Justice for all

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In the past couple of months (!) I have been incredibly happy to have so many intelligent and passionate Gen Y changemakers stop over at my blog to partake in the Be the Change series.

What we learned

Through this series, we read about the grand dreams and visions that Gen Yers have to change and better the world; some may call them idealistic, but they know that social change is a priority, and a possibility.

We learned about the value of listening to the communities we hope to assist. We listened to personal stories of young social entrepreneurs who are striving to “be the change” themselves. On the flip side, we heard from those who felt that not everyone has to be a youth leader in order to engage in the social change movement; the movement needs followers to support it, too.

When hoping to enter the non-profit world full-time, we learned that the non-profit atmosphere isn’t for everyone - and that it might take time to find where you fit in professionally. At the same time, activism is for everyone - and whether or not you work in a non-profit full time, there are ways you can incorporate social change into your everyday work and life. Often, social change happens through a series of small steps - and though it may seem small at first, each step is necessary.

We questioned whether online activism - “slactivism” - is replacing it’s real world counterpart, and real change is getting left behind in the process. We discussed the impact that raising awareness of important international issues can have if done the right way: through personal stories that make hard statistics more tangible. We realized that not everyone shares a passion for a same cause - and so can be more effective to inspire by being the change, not persuading others to support your cause.

We tackled and debated important issues, such as animal rights, the Israel-Palestine conflict, finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, education for women, microfinance, and feminism.

And finally, we were compelled to take a deeper look at our own commitment to question whether we are genuinely committed to making a change in the world - or if we are putting our ambitions and desire for success first.

What’s next?

Thank you all for joining this series, reading along, commenting, or tweeting about it. It means a lot to me, and to the broader social change movement. It is truly a testament to the fact that Gen Y DOES care about making a difference, and that we are poised to utilize our skills and passion to contribute in some way - big or small - to bettering the world. This series, I think, completely blasts apart all the negative stereotypes: that we’re entitled and selfish, that we arrogant and self-centered. Here is proof that we, as a generation, can come together to make an impact beyond ourselves.

But ultimately, REAL change doesn’t happen through blogging or Tweeting. Real change and impact happens offline. Real change happens through action, not discussion.

I encourage you all to continue your activism, both online and offline. Volunteer your time (and skills!) to a local NGO that is desperately in need. Take time out this holiday season to fundraise for a specific cause you care about. Figure out ways to push the corporation you work in to engage in greater corporate social responsibility (CSR). Donate your birthday or wedding gifts to a non-profit. If you’re feeling bold, work for an NGO/social enterprise full time or even start one of your own.

Take action. Don’t limit your “change” to words.

(Picture credit: here)

Bayard Rustin: it’s a name that is not particularly well-known to most of us. His contribution to the United States civil rights movement usually receives only surface recognition: “Bayard Rustin was a civil rights activist best known for organizing the 1963 March on Washington where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I have a dream” speech.” Yet, it is probably accurate to say that without Bayard Rustin, Martin Luther King Jr. may not have become a fierce proponent of nonviolent tactics, and without Rustin, the civil rights movement - though certainly still a powerful force - would not have changed the course of American history as it did.

The example of Rustin - one of the most influential, but least-known civil rights leaders - begs the question: for those of us in this generation looking to ‘be the change’ where does our own commitment really lie? It seems that though we may commit ourselves to working in NGOs, as social entrepreneurs or in social businesses we are often more concerned with our personal experiences and advancement than building a more just world; we struggle between our own ambitions and the selfless objectivity needed to bring about meaningful change. Not everyone could play the role of Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph Abernathy, Rosa Parks or John Lewis in the civil rights movement. Many more had to be just as committed to the movement knowing that they may never receive the same positions of leadership or “personal success” that those individuals did. Yet, their contributions were as important (and in some instances, even more important) as those leaders to building a better world.

Bayard Rustin spent a good part of his younger years as a pacifist activist, and traveled to India to learn from Gandhian disciples. In 1956, following Rosa Parks courageous refusal to surrender her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, a series of boycotts erupted. Rustin traveled to Montgomery to help infuse the core ideals of non-violence into these efforts. A story from the book “Lost Prophet,” illustrates how essential Rustin’s presence was:

There were guns lying all about King’s house, and Rustin often recounted a humorous incident with himself and Bill Worthy. As Worthy…prepared to sit on one of the chairs in King’s living room, Rustin called out to him, “Bill wait, wait. Couple of guns in that chair. You don’t want to shoot yourself!”

The idea of Martin Luther King having guns around his house may seem to be an oxymoron, but it also highlights just how important Rustin’s guidance were in those early periods of civil rights efforts in building a nonviolent movement. Today, Rustin’s name may not be familiar, but his impact - from non-violent protest as a key tactic, to the formation of the SCLC, to the March on Washington, to the linkages of the civil rights efforts to broader economic and social justice efforts - reverberates throughout the United States and many parts of the world.

