Dr Gene Sharp - The man who wrote the revolution rulebook

Dr Gene Sharp is the man credited with the strategy behind the toppling of governments from Serbia to Egypt. For decades now, people living under authoritarian regimes have made a pilgrimage to Gene Sharp for advice. Has his advice helped millions of people around the world achieve their freedom without violence.

His key Steps on the Path to Revolution:

• Develop a strategy for winning freedom and a vision of the society you want
• Overcome fear by small acts of resistance
• Use colours and symbols to demonstrate unity of resistance
• Learn from historical examples of the successes of non-violent movements
• Use non-violent "weapons"
• Identify the dictatorship's pillars of support and develop a strategy for undermining each
• Use oppressive or brutal acts by the regime as a recruiting tool for your movement
• Isolate or remove from the movement people who use or advocate violence

Dictators are never as strong as they tell they are

Gene Sharp: Author of the nonviolent revolution rulebook [via]