Slow Activism: 3 Key Habits for Long Lasting Social Change

Fear not the title, dear readers - activism is not an elite word, I promise - stick with me.  I don't know if you have ever been put off by or intimidated by that word, thinking "yeah sure, I care about stuff but I'm not an activist". Me too, and I'm on a mission to claim it back for the everyday person.  Here's how the dictionary defines it: noun 1.an especially active, vigorous advocate of a cause, especially apolitical cause.

Oooh, those words 'especially active' and 'vigorous' don't sit well with me - not in light of what I want to cover in this post today.  They glorify only the doing side of activism but today I want to open that word up, spin it about and hopefully give you some food for thought.

As I said before in the intro to this series on slowing things down, I'm a natural do-er; someone who when presented with an issue, likes to have a clear vision of what the action to take is and then sets a path to take it.  This slowing business isn't my natural rhythm but it's one that I've come to value and see the importance in so I hope that in dialoging with you through here and on facebook and twitter we can all, myself included cultivate and give ourselves permission to slow down and be more mindful.

I was raised as an activist.  My parents might not have seen to label their parenting in that way but I was definitely born into a family tuned into advocacy.  It was hard not to be when your parents were actively involved in social work from before you were born; welcoming all kinds of interesting and desperate people into our home, involved in a church that was practical and outward focused.  It was a vibrant childhood and they modelled compassion and inclusion so much so that it feels like part of my DNA.  I guess it's hard to tell when the activist in me really came to life because advocating has always felt natural.  I say that more as an observation of how I grew up than any kind of pious claim.

Och, would you look at us here - the 80's were kind to no one...

Having been involved in 'activism' for many years, both passively by observing the way my parents did life and then actively in my teen and adult years,  I'm really keen to explore it's many facets - and am particularly drawn these days to look at activism through the lens of 'slow';  to reflect on how maybe, if we can harness our energy for caring about stuff, and give it some mindful, purposeful legs we can actually see the world changing in a more long-lasting way.

I thought I'd start by sharing what I've identified as 3 key habits of slow activists that lead to long-lasting social change:

1)  A slow activist isn't deterred when the hype or lure of a mainstream issue or campaign dies down because they are in it for the long haul:

Let me take you back a few years to 2012.  This was the year that KONY 2012 hit our screens.  The world woke up one morning to a video by the charity Invisible Children going viral about Joseph Kony, leader of the Lords Resistance Army in Uganda and the war he was waging in vulnerable regions, forcing children to take up arms and become soldiers, raping women and taking over land.  I think by 5pm that night, every single person on my facebook had shared or mentioned the video campaign, including me.  We were fired up by this video and by the common outrage was kind of breathtaking to watch unfold.

In my vigour, I called my friend John.  John is the person who had first introduced me to the situation of child soldiers and war in Uganda and the DRC and has committed most of his adult life to being educated on the issue.

"Right John, so what are we going to do...?"  I asked him, thinking of all people John would be ready to 'cover the night' with me, rallying our mates and plastering Lurgan in posters about Kony and his tirade.

"Yeah Mel...I don't know about this..." he said cautiously.  In this excerpt from his 2012 blog he explains a bit why:

Overall the Kony 2012 campaign was entirely surreal to me. My major interest, research and passion over the past number of years has been on raising awareness about children who have been affected by war and attempting to provide the best possible assistance to them. I have heard hundreds of stories from young people about killing, rape, mutilation, looting, beating and grief.  Many evenings over pints with local friends in Uganda and the DRC I have asked questions about the political, spiritual and cultural forces that have caused this trauma.

It was meeting victims of the LRA in northern Uganda that helped me decide to quit teaching and study for a psychology doctorate. In 2010 we worked in Gulu, northern Uganda, with over 200 former child soldiers and other war-affected children. After that we spent a couple of years designing interventions that to the best of our ability were evidence-based, culturally-appropriate and effective in treating trauma and psychological distress in former child soldiers, sexually-exploited girls and other war affected children. We spent 3 months in the Democratic Republic of Congo delivering and evaluating this intervention. 

I mention these things not to compare or draw attention but rather to show my amazement at the great power of a 30-minute video clip in getting people talking. Our own travels and work pale in comparison to the 30+ years of life that has been dedicated by other amazing people who have quietly lived for others through the worst years of the wars in Uganda and the DRC.

