At 6 PM on October 9th in the UC Ballroom, Jack Duvall spoke to Adelphi students and faculty. Duvall is the founding director of the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict whose mission it is to "develop and encourage the use of civilian-based non-military strategies that lead to the establishment and defense of democratic self-rule and human rights." Jack Duvall is the executive producer of the Emmy-nominated PBS television series "A Force More Powerful," which was the Peabody Award Winner for the year 2001.

During his lecture, he showed one of his emotionally stirring movies. It was set in year 2000. There was a war against a fascist dictator. It was the Serbian people against one corrupt man, Slobodan Milosevic. His concentration camps and butcher-like state quickly propelled people against him, but they were all too afraid to step up until one group of young people did. They called themselves Otpor. They were activists ready to declare themselves free. Their symbol was a clenched fist, which caused much debate. But to them it meant unity and strength. At first they were labeled terrorists and were beaten by police, but this did not stop them because "they weren't just crazy kids, they were people who wanted to be free." They grew and grew all over Serbia, attracting many supporters. They were singled out by the Milosevic regime as terrorist, anarchists and it spurred even more beating from police and officials. Finally they had enough of the dictator, and they planned to find an appropriate candidate for the next election. But who would run against a man as powerful as Slobodan? That man was Vojislav Kostunica. They had an election and Slobodan tried to cheat. This angered the Otpor people, as well as the whole nation, and they went to Belgrade, where in one powerful, anti-violent march, they succeeded and Serbia became a much better nation with Kostunica as President. It was truly a moving piece on non-violent conflict.

You don't have to be anyone special to be a civilian resister. Mr. Duvall stated perfectly, "There is no age qualification, there is certainly no gender qualification, none would have worked without women, there is no education qualification, except perhaps literacy - there is no qualification except the desire to be free."

Desmond Tutu once said, "When people decide they want to be free, there is nothing that can stop them." The point Duvall made with the film and his lecture is that we can get anything we want, but force is not always necessary to do so. Sometimes the best way is the nonviolent way.

If you would like more information, or to see the film, contact the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict:

International Center on Nonviolent Conflict
1919 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
Suite 725
Washington, D.C. 20006
www.nonviolent-conflict.org
202-416-4720
www.aforcemorepowerful.org