As interest in this field has increased globally over the last decade and word of FSI has spread, entry into FSI has become an increasingly selective and competitive process.  

Strong FSI applicants are engaged in work that is related and relevant to the field of civil resistance. In the past, FSI has included activists and grassroots organizers; members of civil society organizations; professionals in intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations; journalists; and others who are either directly in contact with, or whose work would benefit from a stronger analytical understanding of, civil resistance campaigns and movements.

In addition, all FSI applicants must be fluent in written and spoken English. All program activities will be conducted in English, and there is a considerable amount of discussion and dialogue throughout the week. No translation services will be available.

Expectations for Participants

Duration: Round trip travel to Boston, Massachusetts, USA is required in order to participate in FSI, which will be held from June 19 to 24, 2016. Participants are expected to arrive in Boston no later than 2:00pm on June 19 and attend the entire program through the night of June 24.  Therefore, FSI participants depart Boston on June 25.

Participation and attendance: We find that people get out of FSI what they put into it, and so we expect people to come to FSI ready to work hard, participate fully, and share their thoughts in sessions throughout the week.  Most days are full from 9am all the way through to an evening program, and all participants are expected to attend all programmed activities during the week.

Online preparation: The FSI experience includes a required online component that runs for about two weeks before everyone convenes in Boston from June 19-24.  The online component is designed to familiarize participants with fundamental concepts of civil resistance. It also is an opportunity for participants to get to know one another before the week of FSI in Boston. Applicants should expect to make a time commitment of approximately 5-10 hours per week for the online learning portion of FSI during these two weeks prior to FSI.

Costs: Participants or their sponsoring organizations are expected to pay for roundtrip travel to/from Boston, Massachusetts, USA as well as a FSI registration fee (explained in the next section).  Scholarships can be applied for to cover either or both of these expenses if applicants do not have the funds to do so, and this can be done in the process of filling out the FSI application.

The International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC) covers food, accommodation, educational materials, and other expenses. Participant registration fees help offset costs of the institute, and are based on a scale ranging from $500 to $2000, depending on the annual budget of the organization or department (if any) with which you are affiliated. Please refer to the following scale to determine your registration fee. The figure on the left represents the organizational or department annual budget. The figure on the right represents the respective registration fee.

                      Budget                        Registration fee

$0* - $100,000 USD	$500 USD
$100,000 - $500,000 USD	$1000 USD
$500,000 – $1 million USD	$1500 USD
$1 million USD +	$2000 USD

*Includes unaffiliated individuals.

 

The FSI registration fee is the only charge requested to participate in FSI. Accommodation (in the dormitories of Tufts University), all meals, and learning materials for the entire institute are paid by ICNC.