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| (c) Damon Lynch |
The resent uprisings in the north of Africa and the Middle East have raised questions and also brought with it hope to many. Now, the old preconception that violence always works quickly and nonviolent means always requires vast time scales, is clearly like an outdated concept.
Nonviolent action against dictatorial regimes and new perspectives of freedom through people power and disobedience, gain fame at the same time that Mr Gene Sharp came out of obscurity. Few people have heard of Mr Sharp, however he has been put on the spotlight as he is the world’s top expert on nonviolent revolution and strategies to abolish dictatorships. Many claimed he was the inspiration that brought down the Mubarack regime down.
But who is he? Gene Sharp (born in 1928, Ohio, USA), has studied and written about non-violent revolutions and his ideas have been used in conflicts worldwide. He studied a BA in Social Sciences (1949) and an MA in Sociology in (1951) at the Ohio State University. In 1968 he received a Doctorate of Philosophy from Oxford University.
Inspired by Gandhi, Thoreau and Mohandas K, Sharp’s first book (which was his PhD thesis) “The Politics of Nonviolent Action” provides an in-depth political and methodical analysis about civil disobedience and non-violent strategies, arguing this is the most effective way to undermine the power of the state.
Aware of the world’s problems, Prof Sharp has dedicated his entire life to the scholarly analysis of the power of non-violent action and sharing his knowledge with others. Writing more than a dozen of books, giving seminars and providing training to academics and activists. In 1983, he founded the Albert Einstein Institute, an institution which is consulted by pro-democracy groups and that is committed to support and expose the power of resistance through educational materials and workshops.
His most famous and recognized book, “From Dictatorship to Democracy” has provided great influence worldwide (especially in the colour revolutions across Eastern Europe) as the basis for many non-violent protests and campaigns. In this book, which has been translated in to more than 30 different languages, Sharp presents a list of 198 non-violent weapons to defend democracy and 17 weaknesses of dictatorships, which can be applicable across any culture or country in the world.
Nevertheless, many people still disbelieve the accreditation of Prof Sharp’s on the Egyptian revolution and other uprisings in the region, suggesting that it is very unlikely, that it is just a way for the West to take credit about it - as the West did not participate in the revolution. Social networkers of the Arab world have reacted mocking Prof. Sharp’s influence in blogs and twitters also creating a hashtag to ridicule the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize nominee. Nonetheless a documentary about Sharp is in production and will be released next month in which the power Prof. Sharp’s non-violent academic work takes action at the Tahrir Square in Cairo.
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| (c) Albert Einstein Institution |
If you want more information about the film please follow this link:
or if you would like to find out more about Gene Sharp’s work follow this link:
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