Campaigning, protesting…
Would women have got the vote or slavery abolished in many countries if some people hadn’t kicked up a fuss? Campaigns and acts of protest are essential parts of the democratic process. It is through such actions that societies evolve and change.
Protests express our “NO” to the things we strongly oppose. This draws attention to, and raises the cost of, the activities that are destroying our world. How many of us would even know about the destruction of the rainforests, the 800 million people currently starving, the rise in cancers due to toxic chemicals or the doubling of severe hurricanes linked to global warming if it wasn’t for campaign groups and people acting on their concerns?
There are so many different ways to express opposition, and they combine together to create a context that makes the changes you desire more likely. Each action by itself might seem insignificant, but they all add up to create larger effects. Four questions that can help the process of effective action are:
How can I find out more about this?
When you first face a disturbing issue, it might be difficult to know how to respond. Having a research phase, where you aim to increase your understanding, is an important step in working out what to do. Finding out more can be what starts you on the journey of making a difference.
How might I be supporting the activities I oppose?
It is easy to feel powerless when reading about oil companies putting short-term profit before the safety of our world. Yet if you have money invested in funds that aren’t ethically screened, you might be doing the same thing. Identifying ways you support, either directly or indirectly, the things you oppose enables you to express your concerns by withdrawing this support. You can then invest in positive alternative choices instead.
How can I raise awareness about my concerns?
The decisions made by any community will be influenced by the communications occurring within it. When there is no expression of concern, it is easy to believe there is no problem. Acts of protest, letters to papers and decision makers, conversations with friends and family – all of these add to create a context where there is awareness of the threats we face and opposition to the activities that cause them.
How can I block the activities I oppose?
Direct action, legal challenges, campaigns and lobbying for new legislation – all of these, and many more, are ways of slowing down the destruction of our world. They are important. Joanna Macy refers to them as ‘holding actions’. She writes: “Work of this kind buys time. It serves to save some lives, and some ecosystems, species, and cultures, as well as some of the gene pool, for the sustainable society to come. It is, however, insufficient to bring that society about”. This is why we also need the other two dimensions of the Great Turning.