The ongoing presence of U.S. military bases in Okinawa has sparked enduring struggles, yet it is also a story of unyielding resistance. While the history of American occupation has been marred by violence and disregard for local communities, Okinawan women have consistently led the charge in advocating for peace, justice, and security for all. Despite numerous challenges, these women have built powerful networks of solidarity that continue to inspire global efforts toward a demilitarized future.
Asia Protests
Spectacle and Nonviolent Struggles During the Vietnam War
It’s the late 1960s. A small, boxy television flickers on in the den just in time to catch the beginning of the nightly news. Like many nights before– and many to come– images of death and destruction from some far off communist country in Asia light up the room.
Bangladesh’s Political Unrest
Bangladesh’s Nationalist Party (BNP) has boycotted its January 7th election. The party is led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. This boycott has led Bangladesh to reelect its current leader, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s and her Awami League (AL), for a fourth consecutive five-year term.
The Fight in Iran Continues
The first anniversary of Jina Amini’s death just passed. On September 13, 2022, a woman by the name of Jina Amini, also known as “Mahsa,” was arrested by Iran’s morality police for “improperly” wearing her hijab.
May 4th, 1919: the Birthday of Modern China
For more than 2,000 years China was ruled by emperors. These men who commanded the country possessed absolute authority and governed by divine right. During this time, cycles of political struggle and war facilitated the rise and fall of dynasty after dynasty. Of course, no empire lasts forever, and in the autumn of 1911, the last Chinese dynasty (the Great Qing) was toppled by a coalition of revolutionaries.
People Power in the Philippines
February 2022 marks the 36th anniversary of the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) People Power Revolution in the Philippines, when the population overthrew dictator and kleptocrat Ferdinand Marcos and abolished the martial law implemented during his rule. However, history is at risk of repeating itself as Marcos’ son, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., won the presidential elections in May 2022, marking the Marcos family’s return to Malacanang after 36 years.
An Overview of Article 9 and Anti-War Protests in Contemporary Japan
Japan’s devastating defeat in World War II led many ordinary Japanese people to develop a general antipathy and aversion to war and militarism. Pacifism was enshrined in the famous Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, which states that Japan “forever renounce(s) war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.”
SEALDs: Assessing Student-led Anti-War Protests in Contemporary Japan
SEALDs (Students Emergency Action for Liberal Democracy) was a student organization founded in May 2015 as part of the protest movement against Shinzō Abe and his government’s legislations to reinterpret the Japanese Constitution to allow Japan to engage in collective self-defense on behalf of its allies, e.g., the United States.
When it Rains it Pours: The Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong
In 2014, the world saw Hong Kong stop in its pace to make way for the Umbrella Movement. The protest started in response to a decision made by China that would allow elections in Hong Kong in 2017, but only from a list of candidates pre-approved by the Chinese government.
From Pandemonium to Peace: East Timor’s Struggle for Self-Determination
The country of East Timor, now better known as Timor-Leste, had been occupied by Indonesia until their independence on May 20th, 2002. The occupation can only be described as violent and brutal, while the resistance focused on a strategy of nonviolent campaigns, both in East Timor and internationally, in order to push forth their agenda for independence.