Revolutionary Consulting - The Diffusion of Non-violence as a Strategy

When looking at the transnational dimension of protest especially concerning recent uprisings, one phenomenon stands out as particular novelty: revolutionary consulting. The Serbian resistance movement Otpor that has been very influential in the overthrow of Slobodan Milošević in 2000, is now advising other pro-democratic revolutionary groups on how to protest effectively by adapting their main strategy, nonviolence. This paper will examine the historic evolution of Otpor, as well as their involvement in the coloured revolutions in Georgia and the Ukraine to better understand their current role in recent uprisings. Special focus of the paper will lie on to role of Otpor concerning the diffusion of nonviolence as a strategy of pro-democratic protest, as well as discursive coalitions on this narrative of non-violence.