Justice for all

Dear readers: Thank you all so much for the outpouring of support and incredibly kind, intelligent, and valuable thoughts you provided in response to my previous post. I think, however, I may have given off the wrong impression to all of you. I’m not going to stop blogging - not now, and most likely, not for a long time. Throughout my life, I’ve considered writing to be at the very core of my existence. Writing and using words to reach people is what I love doing. It makes up an intrinsic part of who I am. Perhaps some day I’ll stop blogging. Who knows? But I can tell you with certainty that I’ll never stop writing. For me to stop writing would be like ripping out a core piece of my identity, the very fabric that I’m composed of.

I won’t stop writing. What I hope is to continue using my love for writing to make a tangible difference. Through the law and legal writing - to defend an innocent client on death row or to fight the case of indigenous people whose rights have been violated by environmental contamination. Through the news media - to give voice to those who are voiceless, who have no one to speak for them. Through research papers and articles - to bring important issues to the forefront, and to contribute empirical evidence related to human rights issues that can someday be used to guide and influence policy. Through grant proposals - to obtain valuable funding for organizations and non-profits I believe are doing good work. Through books - that will inspire more people to take action and understand some of the underlying moral quandaries behind human rights issues.

Perhaps, one day, I will realize that there are bigger and better things than this blog. That there are bigger and better ways I can use my voice to defend the poor and marginalized. All the things I have mentioned above rely crucially on writing. Writing is an important part of practically any job now, and particularly plays a huge role in the human rights and legal world.

But until I become trained, educated, and experienced enough to contribute in those areas - I’ll be using this blog as a medium to spread the word in whatever little way I can.

So don’t fear, lovely readers. My blog, my writing, and my voice is here to stay for the time being. I love writing, and I love contributing my voice in some way to the greater good. While it’s true that I am disillusioned in many key ways, I don’t think I’ve given up hope as of yet. If nothing else, I believe that social media has helped me build valuable connections with other passionate young people who care about the same issues and similar causes. This valuable community I’ve found would never have been possible otherwise. Even if I don’t change people’s minds, I know that I have become a stronger advocate myself by tapping into this community. I myself have become more dedicated, better informed, and more ready to take action. If nothing else, I’m contributing in this way to the world…right?

I hope so. And I hope you’ll all stay with me in this journey!

I ran across this really excellent post the other day, by Lola Adesioye. I love this quote from her:

I have spent many column inches and airtime talking about the shoulda, woulda and the couldas of life. And don’t get me wrong – I enjoy it! But I also ask myself how much of a difference it makes. As someone committed to making a tangible difference in the world, I’m becoming much more interested in, and committed to, work that provides solutions to an issue and is forward thinking.

Ultimately, what impact can blogging, writing, and researching can have? It’s something I personally struggle with.

Today, we are constantly bombarded by information - whether it’s from the news, from blogs, from Twitter, or from other social networks. There hasn’t been any other time in history when people have had access to so much information so quickly and so easily. Of course, the American news media contains many flaws - far too much trivial coverage, and far too little on important issues across the globe. But, true understanding is just a Google away, regardless of the topic’s coverage in the mainstream media. What can I add through blogging, by adding my voice to this cacophony? Am I doomed to be lost in the web streams, or is my writing actually of value? Is it worth spending my time writing about things, rather than actually doing them?

When it comes to academic research, I certainly love reading a really good paper on transitional justice or aid or governance as much as the next person. While research certainly is necessary, I am again left to wonder what effect that has on the world. What I find more urgent than new research is the need to properly and fully implement all the findings and solutions that are already out there. We already know what needs to happen - and we need to start making these things happen. It seems that the more critical need is here, in the implementation stage.

The impact of writing depends on luck. Writing can reach people, but there is no guarantee it will. The impact of writing depends on the rise of those who will listen, learn, and implement your thoughts or solutions in the “real world.” One person might take something away from your writing, or a million people might take action because of it. Rarely, however, does the latter happen. But by being the implementer, you can begin affecting change immediately.

