By Kathie MM
The WWII resistance movement employed a number of tactics, often nonviolent, to resist the invaders, including strikes and demonstrations, alternative media (declared illegal by the invaders) to fight Nazi propaganda, their own anti-Nazi publications, and sabotage. It was highly risky work but it contributed to the ultimate defeat of Nazism. Those resistance tactics are in use today to fight a range of threats not just to democracy but to the survival of the earth and its inhabitants.
For example, in the United States today, there is growing concern with the way fascism seems increasingly entwined with the military industrial complex, promoting an agenda that cares nothing for human beings and their living environments except for the profits and power that can be ripped from them.
Although resistance to governmental policies that threaten democracy, social justice, and the environment is less risky in the US today than was fighting the Nazis in WWII, many people are wary of “sticking their necks out” in a country that seems increasingly fascist. Yet there are growing signs of resistance at every level of society that should give us hope for countering the threats on the horizon today.
Just a few recent examples of resistance to agendas that endanger us all:
Wisconsinites braving the freezing weather and turning out in force, crowding the inside of the capitol building, chanting “Respect our vote!” and fighting for a return to democracy
The Women’s March, opposing all forms of bigotry and white supremacy .
Children around the world demanding attention to climate change. See this , and this . and this
Engaging Peace will share more of the resistance efforts that counter the destructiveness of many government policies in weeks to come; we invite you to submit your favorite examples of these actions.