Srdja Popovic
Srđa Popović (Serbian Cyrillic: Срђа Поповић, born 1 February 1973) is a Serbian political activist. He was a leader of the student movement Otpor! that helped topple Serbian president Slobodan Milošević. After briefly pursuing a political career in Serbia, he established the Centre for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies (CANVAS) in 2003 and published Blueprint for Revolution in 2015. CANVAS has worked with pro-democracy activists from more than 50 countries, promoting the use of non-violent resistance in achieving political and social goals.
In October 2017, he was elected Rector of the University of St Andrews, succeeding Catherine Stihler.
Blueprint for Revolution: How to Use Rice Pudding, Lego Men, and Other Nonviolent Techniques to Galvanize Communities, Overthrow Dictators, or Simply Change the World
In the beginning, everybody is a nobody. This is what Srdja Popović tells activists from other countries who feel that change is not possible in their home country, that dictators can’t be overthrown, and corporations with predatory practices can’t be stopped. Popović is one of the founding members of the Serbian resistance group Otpor! that successfully ousted a longtime tyrant in 2000, and the founder of the NGO CANVAS (Centre for Applied NonViolent Action and Strategies). His experience in the resistance efforts has become a lifelong passion, and his resumé as trainer for nonviolent resistance has helped ragtag groups from all over the world become effective organizers for positive regime change. From Buddhist monks in Burma to intellectuals in the Maldives to students in Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt, his methods have a proven track record that continues to make him a sought-after consultant. In a word, Popović is on a mission to make the principles of successful nonviolent movements user-friendly.
Bio information sourced from Wikipedia
