Justice for all

Maybe it’s just me, but I increasingly see a problem with activism: it can easily slip from passion to elitism. I’ll be honest; as I became more passionate about human rights issues, I started feeling incredibly upset. I started wondering: “Why doesn’t everyone else care? How can they hear about genocide, conflict, women’s rights, torture, lack of access to justice, and not do something about it?” And yes, it made me mad, it made me frustrated and disappointed. But I realized that while I can try to encourage some people to care, many of them just won’t. I also realized that simply because they have different priorities in life, it doesn’t mean they can’t still play a role in activism - and it certainly doesn’t mean that they are “bad” people. Indeed, instead of getting angry at all these people, I should continue to work on human rights issues myself and continue trying to involve them in my work. Ultimately, inclusion will be far more effective than anger.

A lot of activism - whether related to human rights, development, or any NGO work - can turn off the general public when it becomes elitist. It becomes a battle of morals and can even lead to looking down upon those who don’t donate, who don’t seem to care about the issue, who don’t come to events/participate in your non-profit, etc. People start thinking they are “better” simply because they care more. In the case of some development and human rights issues, it starts to seem like the average joe is dismissed as completely ignorant.

But of course, this isn’t realistic. It’s not realistic to expect everyone to be passionate about the same thing; everyone has different roles in life. Not everyone is cut out to be an activist/non-profit person/social entrepreneur. People have their own talents, skills, interests. And an activist is not, in any particular way, a more selfless person than a non-activist. It is just too simplistic of an assumption.

Ultimately, elitism isn’t going to get activists anywhere. Instead of alienating people, activists need to be patient about reaching out to everyone. I feel that there is even some amount of elitism in the online community because I can tell a lot of young people are feeling left out from the discussion. Those who don’t know as much about the issue feel they cannot contribute. I feel that’s one of the reasons Nick Kristof succeeds, because he appeals to the everyday person while also bringing up important issues. He gets people to care and makes everyone feel like they have a say in social change, whether or not they are ‘experts’ or NGO professionals.

Not everyone is going to be an expert on your cause or topic, but that’s also not reason enough to write them off immediately. Yes, everyone has a different role in life — yet, I think every person has the time to contribute in some way to social change. I genuinely believe that everyone can become more informed & civically engaged, but only if activists take the time to make sure that they are being inclusive and making everyone feel like they can play a role. Bottom line? Social change needs everyone - not just NGO experts or scholars. This requires more inclusion, less alienation.

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)

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.

The internet is awesome. I spend hours a week Googling and Twittering and Facebook stalking. The internet has brought us such gems as the “Hamster Dance” and full episodes of The Office. However, in this age of information, the internet can also make the world seem like a depressing place. It’s hard to miss the headlines on your Yahoo! Mail homepage every day: suicide bombers, poverty, global warming, war, and the like.

I know the answer for most of us is to tune out all the bad news. After being bombarded with information on a daily – if not hourly – basis, we can’t help but become desensitized. Even I admit to clicking on articles about celebrity gossip rather than reading about the latest news on the war in Afghanistan (yes, we are currently at war, remember?).

Many members of our generation (in America, at least) are rather apathetic about current affairs. Sure, we know who the President is, but we certainly don’t care what he thinks about healthcare or what is going on in the “outside” world. Or maybe we do care but we think, “Hey, I’m not Mother Teresa. I just want to be happy. I’ll let people like Al Gore worry about global warming.” There is nothing wrong with feeling that way. In fact, I derive a lot of my personal happiness through friendships and hobbies. However, we are all capable of being Mother Teresa – even if for only an hour out of our week.

You know the motto when it comes to recycling: “Every little bit helps.” It’s cliché, but it’s true: there may be mountains of rotting garbage in our dumps but if we collectively work to recycle and re-use, we can make a substantial change in our environment. Grass roots efforts do work, from recycling to Presidential elections – just look at President Obama! So why don’t more people make activism a part of their life? Whether it’s volunteering at your local pet shelter or blogging about gay rights, there are small and big things each of us can incorporate into our lives that WILL make the world a better place. And believe me, it will be less painful than those forty-minute elliptical machine sessions you’ve been forcing yourself to do three times a week.

What kind of activism do I participate in? If you’ve read my blog, you’ll know that I am a feminist political blogger. I blog about a wide range of topics – from hot button issues like abortion and sexist double standards to lighter fare like relationships and book reviews. As for my personal life, I recycle and work actively to be as eco-friendly as possible. I hope to start a career in a meaningful industry – be it the government or a non-profit organization. I want the work I do in my lifetime to bring about positive change – however great or small.

Recently, I applied to write for a college fashion blog that had an opening for interns. I received an interesting response – while the editor of the blog thought I was a strong writer and displayed a good sense of fashion, she told me that she was rejecting me because she felt writing about fashion would bore me and conflict with my beliefs. She said, and I quote, “[my blog] is simply a fun, positive blog that covers the trends and provides style advice . . . There are plenty of places to find negativity online, but few places to escape it, and I want my site to be one such escape.” I was seriously taken aback. Sure, she could tell from my writing samples that I am not a fan of our consumerist culture; something that I had explained would not be a problem because I could easily advocate thrifting and other eco-friendly fashion tips while discussing the latest clothing trends. However, the real shocker to me wasn’t the fact that she felt I wasn’t right for the job because of my beliefs but because I had beliefs at all! My blog, by focusing on something more “depressing” than fashion, makes me too negative for fashion writing? I was surprised to find myself placed in that sort of category. See – I’m just like most young people in our generation. I go to college, I party hard on the weekends, I obsess over guys and I am a huge fan of clothes shopping. However, I happen to moonlight as a feminist blogger. Does that make me so different from everyone else? I hope not!

After thinking about the response I got from that fashion blogger for the past few months, I realized something – she saw me as one of those “special” Mother Teresa types who found it possible to look at all that is wrong with the world and try to change it, rather than just be a “regular” girl who enjoys having a good time. My friends, I beg to differ. I think there is a little “activist” in all of us. Sure, bloggers like Akhila and I might spend more time than the average person writing and thinking about depressing world issues, but we have other passions and interests as well. In fact, that’s the great thing about blogging – it’s a learning experience and I’m getting my voice out there – but, at the end of the day, if I’m too mentally exhausted to write a post, I just…don’t. I can sit in bed and watch the Hills to my content (and hey, it inspired me to write a post just the other day!).

So, what are your passions? Do you love to write and care about global warming? Why not start a blog. Do you enjoy sports? Why not volunteer as an assistant coach at a public school that might not have a lot of sports-related funding? There are fun and “easy” ways of incorporating activism into your daily life without feeling like you are sacrificing your own well-being and interests. Hey, we can’t all be Mother Teresa, but we can be better citizens, friends and members of the international community.

In what ways are you engaging in activism in your community and/or abroad? Do you have some suggestions for other people looking to make a change in the world?

The Changemaker

Dollface is a college student at a small liberal arts college in New England. She blogs anonymously about feminism and politics so that her future plans of becoming President of the United States aren’t compromised by her stance on abortion (…just kidding!). She enjoys long walks on the beach, poking fun at Twilight fans, and generally being a sarcastic @$$hole. She blogs at Rotten Little Girls (http://therottenlittlegirls.com) and you can follow her on twitter @rottendollface. Be warned, of course, that her twitter updates are horrendously boring and of little interest to anyone.