Africans are not helpless, hopeless victims. They can find solutions to their own problems. We can support, as we would with any country, but we can’t do it for them. 

John is a slow activist.  Long after the buzz of KONY 2012 died down John was still there, plugging away at research and methods to protect and reduce vulnerability in some of the most fragile regions of these countries.  I give you this example to highlight how it is only really through long-term investment in issues that we care about that we can see proper impact.

Sure, these high profile awareness campaigns can be an entry point for so many people, bringing them into a place of knowledge and hopefully then committed action, but there are many drawbacks to thinking that these are the best ways to really effect change.

Are we willing to be satisfied by millions of people knowing a tiny bit of a large complex issue or are we willing to take the time to carve out an access route that can engage people in issues consistently and with depth and meaning?  It's a tough one.

2) A slow activist sees connection in everything and is able to champion activism in the everyday:

A year or so ago we launched a campaign at Freedom Acts called 'Everyday Activism' in a bid to dispel the myth that activism was only for the big gestured people, the ones who chain themselves to gates of big corporations, lie down in front of bulldozers or join in the big rallies.

However sometimes activism looks like calling out sexism on twitter.  Sometimes activism looks like respecting the rights of your children when they are in a tizz.  Sometimes activism looks like staying up late baking for a cake sale fundraiser.  Sometimes activism looks like going out of your way to buy ethically sourced coffee; like asking your local council to start a cloth nappy incentive scheme; like using your bicycle or two feet for shorter journeys.

It's not that these things are making a massive difference immediately (although I could definitely plead the case for respecting my child's rights making an immediate difference when he is in a tizz), and some of them may even go a little or entirely unnoticed.  Visibility doesn't make something more or less important.

The Craftivism Collective movement is a great example of this:

"Craftivist Collective was founded in 2009 when after years of marches, signing protests and working on campaigns for large charities, experienced activist Sarah Corbett had begun to doubt the effects of some conventional activism. The time felt right for a different, less aggressive approach.

A love of cross-stitching led her to Craftivism. Its appeal as a gentle, respectful and more targeted plea for social change was a perfect fit, and although as a principle ‘Craftivism’ already existed, it took no time for Sarah to develop her own unique strand. One focused on putting the contemplative moments spent stitching to work exploring global issues and using craft for critical thinking, questioning and considered creative activism."

All of these small every day things connect us to bigger picture issues and that kind of slow, everyday consistent activism builds foundations in our culture that eventually become norms.

3) A slow activist celebrates small victories, even when the weight of the burden still tips heavily the other way.

It is likely that if you consider yourself an activist, that you think deeply about things and sometimes in the midst of the heaviness of issues so demanding and complex, we fail to recognise the importance of small victories.  The Harvard Business Review did a study on small wins, and how breaking major goals down into smaller milestones “reduces fear, clarifies direction and increases the probability of early successful outcomes.”  It is so much more emotionally healthy for us to work this way - to feel mobilised instead of paralysed by the magnitude of need.

It is estimated that over 30 million people are currently being exploited in some form of modern slavery.  That's a statistic that's hard to swallow, and has the potential to daunt people into reactionary action (throwing money at the problem) instead of responsive action (finding a more sustainable way to have an impact).

From April of 2015 to now (Jan 2016) there have been 46 precious human beings recovered from being exploited in some form of modern slavery here in Northern Ireland.

That is 0.00015% of a dent in the issue.

Is it much?  No.

Is it worthless?  Absolutely not.

It is another increase on recovered victims from last year.  It indicates a better grasp than before - by police, by communities.  It is always worth marking this kind of small victory because it gives us the motivation and direction to keep moving.

If we are only ever wowed by huge changes; by implementation of laws or policies, then we are doomed to lose steam.  Those kinds of changes are hard won, they take time, endurance, and investment on many levels.  So many of the things that I long to see different in the world I will never see in this lifetime and I'm OK in that understanding because I know I am building on work that other people have started and if I do my part, there will be many that will pick up the reigns long after I'm gone.  We must not undervalue the small milestones that indicate we are on the right track.  These are our fuel on the long road to change.

