Under what conditions will individuals risk their lives to resist repressiv
e states? This question is addressed through comparative analysis of the em
ergence of human rights organizations under military dictatorships in Chile
, Uruguay, and Argentina. While severe state repression is expected to lead
to generalized demobilization, these cases reveal that repression may dire
ctly stimulate collective action. The potential for sustained collective ac
tion in high-risk contexts depends upon the relationship between strategies
of repression and the particular configuration of embedded social networks
; it is more likely where dense yet diverse interpersonal networks are embe
dded within broader national and transnational institutional and issue netw
orks.