EP7. How Movements Keep Democracy Alive.
When democracy is threatened, it’s not politicians who save it—it’s people. This episode dives into how civic movements rise to defend freedom, rebuild trust, and drive democratic change from the ground up. Through lessons from organizers around the world, the Anti-Authoritarian Toolkit Podcast unpacks how to turn shared purpose into collective power, sustain commitment, and keep the spark of democracy burning strong.
Srdja Popovic [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sr%C4%91a_Popovi%C4%87_(activist)] is the director of the Center for Applied Nonviolent Actions and Strategies (CANVAS [https://canvasopedia.org/]). For over two decades, Srdja and his team have been a guiding force for pro-democracy activists in more than 50 countries, sharing expertise on nonviolent resistance, movement building, and strategic action. He was also one of the key leaders of Otpor!, the Serbian youth movement that played a pivotal role in overthrowing Slobodan Milošević in 2000.
Nika Kovač [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nika_Kova%C4%8D]is a Slovenian activist and campaigner. She is the Executive Director of Democracy Hub.
Mentioned and recommended in the episode:
* “Blueprint for a Revolution” [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blueprint_for_Revolution], by Srdja Popovic
* “Pranksters vs. Autocrats” [https://www.amazon.com/Pranksters-vs-Autocrats-Nonviolent-Democracy/dp/1501756052], by Srdja Popovic
* CANVAS Library [https://canvasopedia.org/publications/#]
* “The Dictator's Learning Curve” [https://www.amazon.com/Dictators-Learning-Curve-Inside-Democracy/dp/030747755X], by William J. Dobson [https://www.amazon.com/William-J-Dobson/e/B006T8B3FI/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1]
* “This Is Not Propaganda”, by Peter Pomerantsev
* “Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible”, by Peter Pomerantsev [https://www.amazon.com/Peter-Pomerantsev/e/B00LJQ32QS/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1]
* “How Democracies Die” [https://www.amazon.com/How-Democracies-Die-Steven-Levitsky/dp/1524762938], by Steven Levitsky [https://www.amazon.com/Steven-Levitsky/e/B001HCVZ8G/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1] and Daniel Ziblatt [https://www.amazon.com/Daniel-Ziblatt/e/B001JSJHXI/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_2]
* “Social Dilemma” [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11464826/] by Jeff Orlowski-Yang (movie)
* Learn about the Anti-Authoritarian Toolkit and over 50 plays for defeating authoritarians.
* Join the Community of Democracy Defenders at dhub.org [https://dhub.org]
The Anti-Authoritarian Podcast Series is produced by Democracy Hub.
Executive production: Agustina Manuele
Production: Denise Menache
Audio recording and processing: Manuel Clemente, Chuco Sounds
Editing: Andy Cukier
