International Center on Nonviolent Conflict

The International Center on Nonviolent Conflict is an independent, nonprofit educational foundation, founded by Jack DuVall and Peter Ackerman in 2002. It promotes the study and utilization of nonmilitary strategies by civilian-based movements to establish and defend human rights, social justice and democracy.

Based in Washington, DC, ICNC works with educational institutions and nongovernmental organizations in the United States and around the world to educate the global public and to influence policies and media coverage of the growing phenomenon of strategic nonviolent action.

The ICNC was founded by Peter Ackerman and Jack DuVall in 2002. Jack DuVall serves as ICNC’s president and Founding Director, while Peter Ackerman serves as ICNC's Founding Chair. A writer, former military intelligence officer, and former public television executive, Jack DuVall was the executive producer of a television series, "A Force More Powerful", on the television station PBS and is co-author of the companion book of the same name (Palgrave/St. Martin’s Press 2001), both of which explore major 20th century nonviolent action campaigns. Peter Ackerman, a venture capitalist who was a highly-paid associate of Michael Milken at Drexel Burham Lambert in the 1980s specializing in leveraged buyouts received his PhD. from Tufts University’s Fletcher School for Law and Diplomacy, and has written a series of scholarly books on strategic nonviolent action, has served on the board of Freedom House (including as chair between 2005-2009) and is a member of Council on Foreign Relations.[1] In raising public awareness of the history and ideas of nonviolent conflict in both democratic and autocratic societies, ICNC has disseminated books, articles, broadcast media, video programming, computer games and other learning materials. Staff members and associated scholars have led seminars in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East for journalists, activists, educators and NGO leaders on the history and dynamics of strategic nonviolent action.

ICNC involvement in seminars and workshops involving activists in human rights, pro-democracy and social justice campaigns overseas have led to charges from some governments of foreign intervention, though ICNC policy prohibits its presenters from giving specific advice regarding any particular struggle. Such workshops, according to ICNC policy, come only in response to specific requests from activist groups themselves and are not initiated by ICNC. ICNC also maintains a strictly apolitical posture, in that it works with groups challenging autocratic governments regardless of a given regime's ideological orientation or relations with the United States.

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