Since the demise of the Iron Curtain, democracy has been all the rage, the rallying cry for opposition activists in pockets of the world more accustomed to tyranny, feudalism, or benevolent dictatorship. The democratic trajectory is strong, perhaps undeniable, but the transition is never easy; powerful vested interests have a way of co-opting and corrupting the struggle, and yesterday’s revolutionary often becomes tomorrow’s dictator.
A Whisper to a Roar tells the heroic stories of courageous democracy activists in five countries – Egypt, Malaysia, Ukraine, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. From student leaders to prime ministers and heads of state, these activists share their compelling personal stories of struggle, past and present, with their countries’ oppressive regimes. Among them: Zimbabwe’s Morgan Tsvangirai, the dioxin-poisoned ex-president Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine, and the former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and his defiant deputy, Anwar Ibrahim.