How to Use Rice Pudding, Lego Men, and Other Nonviolent Techniques to Galvanize Communities, Overthrow Dictators, or Simply Change the World
November 15, 2014
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 globe-their 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 through so much of the world, from Cairo's Tahrir Square to Occupy Wall Street."
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