Barbara Peterson is a professor at Granite State College in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She earned her doctorate in education at University of New Hampshire. Her areas of scholarship are in indoctrination in education and in nonviolent action as a necessary component of educating for peace, democracy, and civics. She founded Nonviolent Citizen Action, which educates individuals and organizations about strategy and coalition building in people power movements. Her first book, “Reclaiming Power: Building a Stronger Resistance in the Age of Trump,” was published September 2018.
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Why building inspiring alternatives is necessary to counter authoritarianism
Vulnerable communities face growing threats: the climate crisis is outpacing scientists’ worst predictions and authoritarianism is no longer a distant possibility. So what can we do? We build. We shift away from reform and instead direct our energy toward creating entirely new systems.
July 14, 2026
‘Resistance is only half the equation’: Why movements must build, not just resist
This moment demands more than opposition. What is needed is not just resistance against corrupt centralized systems, but to create new, local systems that restructure power so it is dispersed throughout society. Because the problem is not only that those in power abuse it. The problem is that power is concentrated in the first place.
July 7, 2026
Why building inspiring alternatives is necessary to counter authoritarianism
Not every system can be fixed. But every broken system is an opportunity to build something better. Because once you build it yourself — you never have to ask permission again.
May 30, 2025
