TRIBUTE TO GENE SHARP

Gene Sharp (1928 - 2018): 

a very short tribute! 

Prof. Gene Sharp, renowned peace and Nonviolence theorist and expert passed away on 28 January at the age of 90. Educated in the universities of Ohio (US) and Oxford (England) Sharp taught political science, Peace and Nonviolence in the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and Harvard University. He founded Albert Einstein Institute for the promotion of the freedom of thought and was with the Institute till his end. 

Gene Sharp is known for his contribution to the theory of nonviolent resistance. His major researches were focused on the scope of the application of Nonviolence. In his magnum opus “The Politics of Nonviolent Action” Sharp listed 198 methods of nonviolent action, characterising them as “nonviolent weapons”. It awed the sceptics and the believers alike. 

Sharp wrote prolifically on Nonviolence and Peace, delving deep into their intricacies and scopes. His work “From Dictatorship to Democracy” instructs us on how to destroy dictatorship by resorting to nonviolent strategies. His last book “How Nonviolence Works “ is a manual for nonviolent resisters. 

It was rumoured in 2015 that he was nominated for Nobel Peace prize. He received the Right Livelihood Award in 2012 and in his acceptance speech he said: “A future of domination, the rule of violence and helplessness, is not inevitable. We now have the knowledge needed to block that sad future, if we have the will to use it.” 

Mahatma Gandhi exerted a great influence on Sharp and he repaid the debt by his contribution for the advancement of knowledge on Gandhian Nonviolence. Two names stand out amongst the western scholars of Gandhian Nonviolence, Gene Sharp and Johan Galtung (Norwegian sociologist). 

Students of Gandhi and Gandhian Nonviolence stand deeply indebted to both these scholars. I place on record my personal indebtedness to both, though I have reservations about their approaches. 

Gene Sharp is no more; long live Gene Sharp!

- Dr. M P Mathai