by Kate Laverty
Witness is one of the quietest, yet most powerful forms of nonviolent resistance. To witness is to stand present—to injustice, to suffering, to oppression—and refuse to look away. It is an act of moral courage that declares: “I see, I will not be silent, and I will not allow harm to happen unnoticed.” In a world where denial and distraction often shield systems of power from accountability, the simple act of being present becomes radical.
Witnessing has deep roots in civil rights movements, truth commissions, and protest traditions. From the silent vigils of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo in Argentina to those who document state violence and systemic racism, witness serves not only to expose truth but to humanize it. It resists the erasure of lived experience, especially of those most marginalized, and demands that we reckon with it.
As a practice, witness involves listening with empathy, showing up in solidarity, and holding space for stories that are too often ignored. It does not demand control or impose solutions, but rather insists on the dignity of those suffering and the responsibility of those who can act.
In Northern Ireland, the legacy of witness can be seen in peace trails, remembrance vigils, and community storytelling initiatives that bridge divides. It creates pathways for reconciliation by fostering empathy and shared truth.
We’re beginning our own community storytelling work in Forthspring Intercommunity Group, building on the Five Decades Project. And I’m learning, witness is not passive. It disrupts silence. It holds power to account. It reminds the world that someone is watching, someone cares, and someone will remember. And in that remembering, injustice begins to lose its grip.
As a form of nonviolence, witness teaches us that presence matters. That showing up, with compassion and conviction, is a force for change. It is the first step in transforming pain into peace. In a world where denial and distraction often shield systems of power from accountability, the simple act of being present becomes radical.
Youth workers know this intimately. In the face of genocide in Palestine, our ability to act has often felt limited. Donations to provide aid or extract families are necessary but ad hoc; they respond to crisis but don’t shift the underlying structures. What remains, consistently and insistently, is our witness. Bearing witness—through protest, through vigil, through conversation with young people—is sometimes the only tool we have to resist, to raise awareness, and to show unwavering solidarity.
Events like the IPSC Barclays Belfast protest (Saturdays, 11:00–13:00) and the Aldergrove (Belfast International Airport) Peace Vigil (Second Sunday of each month, 14:00–15:00) are more than symbolic. They are anchoring points in a brutal news cycle—reminders of our collective commitment to justice. These acts of public witness keep me focused. They reaffirm that being seen, standing still, and refusing silence is a form of protest that honours our value of nonviolence.
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Kate Laverty is director of Forthspring Intercommunity Group in Belfast. Contacts: director@forthspring.com and 07746984833
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