From Dictatorship to Democracy: A Conceptual Framework for Liberation“What Sun Tzu and Clausewitz were to war, Sharp. . . was to nonviolent struggle—strategist, philosopher, guru.”—The New York Times The revolutionary word-of-mouth phenomenon, available for the first time as a trade book Twenty-one years ago, at a friend's request, a Massachusetts professor sketched out a blueprint for nonviolent resistance to repressive regimes. It would go on to be translated, photocopied, and handed from one activist to another, traveling from country to country across the globe: from Iran to Venezuela—where both countries consider Gene Sharp to be an enemy of the state—to Serbia; Afghanistan; Vietnam; the former Soviet Union; China; Nepal; and, more recently and notably, Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Libya, and Syria, where it has served as a guiding light of the Arab Spring. This short, pithy, inspiring, and extraordinarily clear guide to overthrowing a dictatorship by nonviolent means lists 198 specific methods to consider, depending on the circumstances: sit-ins, popular nonobedience, selective strikes, withdrawal of bank deposits, revenue refusal, walkouts, silence, and hunger strikes. From Dictatorship to Democracy is the remarkable work that has made the little-known Sharp into the world's most effective and sought-after analyst of resistance to authoritarian regimes. |
Contents
Power and justice in negotiations | |
Contents | |
Dictatorships Have Weaknesses | |
Exercising Power | |
Four important terms in strategic | |
planning | |
Formulating a grand strategy | |
Spreading the idea of noncooperation | |
Selective resistance | |
Shifts in strategy | |
Handling success responsibly | |
Contents | |
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From Dictatorship to Democracy: A Conceptual Framework for Liberation Gene Sharp Limited preview - 2012 |
Common terms and phrases
analysis applied assistance boycott brutal Burma cers chosen cials ciency collapse Communist con ict cooperation coup d’état cratic cult demo democracy democratic forces democratic opposition democratic system developed dictators dictatorship disa disintegrate disobedience e ective economic ective power erent establish Gene Sharp grand strategy groups and institutions guerrilla guerrilla warfare implement important independent issues liberation struggle limited Liu Ji long-term struggle Manerplaw ment Methods of Nonviolent military forces nally negotiations noncooperation Nonviolent Action nonviolent discipline nonviolent resistance nonviolent struggle one’s opponents oppressed organizations orts persons and groups planners police political de ance population possible putschists Refusal regime regime’s repression Robert Helvey selective resistance ship signi cant situation social society society’s sources of power speci c campaign strategic planning strategists will need strike strug symbolic tactics tatorship technique tegic tion tive torship uence violence weakened weaknesses