Preparation of citizens of the Republic of Lithuania for civil resistance

Preparing citizens for unarmed civil resistance lacks a leader to mobilise institutions at the national level. Knowledge of national defence needs to be strengthened among schoolchildren, and civil resistance training for adults should cover a wider area of the country and be adapted for people with disabilities. These are the results of the audit "Preparation of citizens of the Republic of Lithuania for civil resistance" conducted by the National Audit Office.

"Unarmed resistance is the responsibility of each of us. Certainly, we have a strong army, which is our pride. But there is another force that often goes unnoticed, which is just as important. The audit shows that we are still in the process of planning how citizens should resist. Everyone should receive the necessary training and skills in civil resistance. People with disabilities, the elderly and other vulnerable groups must also be given the opportunity to prepare themselves. In this regard, it is important to strengthen cooperation with non-governmental organisations," says Auditor General Irena Segalovičienė.

Currently, the Government, the National Security Commission and the Council for Civil Resistance are charged with leading and coordinating the training of citizens for civil resistance. Measures to this end are being implemented by 15 institutions in the fields of national defence, education, culture, social security and labour, and the interior. It has been found that there is no single coordinating entity to ensure the coherence of the activities of all the institutions and the integration of civil resistance into the overall defence at national level. An empowered leader could help to define common strategic objectives and directions for the institutions and mobilise all the resources at their disposal.

The audit identified that there are currently no plans in place to organise and implement unarmed resistance in the event of a crisis, mobilisation or war. The Ministry of National Defence has prepared a draft concept for unarmed civil resistance, which is still being coordinated. Once the concept is approved, the Lithuanian Rifle Union will have until the end of 2025 to develop an action plan. This plan would enable citizens to contribute to the defence of the state by non-military and non-violent means, facilitate the implementation of tasks entrusted to the armed forces, and contribute to the activities of the state and self-government institutions.

According to the auditors, it is necessary to strengthen the development of civic competence in the education system. From 2024, a course on civic and defence skills organised by the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union will be compulsory for all ninth graders. A renewed optional National Security and National Defence programme for pupils in grades 11-12 has been launched for the school year 2023-2024. However, according to audit data, less than 1% of pupils choose this programme.

"Higher education institutions have the autonomy to develop and run their own study programmes, but it is very worrying that civic education is not even included in the programmes. The aim of higher education is to develop a well-educated personality. Civic education would increase students' sense of patriotism and encourage them to participate in global defence. This is especially important for students of pedagogical studies, as they will be the ones to pass on the knowledge of civic education to their future students," emphasises the Auditor General.

The Department of Mobilisation and Civil Resistance has provided opportunities for adults to voluntarily improve their knowledge and skills in civil resistance. However, the auditors note that training is only provided in about half of the country's municipalities, which deprives some citizens of the opportunity to prepare themselves for civil resistance. There is also a need for better access to training for people with disabilities, the elderly and people with other special needs. At present, training is not adapted to them.

One of the priorities of the preparation for civil resistance is to strengthen cooperation with non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The potential of these organisations can be used in practice in times of crisis, mobilisation or war. Expanding the involvement of NGOs would require coordination at national level, with a clear definition of objectives, priorities and ways of participation.

Following the implementation of the recommendations made by the National Audit Office, proposals will be submitted to the Government by 2026 for a coordinating leader to bring together the functions of the institutions active in the field of civil resistance and to make the training more accessible to a wider range of groups of people and cover a larger area of the country. The mobilisation of volunteers and NGOs for meeting the basic needs of the population during crises, emergencies, mobilisation and war will be planned until 2027.

Photo credit: Lithuanian Riflemen's Union