I feel like there is so much more to say on this and I certainly haven't exhausted my thoughts.  I might come back to it over the year, giving examples of other slow activists that are deeply and intentionally shaping a culture to bring lasting change but now it's over to you - tell me:

+  Can you see how slow activism has the potential to bring about lasting change?

+  Do you feel less intimidated by activism when seen through this slow lens?

+  How can we champion this type of activism more in our culture and community?

I'd love to hear any and all of your thoughts so please do feel free to share this, leave a comment here or over on my blog facebook page so we can encourage each other.

What Are We So Afraid Of?

You can see it pretty much everywhere you look if you look closely enough.  It's there, glaring out at you behind most things.  It's a tiny little four lettered word that has enough power behind it to cripple even the most resilient of us all. Fear.

Most of my surface fears are easy to describe:

-  Flocks of birds flying towards me (there was an incident with bird seed at trafalgar square when I was a child that brought this on...ask my mother)

-  Large groupings of small circular bumps or holes (I swear, it's a thing - Tryophobia *shudder*)

-  That the stuff that goes on in Homeland is actually true in real life (Sarin gas leaked into Capital cities?  I'll never sleep again)

-  Falling down the stairs while carrying Levi (I have this visual in my head every. time. I go down the stairs with him in my arms)

Some of our fears are less easy to describe, though - and they lurk beneath the surface of our brave exterior, showing up in places and situations we might not expect.  Our actions and reactions reveal a lot about our fears.  Let me give you some examples of what I mean:

When we look in magazines or in celebrity gossip columns - our inner voice tells us we don't look like that, have enough of that or are having as much fun as that - that's the voice of FEAR and it holds the power to make us feel inadequate instead of the TRUTH that it's all just smoke and mirrors.

When we see racially isolating, sensational or inflammatory social media posts or articles - Muslims are out to kill us all, more guns is the answer, it's us against them - those posts are driven by FEAR, the world has gone nuts and we badly want to control the narrative and we demonise a whole entire religion instead of the TRUTH that there is more good in the world than there is evil and that violence begets violence.

It's there in relationships that are difficult, where there is back-biting, jealousy, power-playing - FEAR makes us withdraw, be defensive or attack instead of seeing each other as flawed humans that are all just trying to figure things out.

It's there in our overspending and consumption, when we see what everyone else is wearing or having and we break our necks to keep up appearances - it's our FEAR that runs ahead and cripples our finances to make sure we're not left behind instead of getting out of the rat race and enjoying the simple things.

It's there in Churches when heads are buried about important topics that are changing the face of our culture like LGTB issues, climate change, peacemaking, consumerism, racism and addiction - it's FEAR that refuses to face up and keeps the Church looking like a Sunday club for safe-talking holy joes instead of a place of acceptance and of strong leadership on justice issues.

It's there in parenting when we react poorly to our kids - it's our FEAR that rises up and causes us to resort to threats and punishments to try and enforce good behaviour instead of listening and being patient and modelling gentleness.

It's there in the smaller more subtle things too - so many of our decisions are based on our fears and it would seem that if we dig a little deeper we're all just walking around a bit scared of life, aren't we?

I've been thinking about how different it would be if only we could really hear the fear instead of how we see the fear manifested in these often unhealthy ways.  If we could hear the fear, it would say:

"I'm worried that I'm not enough"

"I'm worried that I'm not safe in my country"

"I'm scared that if we talk about difficult things in our Church we'll be ridiculed or seen as wishy-washy"

"I scared that I'm missing out on all the fun"

"I'm worried that if I give other people a platform, I'll become redundant"

"I'm not sure that my life is exciting enough"

"I'm worried about losing my religious freedom"

"I'm worried that if I give this person too much of myself they'll hurt me"

"I don't want people to think I can't handle being a parent"

"I'm afraid that if I can't do this that I'll lose attention from the people I want to respect me"

That all sounds a lot more human doesn't it?  Who wouldn't hold empathy if someone stood in front of them and confessed these things?  Who could turn someone away that told such naked truths?  And yet, every day we chose to let our fears have power.

You see, it's not that fear is bad - I think it's inevitable.  I think a certain dose of it is healthy and normal but when fear manifests itself in ways that aren't healthy it can lead to destruction, broken relationships and a lot of collateral damage along the way.

