The International Institute for Peace (IIP), in cooperation with the Herbert C. Kelman Institute and DialogBüro, warmly invites you to join us for the public panel event, followed by a Summer Celebration for IIP’s Friends and Partners
Resistance is NOT Futile: Civil Resistance in Eastern Europe Between War and Autocratization
Date: Thursday, 25. June 2026
Time: 18:00 CET
Venue: IIP, Möllwaldplatz 5/7, 1040 Vienna
WELCOME
· AUGUSTIN NICOLESCU, Co-Director, Herbert C. Kelman Institute for Interactive Conflict Transformation
PANELISTS
· DANIEL PETZ, Researcher and Author, Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia
· VIKTORYIA ANDRUKOVICH, Coordinator of the Dialogbüro Vienna program on Belarus
· EMINE SULEIMANOVA, Practitioner working at the intersection of civil resistance, community organizing, and social change. Emine works directly with grassroots groups in 20+ regions of Russia.
· STEPAN RUSYN, Coordinator at the Transatlantic Dialogue Center, a Ukrainian Foreign Policy Think Tank
MODERATION
· HANNES SWOBODA, President, International Institute for Peace (IIP)
CONTENT
In an era defined by full-scale military invasion and the aggressive dismantling of democratic institutions, the capacity to challenge systems of violence is being tested to its limits. Across Eastern Europe, this struggle for agency is a matter of immediate survival: it persists in Belarus despite the state-led "cleansing" of civil society and in Russia, where criminalized anti-war dissent has moved underground. Meanwhile, Ukrainian civil society continues to anchor national defense while leading anti-corruption protests to demand internal accountability despite the constraints of martial law.
This panel brings together leaders and experts from Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia to share firsthand perspectives on the realities facing their countries. From the frontlines of military occupation to the shrinking spaces of autocratic regimes, they will examine how civilian-based defense functions in practice, how movements persist when traditional protest is criminalized, and how individuals can still withdraw their support from oppressive systems – even under extreme pressure.
This panel event stands against the backdrop of researcher Daniel Petz’s recent work, Resistance is NOT Futile: Exploring philosophical and social science theories of civil resistance. His work provides the analytical framework for the discussion, connecting historical lessons with the current crises facing the region. By bridging the gap between theory and the frontlines, the panel will explore how nonviolent tactics must adapt to modern challenges and identify new paths for resilience in a time of war.
Since this is the final IIP event before the summer break, we invite you to join us afterward for a Summer Celebration. We’ll have food and drinks ready to enjoy and reconnect before the holidays with our friends, guests, and partners. We look forward to seeing you there!
THE EVENT WILL BE HELD IN ENGLISH.
Snacks and drinks will be offered after the event!
Please note that the building’s elevator is out of service. Access to the event space is via the stairs.
By participating in this event, you agree that any photos or recordings taken that include footage of your person may be published or used in any other way by the organizers of the event.