The Paris News

A University of North Texas graduate home for the summer spends his time studying the works of Gene Sharp, world renowned author, nonviolent strategist and founder of the Albert Einstein Institute in Boston, Mass.

Jason Waite of Reno hopes to join ranks of others to carry on the works of his new-found friend. Waite plans to spread the word that non-violent strategy rather than military force must become the conflict resolution methodology of the future if mankind is to survive in a nuclear-armed world.

“I just think its amazing to have an opportunity to cross paths with such an influential person and believe his ideas are to be of the most importance to people throughout the world,” Waite said.

A substitute teacher for the Denton Independent School District, Waite plans to enter graduate school at Texas Women’s University in the fall to complete an education degree. Long term, he plans to pursue a doctorate in international studies.

One recent afternoon, the young man sat down with this reporter to share his excitement about receiving the works of Gene Sharp directly from the author himself.

“I was interested in his work and contacted him by e-mail at the Einstein Institute, Waite said. “We were getting to know each other online and he called me. We spoke about the possibility of me interning in Boston.

“I think he was excited to see somebody younger interested in his ideas, and he sent me all his works from pretty much his whole life,” Waite said.

A 1997 graduate of North Lamar High School, Waite admits he was not a very good student in high school and did not read an entire book until late in college.

“Now I spend most all my time reading about strategic non-violence,” Waite said.

Sharp, now 80, is the founder of the Albert Einstein Institution, a non-profit organization, which studies and promotes the use of nonviolent action to “democratize” the world.

The author, who holds a Doctor of Philosophy from Oxford University, is professor emeritus of political science at the University of Massachusetts — Dartmouth and is a senior scholar at the Albert Einstein Institute. For almost 30 years he held a research appointment at Harvard University’s Center of International Affairs.

Some of his works are: “The Politics of Nonviolent Action” (1973); “Gandhi as a Political Strategist” (1979); “Making Europe Unconquerable” (1985); “From Dictatorship to Democracy” (1993 and 2002) and his most recent book, “Waging Nonviolent Struggle: Twentieth Century Practice and Twenty-First Century Potential.” His writings have been published in more than 30 languages.

“The key is to get these books, and the last one in particular, spread all over the world,” Waite said. He said his mentor’s influence already has made a difference in many developing countries.

“In his latest book he traces resistance movements and shows how non-violence helped to create stability and reduced casualty rates,” Waite said. “The civil rights movement is one example of strategic non violence that proved successful.”

When questioned about how non-violence strategies could be employed in a world filled with terrorists, Waite said although terrorism is real, the terrorist movement is not as large as people are led to be believe.

“We need to get these ideas to those groups because they are seeing that violence is not getting them desired results,” Waite said.

“There has been no one since Mahatma Gandhi that has formulated such a power technique of strategic nonviolence,” Waite said of his mentor.

Waite cautioned.

“Strategic nonviolence is not to be confused with passivity,” he said. “It takes much courage, discipline and means of withdrawing ones consent to oppression and tyranny.

“This, in fact, is what we need to be teaching to the ‘terrorists’ who are desperate and are using violence to fight what they believe is evil and oppressive,” Waite concluded.

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