Laughtivism: The Power of Humor in Nonviolent Struggle
Date & Time: February 27, 2019 | 12:30 AM – July 16, 2024 | 11:35 PM
Location: Sutliff Auditorium
The Center for Global Studies (CGS) presents, "Laughtivism: The Power of Humor in Nonviolent Struggle," a talk by Srdja Popovic—activist, global thinker, and founder and executive director of the Center for Applied Nonviolent Actions and Strategies (CANVAS). Following the event will be a reception and book signing of Blueprint for Revolution. Cosponsored by the School of International Affairs, Department of Comparative Literature, Department of History, McCourtney Institute for Democracy, Paterno Fellows Program, Department of Political Science, Rock Ethics Institute, Schreyer Honors College, and the Department of Sociology and Criminology.
This event is free and open to the public.
What do jokes have to do with revolutions? It’s commonly assumed that revolutionaries should be solemn,but research shows that when humor is employed as a tactic in social movements the success rate doubles. Humor is a powerful weapon, especially in response to authoritarianism and dictators. Not only does humor melt fear, but movements that use humor and satire gain popularity quickly, allowing them to grow exponentially, which is a crucial component for success. Popovic will discuss the different strategies of using humor in nonviolent movements. He promotes the idea that nonviolent revolutions work and make the world a more peaceful and democratic place.