Courage and Dissent

Description

Dissent is essential to democracy, but speaking up can carry real risk. This session explores the psychology of silence and moral courage in civic and institutional life. We’ll examine why people stay quiet, how authoritarian systems reward compliance, and what it takes to practice dissent without burning out, isolating, or facing unnecessary danger. This offering blends psychological insight with practical tools for protecting voice under pressure.

Focus area:

Authoritarianism & Democratic Resilience

Program Details

1 week

Outcome

Recognize the forces that suppress dissent and build the tools to speak up under threat

1-2 weeks

Psychological Foundations

🧠 Pluralistic Ignorance

🧠 Spiral of Silence

🧠 Psychology of Compliance

3 week

Key Takeaways

☑️ Recognize psychological and social barriers to dissent

☑️ Understand how silence becomes a strategy

☑️ Learn the psychology of moral courage and safe resistance

☑️ Practice ways to speak up without burning out or shutting down

3 week

Choose this when

You witness people self-censoring

You need tools to speak up without putting yourself at risk

4 week

Great for

NGOs & Nonprofits

‍Navigating internal and external pressures while staying grounded in core values

Crisis Response Practitioners

‍Carrying the emotional toll of speaking up or intervening under authoritarian conditions

Journalists

‍Working in environments where systems suppress voice, distort truth, or punish dissent

Democracy Advocates

‍Operating where resistance requires caution, strategy, and psychological clarity

‍

Description

Program Details

Other programs in this track