Street Spirit: The Power of Protest and Mischief

Description

When no one's listening, it takes more than shouting louder to be heard ... Street Spirit is a celebration of some of the most remarkable protests from around the world that have used humour, courage and creativity to bring about change. Among the many instances of imaginative defiance within, you'll discover the surprising impact of Lego figures in Siberia, red-hatted dwarves in Poland and a donkey holding a press conference in Azerbaijan - not to mention the story of how Darth Vader helped to effect a global arms treaty. With over 100 photographs and accompanying commentary on the power of non-violent protest from human rights campaigner Steve Crawshaw, who has been an eye-witness to some of the most dramatic demonstrations of recent years, Street Spirit is a unique visual guide that will inspire, enlighten and entertain.

Steve Crawshaw is Director of the Office of the Secretary General at Amnesty International, which he joined as international advocacy director in 2010. From 2002 to 2010, he was UK director and UN advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. He joined the Independent at launch in 1986, where he reported on the eastern European revolutions, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Balkan wars. He is co-author with John Jackson of Small Acts of Resistance: How Courage, Tenacity and Ingenuity Can Change the World, preface by Vaclav Havel. His previous books were Easier Fatherland: Germany and the Twenty-First Century and Goodbye to the USSR: The Collapse of Soviet Power.

A wonderfully crafted work about the protest and activism shaping our world * Independent * When a totalitarian society faces creative protests, it is like ice meeting fire... Street Spirit is a relevant and powerful book for our times * Ai Weiwei, Foreword * Full of wonderful and entertaining stories of the power to create change * Bianca Jagger * In Street Spirit, Steve Crawshaw distills decades of wisdom, experience and optimism from around the world. This potent cocktail will be feared by tyrants everywhere - but to all those who will brandish it proudly or read it in the dark, he brings light, hope and ammunition for people-led change * Shami Chakrabarti, author of On Liberty * A lovely book, wonderful stories, fascinating... In a world worried about too many isms, a bright antidote * Lyse Doucet, Chief International Correspondent, BBC * If you care about something deeply, your mind and your body will take you to the streets and force you to organize, to be political, to protest and to fight. This is a condition as basic and natural for a human being as love - and that's why Steve Crawshaw's book matters * Nadya Tolokonnikova, founding member of Pussy Riot * A fantastic book * Srdja Popovic, Serb activist and author, Blueprint for Revolution *