It's scary to be human, to be vulnerable and open, isn't it?  I'm challenged by how fear manifests itself in my own life, and how I can find the courage to be more vulnerable with my trusted people.

I think that truth-telling pierces holes in dark places.  When our difficult truths are exposed to the safe people in our own lives, the dark stuff (like our fears) have less control over us.  We can begin to face up to them and find healthier ways to manage.  I know this to be true.

I also know that when we begin to see how fear manifests itself in others we can hold back our judgement a little easier; cut each other some slack; carve out a road for vulnerability and invite those people to join us.

What are your thoughts on fear?  Are there ways that fear has been manifesting itself in your own life that have been unhealthy for you?  How can we live less afraid and give each other more permission to tell the truth? I'd love to hear what you think about this... let's continue the conversation in the comments or on my facebook page.

Social Media & the Empathy Deficit

A couple of Saturday's ago we woke up to the news that Paris, the city of love and lights, had been recklessly attacked.  Death tolls were rising by the hour and there was much speculation about who was responsible.  As I trawled through my usual mid-morning updates on the usual social media suspects (Twitter, Insta, Facebook) I followed the hashtags #prayforparis, #parisattacks etc and saw the outpouring of grief, shock and anger laden by so many.  I also saw (on those hashtags) people beginning to upload pictures of themselves in Paris.  Really? I thought. Is now the best time to carefully select your best Paris selfie and stick it up on facebook? Stupidly, I weighed in.

I made a comment on social media about how we should probably be lamenting the tragedy instead of uploading pictures of ourselves in Paris and (quite rightly) got a mixed response.  Some people agreed, some were paranoid that I was having a go at them, and some really disagreed - annoyed that I was policing people's heartfelt reactions.  I tried to clarify, the thread went on, people went back and forth, I had various sideline conversations via private messages etc and eventually just made a decision to delete the entire conversation because I realised this:  social media does not have the capability to hold emotion well.

In this case, the whole thing became unhelpful, and it was my fault for hosting it.  I am not the kind of girl to shy away from hot topics online but more and more lately I have been learning to pick my online battles carefully.  When emotions are charged, they do not translate well on social media.  

When emotions do not translate well, we misunderstand, we calculate what we want to calculate, we react and nobody wins.  Nobody proves their point well, nobody changes their mind about anything and nobody leaves feeling heard or respected.

This incident and related thoughts were compounded by a profound podcast I listened to a week later on Good Life Project - an interview that Jonathan Fields hosts with researcher Sherry Turkle (what a fun name!) on what technology, phones and social media are doing to empathy and the human condition.

It floored me, if I'm being honest.  It made me cry, it made me cringe and it hit me deep in the knower that what she was saying was true. When we live and communicate more and more in a digital world, and place increasingly less value on the art of real-life conversation it has massive detrimental impacts on our well-being.

Some of Sherry's research and insight that stood out to me in particular were:

+  that if we go out for coffee/meals with loved ones and have our phones on in eyeshot, we are less likely to have any depth of conversation with those loved ones than if our phones were out of sight.  The temptation to scratch the itch of phone-checking draws us and distracts us away from deeper connection with the people around us.  OUCH.

+  that texting, PM'ing etc instead of talking and hearing each other's voices is reducing our ability to be empathic because we cannot properly interpret each other's real emotion and our brains disconnect from the REAL person behind the screen.

+  that communication online is reducing our ability to be vulnerable (which further research has shown to be an essential element of being able to live wholeheartedly) because we can so easily control and manipulate what is discovered, known and shown about ourselves.  This vulnerability reduction also connects to empathy reduction because when we control what we put out there, we begin to expect perfection from each other instead of being able to accept and acknowledge each other's natural flaws.

+  that because of constant and instant communication, we are living in and raising a generation that will find it difficult to be secure with solitude, and will therefore have a limited understanding of self.  SCARY.

+  that when we are consumed with online communication rather than in-person communication, we lose the sharpness of collaboration and the spontaneity of creativity and ideas.

+  Turkle says "Technology doesn’t just change what we do, it changes who we are." and claims to not be anti-technology, but PRO-conversation.  I kind of like that.

