Public Domain Appendixpublic license for From Dictatorship to Democracy
At the end of the fourth U.S. edition of Gene Sharp’s From Dictatorship to Democracy:
Appendix Three: A Note About Translations and Reprinting of this Publication
To facilitate dissemination of this publication it has been placed in the public domain. That means that anyone is free to reproduce it or disseminate it.
The author, however, does have several requests that he would like to make, although individuals are under no legal obligation to follow such requests.
The author requests that no changes be made in the text, either additions or deletions, if it is reproduced.
The author requests notification from individual who intend to reproduce this document. Notification can be given to the Albert Einstein Institution (contact information appears int he beginning of this publication immediately before the Table of Contents).
The author requests that if this document is going to be translated, great care must be taken to preserve the original meaning of the text. Some of the terms in this publication will not translate readily into other languages, as direct equivalents for “nonviolent struggle” and related terms may not be available. Thus, careful consideration must be given to how these terms and concepts are to be translated so as to be understood accurately by new readers.
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Another relevant quote, from 76, on producing a new constitution:
The wording of the constitution should be easily understood by the majority of the population. A constitution should not be so complex or ambiguous that only lawyers or other elites can claim to understand it.
Your thoughts and feedback are always welcome by e-mail.