1st Anniversary
Activities Report

“When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it was not only armies that stood in the way — it was teachers, museum workers, volunteers, feminists, and neighbors. As Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk writes in this journal’s foreword: ‘We are used to thinking in terms of states and intergovernmental organizations, but ordinary people have much more power than they even imagine.’ Across Fault Lines takes that insight seriously, bringing together Ukrainian defenders and civil society voices to document the remarkable — and largely untold — story of civilian agency in Ukraine’s resistance. At ActionAid Denmark, we believe this should change how all of us think about defending democratic societies: not as something simply done for us by governments and militaries, but as something we do together, as citizens. This journal is an invitation to policymakers to expand their toolkit beyond weapons and sanctions alone — but it is equally an invitation to us, as ordinary people, to recognize our own power and responsibility. In a moment when Europe’s security debate risks becoming purely reactive, Across Fault Lines calls for something rarer: strategic reflection and a broader conversation about what civil solidarity and defense can look like.”

“This is a collection of lively and readable essays on the past, present and future of civil resistance. It is mostly about the Ukrainian population’s impressive resistance against Russia’s occupation. It shows how the social struggles against corruption, and the actions to protect museums, are integral parts of a larger struggle with both military and civil aspects. This work raises questions. It covers some of the setbacks that civil resistance has suffered in the past 70-plus years, including Czechoslovakia in 1968–9, but omits other disasters: from Cairo to Minsk, and from Yangon to Istanbul. Here’s a topic for subsequent issues of Across Fault Lines. We need to learn from setbacks. Meanwhile, this multi-faceted collection broadens our understanding of Ukraine’s extraordinary struggle.”

“National resilience is the cornerstone of defense against aggression. Its vital core lies in the collective agency of the people. In Ukrainian Freedom, Amber French-Griette delivers a ground-level analysis of how civic courage becomes a formidable shield of national defense. This work is essential reading for anyone studying asymmetric warfare, total defense, or societal endurance, clearly demonstrating that failing to account for national resilience is an invader’s greatest mistake.”

“For those aiming to understand or act upon nonviolent strategies in support of their cause, this is an indispensable edited volume. Amber French-Griette collects the lessons, experiences, and insights from the voices and places where nonviolent resistance and civilian-based defense mechanisms are contesting grossly violent forms of power. Profound, powerful, and a timely update on an understudied form of power.”