Gene Sharp - key strategist behind the toppling of the Egyptian government! Ever hear of him?

Friends,

In case you haven't stumbled across this powerful story yet, I thought it was worth passing along.   Gene Sharp, now 83 years old and living in East Boston MA, is a very shy and quiet man. Ever hear of him before? I hadn't - to my chagrin.  I certainly should have been paying better attention.  

Gene is considered the world's foremost contemporary expert on non-violent revolution and his work has been translated into more than 30 languages.  Mr. Sharp's writing has been having a very powerful influence on what has been happening of late around other parts of the Arab world, providing the "blueprint" for how to work together effectively to overthrown dictators.  Many are saying he is the man now credited with the strategy behind the toppling of the Egyptian government!  Here is the article on Gene Sharp which brought me up to speed - a good read all the way to the end!   

I did a bit more research and found out the man is a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, a Quaker, and member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation.  (Quoted from this other recent article I found in the NYT: "Some people suspect Mr. Sharp of being a closet peacenik and a lefty — in the 1950s, he wrote for a publication called “Peace News” and he once worked as personal secretary to A. J. Muste, a noted labor union activist, pacifist, and Executive Secretary of the FOR— but Gene insists that he outgrew his own early pacifism and describes himself now as “trans-partisan.”) 

Here's Gene Sharp's list of 198 "nonviolent weapons" in outline form.

It's been quite the education this evening...

Clair Hochstetler

Canberra