Friday, December 2, 2011

SOLUTIONS: Open minds Occupy Hearts

Canvasopedia.org; Wisdom Quarterly (SOLUTIONS), Occupy LA Interfaith Committee
Hearts can grow as wide as the boundless sky (Lel4nd/Flickr.com).

Open minds OCCUPY hearts...if they have effective strategies for day-to-day nonviolent struggle. This book is for positive movements. This is for those who want to work for justice that ends repression.

Strategic Everyday Tactics
Srdja Popovic, Andrej Milivojevic, and Slobodan Djinovic
This book is a field guide for waging a strategic nonviolent struggle.

It offers a rich and diverse array of practical information that nonviolent activists need to know.

The user-friendly format of the book complements the presentation of the content in themed chapters.

The sections are organized around answering questions that range from techniques of daily management to strategic planning.

It was written by those who successfully fought against repressive regimes using strategic nonviolent action.

So the book is designed as a ready-to-use tool for frontline practitioners who work in non-democratic and sometimes violent environments. It works even better in established democracies which are not living up to their ideals.



Based on firsthand experience from the struggles in Serbia and Georgia, the lessons learned in Ukraine, Belarus, Zimbabwe, and other countries are also woven in.

This fills the gap between the tremendous "theoretical" insights developed by scholars and the accumulated experience of front line practitioners.

On the one hand, this is achieved by creating a synergy between academic knowledge and the expertise of authors and outside participants in the project.

On the other hand, it combines with the lived experience of successful activists and leaders.

The contents and format build a bridge between strategy and theory. It avoids being "heavy" and theoretical. Instead, it takes a "cook book" approach. It is a manual for political and public-interest campaigns. Best of all it focuses on tactics. The focus is firmly on practical "how to" questions:

  • How do you plan public actions with just a few supporters?
  • How do you recruit, train, and retain pro-reform activists?
  • How do you manage scarce assets, volunteers, materials?
  • How do you plan and run campaigns with a feedback-loop?
  • How do you prepare to overcome the influence of FEAR?
  • How do you minimize surveillance and police repression?
"A Force More Powerful"
Those launching strategic nonviolent struggles in any environment will find enough information to succeed.

Steer clear of common mistakes. Focus on idealistic-realistic objectives. Efficiently structure movements.

It also shows how to effectively influence public attitudes. In this way ordinary citizens want to participate in the struggle.

The book is compatible with such writings as those of the Albert Einstein Institution and the new computer game "A Force More Powerful."

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