Gene Sharp is a political thinker whose influence is now spoken of in same breath as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King.

But he is no platform speaker or figurehead at a demonstration.

Rather, a quietly spoken political philosopher who's been writing about non-violent struggle for 50 years.

What's changed is that his most celebrated pamphlet - From Dictatorship to Democracy - is now grabbing attention around the world.

He's been hailed as having helped mould protest movements from Burma to Serbia to Egypt.

What is it that Gene Sharp has been able to unlock?

(Image: People flash the V (peace) sign during a demonstration. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)