Perspective Daily Interviews AEI’s Jamila Raqib on Nonviolent Resistance

Published on September 15, 2025

”Finally an end to war and dictatorship? This method works better”
Interview by Julia Tappeiner

Nonviolent resistance isn't wishful thinking, but a struggle with sophisticated tactics. That's what makes it so effective. It has already been used to push back Russia.

The article in brief

• In 1989, almost 2 million people in the Baltics formed a 600-kilometer-long human chain – a silent, singing protest against Soviet rule and the beginning of independence.

• According to a study, nonviolent movements are almost twice as successful as armed ones – but their success rate has halved in the last 15 years.

• Successful nonviolent resistance requires more than protest: with strategy, diverse tactics, and broad social participation, it can even counter military force.

Read the full interview here.