Martin Luther King Jr. has many well-known speeches and sermons. One that is slightly less known is his “Drum-Major Instinct” speech. The “Instinct” that he refers to is the “desire in all of us to be first.” It seems that our generation needs to be able reach beyond this “Drum-Major Instinct” to dedicate ourselves to a broader cause. Just as Bayard Rustin was able to bring about tremendous change in a selfless manner, what our generation needs is continual discernment of the motivations that drive our actions while maintaining a commitment to bringing about great change.

The Author

Ankur is a rising senior at Northwestern University majoring in biomedical engineering. He is currently taking a year off from school to work full-time for GlobeMed, a network of students advancing the movement for health equity. Working with communities in rural Panama on various engineering projects, and having a summer internship at Global Health Delivery Online has heavily influenced Ankur’s thoughts about issues of poverty, structural violence, and development. Ankur is originally from the small town of Menomonie in Wisconsin, believes that Taco Bell is infinitely more satisfying than Chipotle, and enjoys a competitive game of Super Smash Brothers anytime. He also blogs at Students for Global Health Equity.

I’ve lived in China for almost two and a half years.  This country has seen so much change in the past generation that it reminds me of a song I learned in elementary school: “the only thing that doesn’t change is change.”  I think that listening to stories is the best way for an outsider like me to understand and begin to take part in these changes.

Here’s one such story, from a project inspired by the Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs.  My friend Rich Brubaker is a prolific social entrepreneur, professor, consultant and blogger.  He recently asked ten of his interns to interview workers on the streets of Shanghai about their jobs and dreams for the future.   Here’s one example:

I highly recommend checking out the handful of other interviews that are up so far, as well as the comments.

What I find amazing about these interviews, and my own similar conversations, is the optimism and hope and complete absence of self-pity that shine through the words.  A common phrase in Chinese is “chi ko,” which translates to eat bitterness, or do what needs to be done.  I see this every morning when I stroll through the hutong to my office, and chat with a friendly middle-aged lady who sorts and bundles trash.  She asks me if I’ve eaten; I ask if she’s been busy (a common conversation pattern in Chinese.)  Her answer is always the same and always delivered with a smile: “if I’m not busy I have nothing to eat.”

Conversations like these are where getting involved with social change begins.  I think it’s important to develop a a strong sense for the priorities, goals, and thought processes of the local community.  This takes time.  It takes trust.  It takes language lessons.  It takes understanding that there’s not one single story.  It takes misunderstandings and re-explanations and identifying preconceived notions.  It takes a keen awareness of personal strengths.

In my time in China, I’ve been lucky enough to work with five different organizations, involving education, microfinance, and corporate social responsibility.  All of these jobs have been related to social change in some sense, regardless of the sector.  My friends here in Beijing have done amazing work in clean transportation, theatre, microfinance, sustainable energy, gay rights, showcasing the impact of global warming through ice sculptures, and so much more.  These are foreigners that have taken the time to really understand the local conversation in their respective area of focus.  (I have also met Chinese activists, but since I think that Akhila’s readers are mostly outside China I’m focusing on the roles foreigners have played.)

I am grateful for the opportunities China has given me, to learn, to listen, and to broaden my sense of social change.  Xie xie!

The Changemaker

Leslie Forman graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in Latin American Studies.  As a corporate trainer for Yaxley Education, she teaches Chinese lawyers, journalists, and engineers to use English more effectively.  Her interests include renewable energy, events that involve costumes, and practicing her Chinese, Spanish, and Portuguese (though preferably not at the same time!)

You can catch her on Twitter, @leslieforman!

I don’t like little kids that much. Sure, they’re cute, smarter than they look and funny to listen to, but I’ve always wanted to hang out with the grownups ever since I was a little hell-raiser. That probably explains why I didn’t become a grade school teacher. That being said, when I was in college and seeking out my passions, I wound up in an internship at Massachusetts’ Executive Office of Elder Affairs in the Media Relations department. Here I learned more about public relations community development than I ever learned in the classroom at my college. I also learned that I loved working with the elderly and that working with them would be my career choice.

After graduating from college in 2006 I met a nasty, unwelcoming job market, much like the one recent graduates are facing this year. It took me about six months to find a “real job” that paid more than $10 an hour and wasn’t temporary. On the verge of financial collapse, I finally got a call to work for an elder housing non-profit in Boston where I eventually got hired to do program development for the residents. I was thrilled and ready to go into my work cave and be really successful at my job. However, success never came in that job. It’s the first real job I’ve ever had that I failed at. Not because I was bad at working with the elderly, whom I thought to be storied, hilarious and amazing people. No, the reason I failed at that job was because of my inability to adapt to the working environment. I was the youngest person there, by far and the only male in a sea of women social workers, financiers, former teachers, fundraisers, etc…

I lasted about 9 months before my boss politely told me that I should seek employment elsewhere and kindly told me I wasn’t being fired and that I had as much time as I needed to get out and find something new. I was hurt and frustrated because I felt like I wasn’t being given enough time to really get down and dirty with the ideas I had about my job. I was planning on attending graduate school for geriatrics and public policy in the coming year too. I was bitter that I had people telling me what I should be doing rather than taking my good will at face value and letting me figure out a way to put my ideas into action.