This information, these studies and this research has massive implications on our wellbeing and our ability to really know, understand and empathise with ourselves and each other.  I was massively challenged by what I heard and what I've since been reading up on about how our further disconnect might actually make us less tolerant and more skeptical of each other.

Some things I am working on putting in place to counteract and try to claim back my own wellbeing around online activity:

+  No phones at the table.  This has been a rule in our house for a while now, but has been taken much more seriously since Dave and I both listened to that podcast and had some honest conversations with each other.  Phones, iPads and laptops have to be out of the room when we sit down to eat as a family.

+  As much as possible, arrange meetings for work to be in person or on skype.  I was really taken aback by the idea that we lose our ability to feed off each other's creativity and insight so drastically when we move away from flesh and blood conversations.  Sure, there are many times when an email convo will suffice for organising and communicating, and SURE, it frees us up time-wise, and SURE sometimes meetings are a drag but for the collaborative work that we do at Freedom Acts that involves heart and soul issues - person to person communication is essential.

+  Similarly - free up more time to talk/skype/facetime with the people we love.  I don't want conversation to feel like a drag.  I don't want to be the person that avoids answering their phone and would rather text because it takes too much of my energy.  I want to re-cultivate the deeper connection that comes with talking to the important people as much as possible.  Even if it is just a stolen few minutes during the day, hearing each other's voices - the nuances, the tones, the emotion, is so much more healthy for our relationships than one dimensional words on a screen.

+  Create distance when necessary.  Unfollow.  Pick battles with wisdom.  Refrain from engaging in conversations that are going nowhere fast (have the hop-topic conversations in person with people you trust - you don't have to agree, but at least you can trust your opinions will land safely).  Do not bite to passive-aggressive online behaviour.  Protect your heart.  I've learned this the hard and painful way but can honestly say it is more than healthy to know when to step back.  Creating distance from toxic online behaviour does not make you cold or frosty, it makes you sensible.

+  Maximise the good.  Utilise the best bits; the community building stuff, the campaigning, the information sharing, the positivity, the thoughtful, the generous.

So I wonder what you think?  Are you, like me, worried about what online communication is doing to the human condition?  Have you thought much about it in this way?  Have a listen to Sherry Turkle's interview and then maybe let's chat some more about it.  In person, preferably of course...

Top 6 Tips for an Ethically Mindful Christmas

There's no denying it.  Christmas is in the air. It seems to happen earlier and earlier as each year passes, doesn't it?  Harvest and Halloween pass and boom - before we can dump the rotten pumpkins in the food bin we are drawn right in to the twinkly festivities and the pressure is on.

Some of us (not me) are stealthily organised, buying gifts during the year, storing them away so not to panic when the Christmas music starts to blare through the speakers in the town centre – a serenade to indicate that time is running out and the countdown to Christmas is well and truly on.

Others of us are less prepared – hoping that perfect gift idea will fall on our lap, jump out at us in the shop or more likely on our screens, with more of us opting for the ease of online shopping now than ever before.

It can be an incredibly stressful time, with to-do and to-buy lists as long as your arm. It’s easy to get swept up in the madness of it all, counting it as part of the ‘buzz’ or ‘atmosphere’ but as we begin to join in with the festive lead up, maybe there is a different example we can take that steers us gently away from the hype and the flashing lights. Maybe there is a way more reflective of the Christmas Story we know and love so well that we can tune our ears and hearts to – one of generosity, peace and of justice.

How can we be more mindful of the world around us in a culture that steers us to only think about ourselves?

Christmas and all of the associated Western trappings can have some pretty awful side effects on the World; on people and creation.  The tonnes of waste through non-recyclable wrapping paper, decorations, boxes and gift bags, heaps of unwanted presents, loan sharks preying on the vulnerable and people wracking up huge amounts of debt to keep up appearances. Surely there is a better way to do things?

Choosing to have a more ethical Christmas does not have to take away from the beauty of gift-giving, in fact, it only enhances that beauty. Once we delve deeper into alternative, more ethical options we can see that how we spend our money can add to the beauty of belonging to each other, bringing true ‘Joy to the World’.  Tell me now if you are tired of the Christmas Carol puns.  I could do this for days.

So what does it mean to buy ethically? 

