R is for Revolution
What do cottage cheese, ping pong balls and turkeys have to do with toppling a dictator?
During our last book club meet up of the year we discussed the topic of revolution and it came to a surprise for both of us that this wasn’t an obvious one. R is certainly one of the easier letters to choose a sustainability topic for as there are resources aplenty. From regeneration to recycling or even rest. Considering the current state of the world and the news we have been following in recent weeks about what is happening in Iran we felt it was important to highlight the tools and strategies that harness people power, and most of all humour and creativity for lasting change.
Non violent action can unite different communities and has the power to bring about societal power shifts, reminding people of their collective strength and influence when they work together. Even better when it comes sprinkled with a whole lot of creativity and fun. On that note, let us introduce you to the power of ‘laughtivism’ and non violent action in this month’s book club take aways.
Check out this month’s community Notion document and feel free to add any interesting articles, essays or podcasts that talk about revolution and non-violent direct action and related themes. We definitely recommend watching the documentary ‘Bringing down a dictator’, which is an hour long deep dive into the Otpor! movement in Serbia.
This month’s take aways: Blueprint for Revolution by Srdja Popovic
If you walk away from this book with nothing else, please remember this:
life is much more meaningful – and also much more fun – when you take charge and act.
– Blueprint for Revolution, Srdja Popovic
How strong the sense of community is amongst you will determine the success of your movement. A revolution can only pick up steam once two or more groups that have nothing to do with one another decide to join together for their mutual benefit.
You need to understand the different pillars of power to be able to play them. Every tyrant’s power rests on economic pillars, which are much easier to target than military bases or presidential palaces. Shake them, and the tyrant will eventually fall. This theory, focusing on pillars of support, was developed by ‘the father of non violent struggle theory’ – Dr. Gene Sharpe.
A simple, unifying message will help maintain a sharp focus despite different group interests. A good movement usually exists of multiple different interest groups all working together towards a shared goal or vision. In Otpor!’s case it was a Serbia free from Milosevic’s ruling iron fist. The simple slogan they used was 'He’s finished’ alongside a picture of his face. Simple yet effective.
Being non violent doesn’t mean you aren’t fighting. You are just fighting with different weapons. You need to build a critical mass with everyone on your side, which is impossible to do with violence, especially because violence is what the oppressor is strongest at.
Enthusiasm, laughter and creativity are essential for revolution. “If you’re a cop, you spend a lot of time thinking about how to deal with people who are violent. But nothing in your training prepares you for dealing with people who are funny. This is the genius of laughtivism.” A great example happened on a freezing February day in Siberia a mass protest happened in the middle of a town that had banned protest. Except the one’s protesting weren’t actually humans but toys. Lego men, toy soldiers and plush animals holding up tiny signs calling out corruption or denouncing electorial malpractice. It made headline news throughout Russia and infuriated the authorities.
Humour is the perfect way to dissolve tension in a situation. It breaks fear and builds confidence. It also adds a necessary ‘cool’ factor which will attract more members. It can also incite clumsy reactions from your opponent that will undermine their credibility. A great example in the book was Syrian activists flooding the streets with hundreds of ping pong balls with protest messages written on them and the military police having to chase them.
A lively discussion and a couple new faces – thank you for joining!
Join the next book club: Ideas to postpone the end of the world by Ailton Krenak
Join us for our 34th bookclub, where we read Ideas to Postpone the End of the World by Ailton Krenak and discuss our chosen topic Systems Change for letter S in the Alphabet of Climate Solutions.
About the book:
Humanity is facing the greatest environmental disaster of our existence. Global pandemics, extreme weather events, and massive wildfires all define the era that many are now calling the Anthropocene.
In the three lectures that comprise Ideas to Postpone the End of the World, renowned Indigenous activist and leader Ailton Krenak argues that the current environmental crisis is rooted in modern society’s flawed concept of “humanity” — that human beings are superior to any other form of nature and therefore justified to exploit it as we please. As a result, our entire civilization is built upon structures, organizations, and institutions that alienate us from the land, rivers, and trees, and that have forced the marginalization (and sometimes outright elimination) of any community that refuses to abide by these rules. Indigenous peoples throughout the Americas have already faced the end of the world many times before. Now, to stop our collective march towards the abyss, we must reject the homogenizing effect of our human-first perspective and embrace a new idea of “dreaming,” one that allows us to regain our proper place within nature. Only then may we find new solutions to survive.
A work of rare passion and intelligence, Ideas to Postpone the End of the World is a parable for modern times written by one of the age’s great thinkers and a necessary appeal for the fate of a world in crisis.
Join us for the discussion on the 24th of January at 7PM (GMT) – all tickets are donation based.
Thank you for reading this month’s newsletter! If you want to join us for one of our upcoming events, make sure you follow us on Eventbrite or Meet Up. If you have any questions please add a comment to this post, DM or send us an email to hello@andthefuture.com
Lisa & Tash ✨