The full text is available through publishers like The New Press and Profile Books .
This guide outlines the core strategies from Gene Sharp’s From Dictatorship to Democracy: A Conceptual Framework for Liberation , a seminal manual for nonviolent resistance used in movements like the Arab Spring . Core Philosophy: The Pillars of Support From Dictatorship to Democracy: A Conceptual Fr...
: Systematically withdraw cooperation until the regime’s administrative and coercive tools no longer function. The full text is available through publishers like
Sharp argues that all power is conditional on the cooperation of the governed. A dictatorship only stands as long as its Pillars of Support —institutions like the military, media, and civil service—remain loyal. Resistance aims to erode this support until the regime collapses. Strategic Categories of Action Sharp argues that all power is conditional on
: Direct actions that disrupt the regime's functioning, such as sit-ins and the creation of alternative social institutions. Key Steps for Liberation
: Formulate a comprehensive grand strategy rather than relying on spontaneous protests. This requires identifying the regime's specific weaknesses and sources of power.