I want to make an impact in this world, but I strive to reconcile this with my own love for writing. I care about human rights and development issues, but first and foremost, I have always had the answer “Writing” at the tip of my tongue when anyone asks me simply: What is your passion? I have always had a propensity for words - whether it is through poetry or blogging or academic papers.

I want both: to be an implementer, but also a writer and thinker. Is there some way to incorporate both into life and career? How can we bridge this divide between: theory and practice, writing and doing, talking and solving. One or the other might be satisfying, but only a combination might be truly fulfilling.

This summer, I’ll be writing for Jolkona Foundation. Jolkona is a nonprofit organization aiming to build awareness and mobilize young people to support successful community development projects around the world. Jolkona provides an online platform where it lists the projects it supports, and allows individuals to donate small amounts of money to these high-impact projects. The most unique thing, perhaps, about Jolkona is that they show you tangible results for each gift and explain exactly where your money is going. They have projects around the world in empowerment, public health, education, cultural identity, and the environment. And one aspect that resonates with me is that they hope to target young donors - ages 15 to 35 - by helping them control exactly how their contributions are spent.

This summer, Jolkona has invited several young people to blog about their experiences, the issue areas Jolkona focuses on, and the specific projects Jolkona supports. This is an attempt to raise awareness of Jolkona’s work as well as to Jolkona reach out to more young people. I’ve become a blogger there and will be writing every so often about human rights and women’s empowerment issues, hoping to use my words to propel people to take action on the site. Here is an excerpt from my introductory post:

But I’m here to tell you that writing coupled with action does and can make a difference. I’ve been writing this year at my personal blog, Justice for all, where I blog about political and human rights issues, hoping to better articulate the vital role that young people can play in the movement. As a 20 year old, I clearly don’t know as much about human rights as seasoned experts, but what I have realized is that I can contribute something through my writing: a youthful perspective. Through my blog, I have reached out to so many members of “Gen Y,” and have been able to discuss with them the importance of human rights, and the importance of caring. My words cannot do everything, but through contributing my voice - at least I am joining the movement for change and helping it grow.

I’d encourage you to read the entire post here to learn more about my passion for writing and how I hope to translate that into action. If you liked the post, please follow Jolkona’s blog to continue reading about the experiences and opinions of not only me, but also other young people doing some very cool things. And, if you’re interested in blogging for them, please let me know and I can put you in touch!

Due to the ongoing personal branding and social media craze, everyone is trying to brand themselves as a person interested in so-and-so or an expert in a specific area. As a consequence, there are an abundance of blogs out there telling you how to blog, what to blog about, or what not to blog about. 10 ways to do this, 5 ways to do that. Rebecca Thorman tells readers not to write about social media , unless they have something really unique to contribute. Otherwise, it’s getting old.

True, there is an abundance of writing about the topics of social media and personal branding, but does that mean we should stop? There are always going to be new developments in Web 2.0 and social media, and the field is constantly evolving. It’s like saying we should stop blogging about politics, or marketing, or public relations. After all, there is tons of material on these fields already. But just like social media, these fields (and many others) are changing and adapting — and there’s always something new and important to add to the conversation. And if you are working in or constantly reading blogs within a certain topic, obviously you will feel like there is an abundance of writing about that topic. But for outsiders who happen to stumble upon the concepts of blogging and social media, there is always something new to learn - and so, we should keep writing.

So I say: forget all these rules. Write about social media if you really want to, if you care about it. Forget what people are trying to tell you about what to blog about, when to blog (certain hours of the day and certain days of the week are apparently “the best” time to blog!), how to become known as an authority, or how to blog and get more readers. I’m not saying that readership isn’t important: it is important to know your writing is being read, and a growing readership is affirmation that you have something to contribute to the conversation. Half of blogging, is, after all, the community - so I’m not saying not to worry at all about how to generate readership. But for a moment, forget about all the rules and restrictions, tips and tools — and just blog.

