Andrew Rigby

Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. Published as part of the Creating Safer Space Network that seeks to strengthen civilian capacities for nonviolent protection in conflict-affected areas. This book offers a compelling look at how unarmed civilian protection (UCP) practitioners work to enhance the level of security experienced by local Palestinians, supporting community-based resistance to rocketing levels of dispossession and ethnic-cleansing in the occupied West Bank. Drawing on first-hand field research, the authors reveal the daily realities of providing a protective presence against violence and displacement. Crucially, the book highlights the vital role of international UCP solidarity networks in supporting local efforts and examines what difference they can make in the face of increasing levels of settler-violence. It is essential reading for those seeking practical pathways for nonviolent action and global solidarity.

Originally published in 1974, this book examines the nature of the commune movement, its members and the communal activities in which they are involved. It explains the forces in 20th Century society that moved people to form and join communes. The author investigates the claim made by many commune members that the commune represents a viable alternative institution to that of the nuclear family, and considers the relevance of the commune movement as a revolutionary social movement aimed at the creation of an alternative society.

Originally published in 1974, this book examines the nature of the commune movement, its members and the communal activities in which they are involved. It explains the forces in 20th Century society that moved people to form and join communes. The author investigates the claim made by many commune members that the commune represents a viable alternative institution to that of the nuclear family, and considers the relevance of the commune movement as a revolutionary social movement aimed at the creation of an alternative society.

This is a thoughtful and sensitive analysis of the history and significance of non-violent civil resistance in the Palestinian national movement. It shows how the thread of unarmed struggle has run through the history of Palestinian liberation, from the establishment of the Israeli state, through the Nakba and to the present day. Set in this historical context, the book draws upon personal conversations and living history in order to focus on the contemporary movement in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. By analysing this under-emphasised dimension of the Palestinian struggle, the authors argue that today, the popular resistance movement, especially in the West Bank, is the most significant form of struggle against the ongoing occupation. They also address the international dimensions of the struggle, focusing in particular on the BDS campaign, the role of Israeli and international solidarity activists, and the changing forms of engagement developed by international agencies seeking to work on the roots of the conflict.

This is a thoughtful and sensitive analysis of the history and significance of non-violent civil resistance in the Palestinian national movement. It shows how the thread of unarmed struggle has run through the history of Palestinian liberation, from the establishment of the Israeli state, through the Nakba and to the present day. Set in this historical context, the book draws upon personal conversations and living history in order to focus on the contemporary movement in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. By analysing this under-emphasised dimension of the Palestinian struggle, the authors argue that today, the popular resistance movement, especially in the West Bank, is the most significant form of struggle against the ongoing occupation. They also address the international dimensions of the struggle, focusing in particular on the BDS campaign, the role of Israeli and international solidarity activists, and the changing forms of engagement developed by international agencies seeking to work on the roots of the conflict.

Andrew Rigby has done a great service in writing one of the most comprehensive and well-researched studies on the first Palestinian Intifada available. The author is frank in acknowledging both the failures and contradictions of the struggle as well as recognizing the transformative power of massive noncooperation in asserting the right of an oppressed people. By analyzing what succeeded, what failed, and why, this is a must-read for both those interested in Israel/Palestine as well as those who desire a fuller understanding of the power of unarmed civil resistance and the forces used against it. Stephen ZunesProfessor of Politics & Coordinator of Middle Eastern Studies University of San Francisco