenters is completed. Please keep an eye on this space for information about these additional Institute faculty members and speakers!

Testimonials

The institute enriched our knowledge about the importance of nonviolent actions. The experiences of nonviolent movements and campaigns in Latin America that were shared allowed us to reflect on the needs and challenges that we face, and how we can adapt or replicate these initiatives, methods, models and dynamics in order to achieve our goals.

- Participants from Latin American

Regional Institute 2018, Quito, Ecuador.

The program on nonviolent civil strategies was very nourishing, both for its content and for forming a space of connection among peers, a space to meet, get to know each other, connect, and start working together.

- Participants from Latin American

Regional Institute 2018, Quito, Ecuador.

Venue

Dhulikhel Village Resort

The Institute venue is in Dulikhel, which is located in Kavrepalanchok district and is one of a beautiful city with panoramic view of the Himalayan mountain ranges. It lies 32 km east of Kathmandu and is reachable by buses from Kathmandu city centers and Koteshwor. The venue is the Dhulikhel Village Resort, which has one big conference hall and a kitchen and dining room that is separate from the main buildings for accommodation. The resort serves wide range of food from Nepali to Continental to cater to needs of the customers from across the globe. Most participants will be housed in shared rooms with two twin beds. Participants requiring single accommodations will need to contact the organizers. Any such needs will be addressed upon the availability of rooms at other hotels and will require an extra payment.

To learn more about our venue

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Online Library

Participants can read more on nonviolent movements and civil resistance from the reading materials provided below.