Blueprint for revolution : how to use rice pudding, Lego men, and other nonviolent techniques to galvanize communities, overthrow dictators, or simply change the world
"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 or zoning changes). 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 organizing 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 favor of non-violent resistance not for ideological reasons (as persuasive as those are) but because non-violence actually works better than violence. An inspiring (and useful!) guide for any activist--and a thoroughly entertaining read for any armchair politico"--
Record details
ISBN:9780812995312 (ebook)
ISBN:9780812995305 (paperback)
Physical Description:xv, 282 pages : illustrations ; 20 cm print
Publisher:New York : Spiegel & Grau, 2015.
Content descriptions
Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 267-272) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:
It Can Never Happen Here -- Dream Big, Start Small -- Vision of Tomorrow -- The Almighty Pillars of Power -- Laugh Your Way to Victory -- Make Oppression Backfire -- Its Unity, Stupid! -- Plan Your Way to Victory -- The Demons of Violence -- Finish What You Started -- Had to Be You.
Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2014 November #2 DIY handbook for those newly interested or already engaged in civilized activism. Belgrade-based Serbian political activist Popovic parlays his experience on the activist front lines in Syria and Kiev into a uniquely personable, often droll directive on the nuances of peaceable protesting. The author begins with accounts of the earliest development of a grass-roots resistance movement called OTPOR. The group's 1992 Serbian protest opposed then-president Slobodan Milosevic's dictatorial tactics but used turkeys and flowers instead of weapons and embodied Popovic's motto to "start with something small, relevant, but achievable." The author's tool kit includes examples of the kind of effectively creative peaceful protests rarely covered by the contemporary news media, using oranges, ping pong balls, rock music and the kind of disarming humor he calls "laughtivism." Popovic profiles the men and women responsible for some of the most proactive, noninvasive protests across the glob eâtheir names carefully enshrouded for privacy, of course. Empowered by American activists like Harvey Milk and James Lawson and even the underdog themes found in The Lord of the Rings, the author presents stimulating ideas backed by sensible and entertaining vignettes. In the concluding chapters, Popovic discusses the importance of a group's unity and identity and offers useful tips and strategies on how to organize an assembly, the myriad ways to keep the group fresh, organized, and, most importantly, unarmed and nonviolent, and the most effective methods to ensure they flourish and result in positive social and political change. Collectively, Popovic's examples reflect what he calls "people power," and he communicates the ideas and sentiments of these "ordinary revolutionaries" with verve and humor, encouraging everyone to "oppose oppression and bring about liberty, democracy, and joy." A motivational and impactful guide to the "movements that are now sweeping throu g h so much of the world, from Cairo's Tahrir Square to Occupy Wall Street." Copyright Kirkus 2014 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved.
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