Srdja Popovic And The 10 Rules Of The Peaceful Revolution

Srdja Popovic is a biologist and also one of the most interesting activists in the contemporary world. This Serbian was one of the leaders of the Otpor (Basta) student movement, which was decisive in the fall of the dictator Slobodan Milosevic in his country. The most striking thing is Popovic’s commitment to effective non-violence.

Srdja Popovic was also the creator of the organization CANVAS (Center for the Application of Non-Violence Actions and Strategies), in 2004. It has become a true training center for people and groups that have the objective of making a revolution, without going to arms.

CANVAS has worked with leaders  from more than 50 countries, including Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Ukraine, Georgia, Belarus, and many more. In fact, it is considered one of the sources of inspiration for the so-called “Arab Spring”. In his book Action Plan for the Revolution , Srdja Popovic proposes the decalogue of the peaceful revolution. The following are the points it contemplates.

1. Don’t put your life at risk

It is a statement that seems obvious, but many times the outrage is so high that this principle is forgotten. In countries where there is strong repression, a person can lose their life just by going to a rally. So, in the face of fierce dictators or governments, it may be more reasonable to opt for other means, such as boycott.

2. Keep your freedom

Another of the great objectives in nonviolent struggle is not to be arrested. Srdja Popovic proposes the idea of not giving the regime the opportunity to arrest people. First, going only to the legal means. Second, by acting in a way that minimizes the possibility of being arrested.

3. Money is what hurts them the most

Srdja Popovic argues that you should always choose the means that entails the greatest economic loss for the regime you are fighting against.

He gives as an example the famous bus boycott in Montgomery (Alabama, United States), when African Americans stopped using public transportation in protest of the segregation law.

4. Distract the opponent, one of Srdja Popovic’s principles

Popovic thinks that rallies facilitate the work of the police. Likewise, having all the protesters in one place can be very exhausting.

The strategy he proposes is to carry out multiple actions, in short periods and in different places, so that the authorities are forced to disperse.

5. Laughter works

The ridicule of tyrants or the corrupt through humor leads to their authority being undermined. Popovic calls this “laughter” and seeks to put the powerful in a situation where if they act, they will appear foolish; and if it doesn’t, it will appear weak. In this way, their authority is diminished.

6. Create a story of small victories

Every great change begins with small triumphs. It is more practical to aim for relatively achievable achievements and then go for more than to try to change everything at once.

The partial victories, although small, build a trend and the feeling that progress is being made towards a great achievement.

7. United we are stronger

This is an ancient truth that, however, is often forgotten. This happens especially in times when there are multitudes of minorities, each with its own purpose and discourse.

Unity is essential to achieve victory, so achieving it is a strategic purpose, lest the fight itself spread and lose strength.

8. Make repression counterproductive

Repression always ends up discrediting tyrants, but it also creates fear in people. One way to avoid this is by spreading testimonies of what happens after the arrest and by providing a wide range of services to those who are arrested. Likewise, denouncing with their own name those who abuse force, hopefully in their living environment.

9. Take the street only if you are already organized

For Srdja Popovic, concentration in the streets should be the last step and not the first. The movement must be sure that it has enough force and sufficient order to take over the public roads en masse. If there is no strong structure behind the rally, this would lead to noticeable confusion.

10. Finish what you started

You need to make sure that you have actually succeeded, before making the “v” for victory. Success must be guaranteed with concrete measures or visible and precise changes. Otherwise, the peaceful movement could demobilize prematurely and lose all that it has gained.

Srdja Popovic is considered one of the 100 most influential contemporary thinkers in the world. His method has proven effective in different nations in recent years. Let’s finish by saying that all people have the right to protest peacefully, when the rulers generate counterproductive measures or commit unacceptable abuses.