So, I left the non-profit world and wound up in a social media analytics software company in Boston and eventually at Brazen Careerist in Madison, WI where I reside today. I really do love my job these days- social media is new and interesting to me and I enjoy knowing that people are bettering themselves through our website and getting jobs as well. However, I still love elderly folks. Since leaving the elder-care non-profit two plus years ago I’ve gone back many times to help volunteer, serve meals in their kitchen, set up parties and lift heavy objects (the ladies there thought I was a dumb brute sometimes, but loved that I could lift things like a brute too). Every time I went back there, I reminded myself that leaving was in fact a good thing, because I learned on two fronts- 1) I wasn’t doing a great job at my job and everyone knew it except me at the time. I wasn’t motivated by my working environment nor the non-profit that I worked for. I was wasting time badly by staying there out of comfort. 2) I left and still love the idea of working with elderly people. I still want to do this for a living someday, to some extent. I’m not sure how right now, but its part of the cornucopia of career goals I have for myself… none of which I have ever claimed to be linear

What I think readers can get from my story regarding how to Be The Change in the world is this:

• Others can tell you when you’re good at a task or succeeding at prescribed mission, however the metrics within your soul for where you’re at in accomplishing a goal or turning the corner on understanding a concept are known only to you. It’s good to take other people’s input into consideration, but don’t ever let anyone tell you what you should be doing with your life.
• Changing careers is not as hard as people make it out to be. You can come in and out of most industries with little to no resistance as long as you’re smart about your timing and your intentions. You really can’t take away skills learned and passions acquired.
• When dealing with your life’s calling, don’t expect to know what it is or how you’re going to make it happen the second you get out of college. For all intents and purposes, you’re still a kid. Hell, I’m 25 and I’m still a kid in many aspects of how I view the world. To be honest, I hope to be part kid forever! That way I’ll never live my life out of the invisible obligations that adults do.

The world does not have enough people who choose to shape their career around their passions and just because they don’t fit a personality profile of what an organization thinks it needs should not mean people that a person cannot find a place to be productive and do meaningful work in what they care about.

Do I regret not fighting harder to stay at the non-profit I was working at or maybe find another job doing something slightly different but still with the elderly? Yes, sometimes I do. But, here I am today and I’m proud of the progress I’ve made in my career and I have a feeling that somehow, someway the skills I’ve picked up along the way as well as the understanding of the world through my own eyes will bring a lot of good to people, young and old someday.

I hope that each of you find your passion and your calling. Even if it’s all uphill from here, don’t take your eyes off it and don’t back down when other’s tell you how hard it’s going to be to get there.

The Changemaker

JR Moreau resides in Madison, Wisconsin, hailing from Worcester and Boston, Massachusetts. He currently works as Brazen Careerist’s Community Editor. He spends his spare time listening to hip-hop, reading dense literature, Tweeting with a diverse group of folks, plotting the great takeover, and talking strangers ears off about MMA and social media. You can find his writing on his personal blog, JR’s Not-So-Literal Blog and you can follow him on Twitter @JRMoreau!

I don’t know if it is just me, but have you noticed how offline activism has been replaced by its online counterpart?  People add twibbons, change the color of their avatar, or update their statuses, for what? to show their undying support for a cause? I find it sort of counterintutitve that for some reason our generation feels that change happens by lifting a finger instead of lending a hand.  This is what social networks and online platforms has done to activism and social change; it has turned it into a game of perception, not action.  The prevailing perception is that the more twitter followers or Facebook fans a cause has that somehow these numbers magically translate into significant action or change.  More often than not, it doesn’t, and the very people that support a cause virtually are just a piece in the perception game, a trend that is a bit troubling for me.

But as I sit here typing, I can’t but help feel a bit hypocritical.  I personally spend a significant time online advocating for such things as education and social entrepreneurship. I often use social media and online outposts to bring about awareness of the things I care about, and although bringing critical information about causes to bear is an immensely important act, I’m sure most of my followers let my status updates or my blog posts float downstream along with the other clutter they don’t read.  This is the unfortunate fate of young activism today.

So is activism and social change destined to be lost in the lifestreams of our virtual selves?  It’s an unique question our generation must answer.  We must find a way to meld our strong sense of idealism and our need for technology with a sheer anger at the state of the world.  It is imperative our generation understands that real change happens not by getting more followers for our cause, adding a twibbon, or changing the color of our avatar.

As Thomas Friedman, author and Pulitzler Prize winner, once said about youth online activism,”Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy didn’t change the world by asking people to join their Facebook crusades or to download their platforms. Activism can only be uploaded, the old-fashioned way — by young voters speaking truth to power, face to face, in big numbers, on campuses or the Washington Mall.”  I think Friedman hit it right on the head and I hope we all remember; change only happens face to face and not Facebook to Facebook.

*Photo Credit: Obey.com

The Changemaker

Kevin Asuncion is a young social entrepreneur from Los Angeles, CA who believes deeply in the power of business to change the world.  He loves reading, writing and is a loyal fan of the LA Lakers and Cal Bears.  You can find him at his personal blog www.kevinasuncion.com, or follow him on Twitter @kevinasuncion.