Part of what Lyz said last night really resonated with me, when talking about protesting the war - this idea of feeling a part of something, of removing ourselves from our isolation and witnessing that we are not alone in our dissent. I think there's something more to that as well - a notion of being seen, of feeling heard. When we protest, what we're doing, in part, is being witnessed as a dissenter. It is the act of standing and not keeping quiet. What does it do? What does it, in itself, really change? Ultimately, I don't think that's the point - as Renee said too - initially.
Going to a protest, holding a sign - these are only the beginnings of activism. That is merely the act of standing and voicing dissatisfaction and does not do anything other than tell the powers-that-be that there are people who disagree. Beyond that, it should serve as notice that we will not be passive, we will not participate, we will not be silent, and the next step is to organize around that initial notion of dissatisfaction to create change. Part of that is creating safe places where there are none, part of it is offering an alternative (so, in times of war, exploring notions of peace and creating peace however and wherever we can), part of it is to think of future actions (how can our dissent be heard and how can that change minds? how many people does it take?) and part of it, perhaps the most important part, is to organize around actual change, finding ways to subvert the dominant paradigm, finding ways to circumnavigate the powers-that-be to end oppression, change the reality, end the war. This involves a lot of organizing, disseminating information, outreach, and education. It's creating revolution, electing new leaders, finding ways to make the war less important by convincing the folks at home to abandon oil. Creating organizations that research alternatives, free women in other parts of the world from oppression, provide refuge to those who the war effects, change the government in Iraq to give us reason enough to leave.
There are a million ways to create solutions to the problem, and standing with a sign is just the start.
2 comments:
i agree with a lot of what you said.
showing up does create space and gives others the (perhaps) new information that they are not alone.
what is so discouraging to me is no matter how many of us agree....what will really change at the top.
sally
a great post thanks... yes I think that dependence on oil is the root of not just the war but many of our problems... just as identifying and changing our relationship to oil will address so many larger problems (the environment, the war, the oppression of...) so to must we identify other such less obvious sources of our social ills...
Thanks again... sorry I had to miss last time. Sounds like it was a good discussion. (I have to believe that change is possible.)
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