Buying ethically is choosing to be an active consumer, rather than a passive one.

Buying ethically means taking the time to find out who makes our stuff and if it’s made in a way that respects people and the planet.

Buying ethically gives the power back to the consumer and in turn empowers others.

Buying ethically is a statement – another way of living out what we believe; that we are all connected and we are all valuable.

Although we still have a long way to go in terms of supply chain transparency it has never been easier to be mindful of who and what we give our money to. Progress is slow but it is being made and where we put our money makes a difference.

I'm not here to give you another gift guide today.  There are so many of those, and we all have different taste, so instead I offer my thoughts & top tips on how we can make Christmas more mindful & ethical this year:

1) Set Boundaries

Have an open discussion with your family about presents this year. This is a biggie - get other people on board.  Suggest a Secret Santa style of gift-giving – where each person draws a name and buys for only that person? Maybe you decide together to set a price limit on gifts? The pressure to buy and spend a certain amount of money can really dampen the joy of giving so why not live a little lighter this year by having those conversations early. Make presence, not presents your priority this year.

2) Buy Small

Who are the independent makers in your area? Who is working hard at a craft that is often overlooked for faster cheaper versions? Websites like etsy.com and folksy.com are great for finding beautiful one-off gifts where the profit goes directly to the maker. You can buy jewellery, art prints, hand-knit items and ceramics, even narrowing down your search to your local area in the knowledge that you are supporting a small business in a society where biggest seems best. Christmas is also the perfect time to buy from the beautiful artisan and food markets that pop up in City centres and town squares. Seek out the makers. This is what the Indie Christmas Giveaway is about after all!

3) Buy Selectively

There are some excellent shops both on the high street and online that are committed to sourcing their products from the most transparent supply chains. Beautifully curated online stores like Decorators Notebook, The Future Kept, and Ethical Superstore are great for finding unique gifts as well as everyday items. Supporting shops that are deliberating championing fair-trade and more ethically certified products is a great way to get what you need without compromising on quality or style.

4) Buy Differently

A few years ago we decided to buy our family alternative gifts from well-known charities. We bought my parents a goat, my brother some chickens and our friends got a toilet! Thing is, this goat lived in India and was actually given to a family in India on behalf of my parents to supply them with milk to drink or sell on, the chickens were in Bangladesh and the toilet was given to a family in Cambodia. There are numerous charities that now have gift options like these: you can buy sanitation supplies with Oxfam, toilets with Tearfund, or cows with Christian Aid. Every gift, given in the name of your loved one, is making a massive difference to people in the worlds poorest nations. *disclaimer - see point 1 about getting family on board before going down this route! When they expect an iPod dock and "get" sanitation supplies, it might not be received in the manner you expect...!*

5) Do Your Homework

Maybe now is the perfect time to look at what companies and brands are treating people and the planet with respect? Who is paying a living wage? Which manufacturers are dedicated to not creating more waste that is ruining creation? Websites like ethicalconsumer.com are great for spot-checking items to see which brands are leading the way (some content requires a subscription but lots of it is accessed for free). They rate every kind of product from bicycles to toasters to guide you to the most ethical choice.

You might also want to check on the brands, companies and products that you are already enjoying and giving your money to. Lidl, Morrisons and Aldi have become the first major supermarkets in the UK & Ireland to pay their staff above the National Living Wage, which is a great example to other big chain stores. Marks and Spencer have also made big progress with their ‘Plan A’ – their commitment to helping protect the planet by sourcing responsibly, reducing waste and helping communities.

For your other favourite retailers, now is the time to look up their supply chain policies, corporate social responsibility policies and if they don’t have them – just ask! Send an email or contact the company through social media. As a paying customer, it’s your right to know!

6) Be Content

Much of our learning about choosing more ethically must be rooted in contentment with what we have. When we understand our privilege and can recognise how much we already have then we can make wiser choices when we spend our money. We must drown out the adverts and the noise that tells us contentment comes packaged up prettily underneath a tree and remind ourselves that true contentment comes from things we cannot touch or switch on.

Why not start by being more intentional about one or two of these things this year? If we each made decisions with a little more thought and purpose, we could collectively make some important statements.

A version of this post first appeared in Herald Magazine & contains affiliate links.