Just write for the hell of it. Write whatever comes into your mind at that moment. Hit publish whenever you want, even if it’s 3am and no one’s “listening.” Write what you love, what you care about and are most passionate about. And most importantly, be yourself. Don’t confine yourself to a “niche” or a “brand.” If you’re itching to write about something outside your brand, just do it. Stop worrying what others will think of you. Because people want to learn about and debate the issues, but also they want to get to know you - who you really are. So if you’re not yourself, and if you’re not writing what you love, you’re definitely not going to enjoy blogging or make the most of it. And what’s the point of spending so much time and effort on something that you don’t genuinely love?

So I realize that this post is slightly hypocritical since it’s telling you what to write indirectly, but I hope you can look past that. So think about it. Stop worrying and let yourself be free. Write based on your passions and excitements, not based on what social media gurus tell you to write about.  Just be yourself. Now is that so hard?

Photo credit: flickr user ayumina

Here is a guest post I recently wrote for my friend Grace’s blog. Grace is featuring guest posts by fellow Gen Yers on the topic “What Inspires You?” in order to find out what makes Gen Y tick. I’m honored that she asked me to write a blog for her theme, and I am posting my response here. You can read the original post here. In the meantime, go check out Grace’s great blog, and the other inspiring blogs in her series.

Name: Akhila Kolisetty

Bio: Akhila is a 19 year old (soon to be 20!) undergraduate student at Northwestern University. She’s majoring in political science and economics, and hopes to eventually go to law school. She’s currently studying abroad for the year at the London School of Economics and absolutely loves London. She loves poetry, writing, chocolate, social media, political science and law, deep discussions, and learning about the world.

Blog: Justice for all Twitter: @freestallion

I started writing poetry at the age of 12 or so, after reading the autobiography of Bengali poet and Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, given to me by my grandfather. My grandfather is incredibly intelligent. He has never left India, yet he has immense knowledge about the entire world. At a young age, I spent hours listening to his fascinating stories about history, science, religion, art, poetry, writing, and visionary leaders. My grandfather was my earliest inspiration. His guidance led me to discover writing and poetry. Since then, I’ve been in love with words. I love the power I have when I’m weaving words into poetry, when I see my haphazard thoughts come together cohesively to form something tangible, beautiful. I love the strength, emotional intensity, and symbolic depth that poems can convey.

To me, poetry is the ultimate expression of oneself. It allows one to put down on paper the abstract aches and longings buried inside – that simply can’t be conveyed through prose. I’ve been writing poetry ever since, and have even been published in a couple of literary magazines.

Since then, my love for writing has led me to be a reporter for The Daily Northwestern, my university’s newspaper. I loved journalism, but after a while it felt so cold and objective to me. I couldn’t inject my personality, my opinions, or my passions into my articles. And so I stopped after a year, realizing I could never commit to journalism. I’ve also always had blogs, but until a few months ago, they were mostly private and served as online diaries. For the first time, I recently began writing about issues I am passionate about – like human rights – on my public blog, Justice for All. I find blogging more fulfilling than journalism. It allows me to write about topics I care about engagingly and passionately. And at the same time, it’s allowed me to jump headfirst into social media, meeting like minded people and learning so much more about important issues.

Still, I feel like writing doesn’t allow me to make enough of a difference. Rather than simply informing people about the challenges we face, I want to do more. I want to actively do something to change our world. I am inspired by leaders, activists, and organizations that are passionate, talented, and truly innovative. I admire Muhammad Yunus for turning traditional finance on its head and creating a world movement for microfinance, allowing poor people access to loans for the first time. I admire Karen Tse, a lawyer who has started a nonprofit called International Bridges to Justice, which works to end torture in the developing world by training public defenders. I admire NYTimes columnist Nicholas Kristof for bringing to our attention the things that we have to care about: war, famine, genocide, poverty. I’m inspired by organizations like the ACLU, Human Rights First, Equality Now, and Legal Aid who work tirelessly to protect human rights and civil liberties. I believe strongly that law is an effective tool for social change, because it can really empower people. And I want to be a part of this. It is a way to combine my love for writing – since law involves so much writing – with my desire to better the world. And so, I will continue to be inspired by writers but also human rights activists. Someday, I hope to pursue both passions together – and I hope my inspirations will help me forge my path ahead.

Photo Credit(s): moleskinart and With Love & Such