The Nonviolence Factory 2026: Barcelona becomes an international meeting point to strengthen nonviolent resistance.
From 9 to 15 November, Barcelona will host the fourth edition of The Nonviolence Factory (TNF), led by NOVACT in collaboration with Irídia, with the aim of strengthening nonviolent civil resistance, defending human rights and protecting civic space across the Euro-Mediterranean region.
An international gathering to confront authoritarianism and defend human rights
Since its launch in 2023, The Nonviolence Factory has become an international space for training, exchange and coordination, aimed at strengthening nonviolent civil resistance in response to the rise of authoritarianism and human rights violations across the Mediterranean.
Each edition has addressed specific challenges facing civil society. The first focused on peacebuilding and nonviolent resistance; the second, held in 2024, explored mass surveillance and digital authoritarianism; while the 2025 edition, held as part of the Unsilence Forum, focused on tackling militarisation and strengthening collective civil society responses.
The 2026 edition will build on this work, bringing together activists, social organisations and human rights defenders to share tools, build alliances and develop collective strategies to address the region’s main political and social challenges.
Four key areas to drive social transformation and civil resistance
The programme will combine training sessions for participating delegations with public activities and strategic discussions organised around different areas of action.
One of the key areas will be the analysis of authoritarianism and the development of collective tools for nonviolent resistance. The right to housing will also take centre stage with the launch of the Nonviolence Observatory, which will deploy an observation team during the general strike in Barcelona to analyse mobilisation dynamics and community action on the ground.
The gathering will also highlight sport as a tool for social cohesion, peacebuilding and gender equality, and will coincide with the Sports X Hope conference, which this year will focus on experiences of peacebuilding and equality in Iraqi Kurdistan, northeast Syria and Jordan. In addition, spaces for strategic foresight will explore possible futures and help develop roadmaps and campaigns with a 2050 horizon.
Finally, The Nonviolence Factory will host the annual gathering of the European Civic Forum, the European Civic Academy 2026, bringing together civil society actors to reflect on defending fundamental rights and building solidarity networks in an increasingly hostile global context.
Take part in the public activities of The Nonviolence Factory 2026
As part of the gathering, Barcelona will host two public conferences open to everyone, offering an opportunity to share experiences and discuss the role of sport in peacebuilding and the current challenges facing European civil society.
12 November | The Hope League: Sports X Hope
Time: 10:00 am
Venue: Fundació Barça headquarters (Les Corts, Barcelona).
This event will explore the role of community sport as a tool for social transformation, peacebuilding and the promotion of gender equality.
The session will include the presentation of The Hope League, a community football initiative for children and young people in northeast Syria and Iraqi Kurdistan. The conference will provide an opportunity to share experiences and reflect on the potential of sports initiatives to strengthen social cohesion in contexts of conflict and reconstruction.
More information and registration here.
13 November | European Civic Academy 2026: Defending rights in an increasingly hostile world
Time: 4:00 pm
Venue: Àgora de Centre Esplai (El Prat de Llobregat, Barcelona).
Organised in collaboration with the European Civic Forum, the European Civic Academy is an annual gathering that connects civil society organisations, social movements and academia.
Under the title The End of the Common Rules? Defending rights for all in a brutalising world, this year’s edition will explore how social organisations can come together, resist and build international solidarity networks to protect and strengthen fundamental rights in a context marked by the erosion of shared rules and a rise in human rights violations.
More information and registration here.
The Nonviolence Factory 2026 is made possible thanks to funding from Barcelona City Council, the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation (ACCD), the Government of Catalonia and the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme.