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Blueprint for Revolution: How to Use Rice Pudding, Lego Men, and Other Nonviolent Techniques to Galvanize Communities, Overthrow Dictators, or Simply Change the World

Blueprint for Revolution: How to Use Rice Pudding, Lego Men, and Other Nonviolent Techniques to Galvanize Communities, Overthrow Dictators, or Simply Change the World

A handbook for anyone who wants to effectively (and peacefully) improve your neighborhood, make a difference in your community, or change the world

Blueprint for Revolution will teach you how to
• make oppression backfire by playing your opponents’ strongest card against them
• identify the “almighty pillars of power” in order to shift the balance of control
• dream big, but start small: learn how to pick battles you can win
• listen to what people actually care about in order to incorporate their needs into your revolutionary vision
• master the art of compromise to bring together even the most disparate groups
• recognize your allies and view your enemies as potential partners
• use humor to make yourself heard, defuse potentially violent situations, and “laugh your way to victory”
  
Praise for Blueprint for Revolution
 
“The title is no exaggeration. Otpor’s methods . . . have been adopted by democracy movements around the world. The Egyptian opposition used them to topple Hosni Mubarak. In Lebanon, the Serbs helped the Cedar Revolution extricate the country from Syrian control. In Maldives, their methods were the key to overthrowing a dictator who had held power for thirty years. In many other countries, people have used what Canvas teaches to accomplish other political goals, such as fighting corruption or protecting the environment.”The New York Times

“A clear, well-constructed, and easily applicable set of principles for any David facing any Goliath (sans slingshot, of course) . . . By the end of Blueprint, the idea that a punch is no match for a punch line feels like anything but a joke.”The Boston Globe

“An entertaining primer on the theory and practice of peaceful protest.”The Guardian

“With this wonderful book, Srdja Popovic is inspiring ordinary people facing injustice and oppression to use this tool kit to challenge their oppressors and create something much better. When I was growing up, we dreamed that young people could bring down those who misused their power and create a more just and democratic society. For Srdja Popovic, living in Belgrade in 1998, this same dream was potentially a much more dangerous idea. But with an extraordinarily courageous group of students that formed Otpor!, Srdja used imagination, invention, cunning, and lots of humor to create a movement that not only succeeded in toppling the brutal dictator Slobodan Milošević but has become a blueprint for nonviolent revolution around the world. Srdja rules!”—Peter Gabriel
 
Blueprint for Revolution is not only a spirited guide to changing the world but a breakthrough in the annals of advice for those who seek justice and democracy. It asks (and not heavy-handedly): As long as you want to change the world, why not do it joyfully? It’s not just funny. It’s seriously funny. No joke.”—Todd Gitlin, author of The Sixties and Occupy Nation

List Price: $ 16.00

Price: $ 8.00

Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful 5.0 out of 5 stars
A wise, accessible & hilarious handbook for effectively engaging large adversaries, illustrated with some very real examples, April 21, 2016 By  Dr Ali Binazir (San Francisco, CA) – See all my reviews
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Srdja Popovic knows what he’s talking about. As one of the founders of Otpor!, he masterminded the nonviolence movement that eventually toppled the Serbian dictator Slobodan Milosevic. Later he and his colleagues consulted with the nonviolent movements in the Maldives, Egypt, and Burma. This book draws upon these frontline experiences: what worked, what didn’t work, and how to do it better.
Comedy works — you can’t laugh and be afraid at the same time, and oppressive regimes mostly want you to be afraid so they can control you. So create street theater that ridicules your adversary while being totally legal. Violence doesn’t work. You’re trying to hit a much bigger opponent at his strongest point. Also, all that dying makes it kinda unsustainable.
Popovic conveys his hard-earned wisdom with hilarity & great storytelling, making the daunting endeavor of revolution seem wholly accessible to ordinary folks. Adhere to the holy trinity of nonviolent discipline, unity and planning, he says, and you will go far. Some choice quotes: "…ordinary people don’t take to the barricades because things are bad. In order for your average citizen to really get engaged with an issue, he needs to think that it’s unfair or wrong." "When you think of power, remember that exercising it comes at a cost, and that your job as an activist is to make that cost rise ever upward until your opponent is no longer able to afford the charges."
This is brilliant stuff, folks — a manual for both the suburban mom trying to stop the megamall next door, and the activists aiming to topple a ruthless dictator. Read it, live it, and make good stuff happen.
— Ali Binazir, M.D., M.Phil., author of The Tao of Dating: The Smart Woman’s Guide to Being Absolutely Irresistible, the highest-rated dating book on Amazon for 4+ years
 
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful 5.0 out of 5 stars
This book is perfect introduction to the field of strategic nonviolence, February 20, 2015 By  Alyssa RubinSee all my reviews
This book is perfect introduction to the field of strategic nonviolence. Whether you’ve been an activist for years or you have never heard the term nonviolence, Blueprint for Revolution humanizes social movements in a humorous and personal way that will inspire you to take action in your own community!
 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful 5.0 out of 5 stars
Share this book!!, February 21, 2015 By  James ThieleSee all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
I really enjoyed this book. It combines an easy going sense of humor with the seriousness his subject deserves. The book is both inspirational and pragmatic. Through numerous examples the author makes the point that every country is different and must find its own way. He is quick to praise movements but does not shy away from criticizing what appears to him to be misguided strategy or tactics. The book emphasizes inclusiveness.

This book isn’t just about regime change. It also points out that these lessons apply to local issues as well.

I would encourage people to tell anyone they know who might be interested about this book. There are plenty of stories here to hook people on.

 

Last modified on Monday, 26 September 2016 16:00

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