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In Blueprint for Revolution, Srdja Popovic outlines his philosophy for implementing peaceful world change and provides a model for activists everywhere through stories of his own experience toppling dictatorships (peacefully) and of smaller examples of social change (like Occupy Wall Street or fighting for gay rights).
Through examples of using laughter and music (e.g., Pussy Riot) to disarm the opposition and gather supporters, to staging a protest of Lego Men in Siberia (when flesh-and-blood people would have been shot), to a boycott of cottage cheese in Israel to challenge price inflation while organising around rice pudding to overthrow the dictator of the Maldives, Popovic uses true and sometimes outrageously clever examples of the ways in which non-violent resistance has achieved its means. Popovic argues in favour of non-violent resistance not for ideological reasons (as persuasive as those are) but because non-violence actually works better than violence.
This is an inspiring (and useful!) guide for any activist and a thoroughly entertaining read for any armchair politico. In addition, the stories Popovic tells here are hilarious, accessible, inspiring, and at times outrageous. Aside from his own experiences, also he includes little-known stories from the lives of Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Harvey Milk, and Martin Luther King Jr.
About the author
Srdja Popovic is a Serbian political activist and executive director of the Centre for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies (CANVAS). He was a leader of the student movement Otpor! that helped topple Serbian president Slobodan Miloševic. He has taught at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, NYU, and the University of Essex, among others. He lives in Belgrade.Matthew Miller’s collaborations include Lili Marlene: the soldiers’ song of World War II and Fortunate Sons: the 120 Chinese boys who came to America, went to school, and revolutionised an ancient civilisation.
Summary
Outlines the author's philosophy for implementing peaceful world change and provides a model for activists everywhere through stories of his own experience toppling dictatorships (peacefully) and of smaller examples of social change (like Occupy Wall Street or fighting for gay rights).
Foreword
What does rice pudding have to do with revolution?
Additional text
‘Required reading for all activists. You know who's going to change the world? You are.’
