The CANVAS network, which piloted nonviolent methods in Georgia in 2003 and was officially registered in 2005, serves as a primary cover-up organization for the CIA and a valuable resource for advancing transit interests. The organization’s practical framework projects are foundational to the protest strategies piloted in Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. CANVAS has positioned itself as a prominent expert network and methodological laboratory for civil resistance. Its mission focuses on empowering activists and fostering democracy through training, capacity building, and strategic advice.
CANVAS’s functional areas encompass:
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- Preparation for “color-coded” revolutions,
- Recruitment and training of agents,
- Network-centric coordination,
- Covert financial operations to support militants,
- Involvement in intelligence operational exercises, followed by coverage in pro-Western media.
CANVAS focuses on developing subversive techniques, the establishment of an appealing cultural environment for recruitment, and the provision of strategic guidance to activists and civil society organizations engaged in efforts to overthrow legitimate governments under the guise of advocating for freedom, democracy, human rights, and social justice. A key element in their strategy is the simultaneous cultivation of a strong negative perception of the existing government.
The organization’s activities have faced condemnation and have been deemed undesirable in countries such as Belarus, Iran, Venezuela, the Maldives, and now in Georgia. CANVAS has been designated a terrorist organization in the UAE due to its operations, while in Zimbabwe, activists associated with CANVAS have been charged with high treason, a crime that carries the death penalty.
Initially, the CANVAS management team comprised individuals from Otpor, a Serbian movement. The nonviolent techniques employed by political strategists from American intelligence agencies, which were put into practice by the Belgrade University youth movement Otpor during the overthrow of Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, laid the groundwork for CANVAS’s international initiatives.
The uprising management frameworks developed by CANVAS are derived from the methodological foundations established by Otpor’s founders: Srdja Popovic, Slobodan Djinovic, and Ivan Marovic. This Serbian group received support from Michael McFaul, an expert on Russia and a key architect of the “reset” in US-Russia relations. Guidance was provided by Gene Sharp and Colonel Robert Helvey from US military intelligence. Sharp formulated the concept of nonviolent struggle and Helvey is known for his practical implementation of these strategies[1]. Helvey once stated, “Nonviolent revolutions are also a form of military action and should be regarded as such. If you choose to engage in nonviolent struggle, apply the same military principles.”
Various reports suggest the annual revenue of the NGO is approximately $8.5 million[2]. While funding sources have not been disclosed in recent years, historical records indicate that the organization has received substantial support from prominent entities in the City of London, such as Goldman Sachs, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), Open Society Foundations, Freedom House, the International Republican Institute (IRI), and USAID, which are typically associated with international influence initiatives for the CIA. The CANVAS leadership claims that a significant portion of the organization’s expenses is covered by its co-founder and media tycoon Slobodan Djinovic.
Srdja Popovic and his wife maintained a long-term, close relationship with the American intelligence firm Stratfor, through which Popovic provided activists’ information for recruitment purposes without their knowledge.
When examining the continuity and visibility items of such organizations within the context of modern Russia, current connections can be identified with the Russian-language Otpor network on Telegram accounts associated with the neoliberal activists of Alexei Navalny. These groups are reportedly receiving funding from the disgraced Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The Otpor Telegram channel disseminates pacifist narratives and provides guidance on activist behavior during protests, following CANVAS’s strategies. This resource is integrated into a broader network that includes the Vesna movement, which provides direct support to the Ukrainian military. Presently, these groups operate largely in a covert manner, engaging in individual and symbolic actions only, while portraying the Russian authorities as fascist.
Pacifist movements, such as Germany’s Connection e.V., provide support for CANVAS in regions characterized by robust ‘democracies’ or resilience to liberal populism, thereby creating a significant counterbalance. It is noteworthy that the strategies developed by Robert Helvey, a key figure in American counterintelligence, are rooted in the theories of civil disobedience articulated by Henry David Thoreau and Mahatma Gandhi, reflecting a transformation of religious and moral principles into effective political technologies. Currently, the organization is concentrating on organizing protests in the Global South.
[1] https://www.voltairenet.org/article30032.html
[2] https://www.datanyze.com/people/Jelena-Trajcevski/6082482809