Bio
Srdja Popovic is co-founder and chairman of the Centre for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies (CANVAS) at the Harvard Kennedy School.
A native of Serbia, Popovic was one of the founders and key organizers of the Serbian nonviolent resistance group Otpor! that helped to unseat Slobodan Milosevic in October 2000. He then served a term in the Serbian National Assembly from 2000 to 2003.
Featured Work
APR 27, 2015 • Podcast
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 late 1990s, using humor, irony, and imagination, Popovic and his friends toppled Serbian dictator Milošević. They went on to found CANVAS, which ...
MAR 5, 2014 • Article
The Secret of Political Jiu-Jitsu
"While oppression may appear to be a display of the government's power, skilled activists know that it's actually a sign of weakness."
APR 9, 2013 • Article
Why Dictators Don't Like Jokes
Pro-democracy activists around the world are discovering that humor is one of the most powerful weapons in the fight against authoritarianism.
DEC 11, 2012 • Podcast
Ethics Matter: Srdja Popovic on Creating Successful Nonviolent Movements
Successful nonviolent movements need three things: the cool factor, memorable branding, and humor, says Popovic. He cofounded the Serbian youth movement Otpor!, which played a ...