Thoughts on activism

Today I'm thinking about activism. What I can do, what I have done, what I still need and want to do! I was very inspired by two interviews that I listened to on my drives to work and back. They were from the Pioneers of Change summit 2023, which I sort of dismissed initially because I believed it's probably just a bunch of whitewashed opinions. But I have actually heard quite some different people. Yes, the majority is white (which still makes sense in the Austrian/German sphere) but there were also a few people of colour and the topics and types of people were quite varied I must say. I am definitely guilty of dismissing activism movements if they don't seem perfect enough and I know it's not helpful. We all need to start from somewhere (which is always our perspective and lived experience) and then expand from there! And have empathy for everyone who is on the path of changemaking.

About what I heard. One interview by Ronja von Wurm-Seibl was about the effect negative news have on us and how we can be more constructive in our news intake. And actually use news stories about topics that are important to us as an inspiration to act instead of despairing and shutting down. I really liked that, especially since the latter has definitely been my most frequent reaction to global bad news. The second interview was with Kumi Naidoo, an activist and change leader from South Africa who already fought against the Apartheid regime as a teenager. So impressive! His thoughts on activism and encouragement to get organised and take the needed change into our own hands inspired me. 

My take aways and ideas:

1. I want to continue with my exploration of different perspectives on (political) topics that are important to me. I am so determined to educate myself on several topics where I feel like I have been misinformed or underinformed in the news or during my education in general. I especially want to understand the power dynamics between European countries and the US and poorer nations. This includes past and present NATO or other military interventions and trade deals. I want to understand how nations outside of the West see certain issues and build a whole picture from there. I have already started looking more deeply into the Israel-Palestine conflict and the difference in media reporting across countries and media outlets. I would like to do the same for the following topics: European immigration and border politics (inland and abroad), NATO war crimes and implications of Western countries in regime changes in Africa/other poorer nations, history of political activism and civil disobedience, alternatives to capitalism. The interview about the effect of news gave me an additional insight that I find very important to include in this research, especially if I aim to share this with a group of people. (I have the idea to create a newsletter for friends and family to present my findings of different perspectives on a certain topic. This should serve as an entry point for discussions and food for thought.) I realised it is essential to also research how people get active and involved around a certain issue to create positive change even in dire circumstances. This may be easier to find in articles about capitalistic alternatives than in NATO war crimes, naturally.

2. I want to be active for societal change with a group of people. I now know how important it is to prioritise joy and wellbeing in such groups, so this time I want to do activism differently than when I first dove in at university. I want it to be sustainable for me, but most importantly, I want to start! The How and What are still a bit unclear, even though there are already quite a few topics that are important to me. I guess I was waiting for something to become MY THING. But I also learned that this is not usually how it works. That most of the time the topic finds you when you start to get active. First of all, I would like to volunteer. Make a very tangible contribution with my time for either the natural environment or people. Then I want to dip in again into activism circles in real life and meet people who are passionate about various causes and just start participating and get inspired more - learning by doing. I also want to talk to my best friends again about my ideas and perhaps start a group or think tank or something to discuss various expertises and ways of being active in our field of interest. It would serves as a sort of solidarity group to both motivate each other to do 'our thing' and when it feels right join forces and create something together. I was talking to my partner yesterday about the question "What am I seeking in life?" and my answer was crystal clear - community. And I know now that yes it is time-consuming and annoying sometimes to co-create but it is also magical! Perhaps not every group may be your cup of tea but the amazing thing is that I can choose the people I want to join. I am excited for what is to come, I feel so happy to finally have this feeling again.