1. Jørgen Johansen johansen.jorgen@gmail.com
Unarmed Resistance:
the transnational factor
13-17 July 2006
Jørgen Johansen
Centre for Peace and Reconciliation Studies Coventry University

2. Funding People’s Power
- The need to talk openly and seriously about money

3. $ €

4. Foreign money to oppositional movements has always been debated and criticised
History shows numerous examples of individuals and movements being regarded as traitors after receiving foreign support
Support from Nordic countries and World Council of Churches to ANC from the late sixties and onwards was heavily criticised by a number of states and international actors
Today the Wahhabis are widely criticised for their donations and support to Muslims

5. All of them are under-researched
Four waves of Nonviolent Revolutions have renewed the discussion about foreign financial support to oppositional movements
All of them are under-researched
Wave One: Poland, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Philippines
Wave two: Eastern Europe and Former Soviet Union
Wave three: Sub-Saharan Africa Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Senegal, Mali, and Malawi, Madagascar
Wave four: Serbia, Georgia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon
…………

6. Putin July 2005:
I am categorically against the foreign financing of (NGOs') political activities in Russia ... We understand that he who pays the piper calls the tune …
Not a single self-respecting country will allow that, and neither shall we. ... Let us solve our internal problems ourselves.

7. Putin not an exception Premier Hu Jintao of China Eritrea Zimbabwe
Belarus
Azerbaijan
Kazakhstan
Uzbekistan
……….

8. Escalation of problems after 9-11
UNSC Resolution 1373
New §§ against “terrorism” in all criminal laws
Most of them include restrictions on transfer of money
Many social movements, oppositional networks, and NGOs labelled “terrorist organisation”

9. Every case unique
Of course all movements, conflicts, situations and contexts are unique
That is not incompatible with the fact that all movements, contexts, and conflicts have a lot in common
All sitting in this room are unique, but we all have a lot in common at the same time
Problems around financing are one such factor all movements are facing

10. “Thank you very much”
A tendency to always accept financial support when offered. People are polite and happy for all sorts of “donations” and attentions
In a conflict situation it is not the “time and place” for the local actors to evaluate the short and long term implications of foreign support
Who can take on such a task?
Other “external” actors?
Other “internal” actors?

11. Two main categories The Recipients
The Power holders (State or parts of the state)
The Civil Society (parts of which are possible future Power holders)
The Donors
Foreign
Domestic
Diaspora
Global

12. The Recipients The Power holders
Government
Secret Services
Military
The Civil Society (parts of which are future Power holders)
NGOs
Ad Hoc networks
Media
Religious Societies ….

13. The Donors Foreign States, including institutions close to states
Development Agencies
Private
Civil Society Actors
Religious organisations/communities
Diaspora
“Taxation”, gifts, …
Domestic
The movement itself
Other domestic sources
Global
Businesses
Large private fundations

14. Does it matter where the donors are based?
USA, Russia, China, Iran, Libya…
Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania…
Or is the question why they donate?
Do they try to “buy” coming power holders?
Do they expect something back?
Is it done as an investment?
Any hidden agenda?
Do they donate just in generous solidarity?

15. Or does it only matter what the long term consequences are?
Dependency?
More welfare?
Corruption?
More democracy?
Influencing the recipients agenda?
Installing a new regime?
More structural violence (capitalist economy)?
Foreign companies getting access to resources and markets?
Privatisation, liberalisation….?
Foreign countries getting access to territories for military bases or oil pipelines? …

16. Will the support be judged differently
If it is done in public rather than in secrecy?
Based on how large part of the total budget comes from foreign sources?
If several rather than one funder is giving support?
If the support includes long term involvement?
If the accounts are transparent?
Depending on what the money are spent on?

17. Support to social movements to “cover” another agenda
“Plan Colombia” gives small amounts to civil society actors in order to misguide the public about the large sums in support for the war against the guerrilla
It gives the programme a more positive and “digestible” image
The civil society is divided over the question to accept these donations or not.
Some do not accept any foreign money
Some accept only small amounts and if they come from several different sources
Others accept only money which comes without any conditions

18. USA
The superpower with aspiration for global control and the most belligerent state in human history
“Don’t know of any election outside the western hemisphere where the State Department have not supported all possible winners”
Philippines 1986: US support for Ferdinand Marcos until they saw that Corazon Aquino would be the winner. Then they changed overnight.

19. “The US-tool box”
Have USA just expanded their “toolbox” with new means to install US-friendly regimes?
Military Coup as Chile 1973
Military invasion as Iraq 2003
People Power as Ukraine 2004
Is US governmental financial support important and/or sufficient for these movements to gain successes?

20. Interventions by businesses
A growing proportion of external financial support comes via Development Agencies giving financial guarantees to companies for investments
Some “sweatshops” but also a growing number of small scale and relative “respectable” businesses
And the numbers and sizes of fair trade projects are growing every year

21. NORWATCH tracking the behaviour of Norwegian companies abroad.
Shaming the companies if they don’t perform decently and support local activists
The investments by the Norwegian Oil Fund abroad have been forced to set up ethical standards.
Foreign Economical actors facing boycotts.