Activism can be defined as a group of people who come together to protest, either to oppose something specific or, on the contrary, to show their support for any proposal. The purpose of an activist is to promote changes, which are not only at a political level, but also at religious, ecological, economic or social levels.
These are some of the causes that can motivate a certain group of people to organize in order to speak out against or in favor of something, but how does activism work? Is it really possible to achieve a change with these actions? Below we will show you more details on the subject.
What is activism?
It is a movement whose objective is to achieve a change, which can be social, religious, economic, ecological or political. Generally, activism is related to strikes, which is not surprising, since this is the most common way in which activists protest.
When a strike or demonstration takes place, there are two main types: peaceful or violent. In the case of peaceful demonstrations, there are usually no inconveniences, except in cases of extreme activists who go on hunger strike, putting their health at risk.
In the case of violent demonstrations, a kind of war breaks out between demonstrators and police officers, where they attack each other. On the one hand, the demonstrators demand to be heard at all costs and, on the other hand, the government agents decide to put an end to the commotion. Both sides end up clashing and the scene is usually filled with injured people, prisoners, destruction and, in the worst case scenario, dead bodies; this undoubtedly ends up hurting everyone.
But then, is activism a bad thing? No, just as demonstrations and strikes do not have to be considered bad things. In theory, we are free to express ourselves and demand our rights when we believe they are being violated. However, depending on the particular situation in each country, there may be certain consequences.
For example, in the case of dictatorship countries such as Venezuela, demonstrations may start peacefully and then unarmed protesters end up being attacked by government agents. This develops a planning of violent demonstrations, where protesters are willing to fight in order to be heard at any cost. This is how chaos breaks out, along with an unbelievable amount of prisoners, injured and dead people. In these types of cases, one of the two sides ends up giving in or both reach an agreement to put an end to the chaos.
Internationally known activists
Martin Luther King
He was a well-known American activist who, without a doubt, marked the history of the United States and became an authentic model of activist at international level. Characterized by his peaceful demonstrations, mainly from 1950-60, he focused on ending racial discrimination in his struggle for civil rights for African Americans.
“I have a floor” was his most important speech, which in fact earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
Nelson Mandela
He was a South African activist who spoke out against apartheid, which is a political and social system based on the segregation of the population on ethnic or racial grounds, and such system also discriminated against the black population.
Mandela was imprisoned for life, being accused of inciting demonstrations just for leaving his country without government permission. From prison, in 1964 he wrote his famous speech “From the dock”, in which he described the dream of a democratic society where there would be equal opportunities for blacks and whites.
Thanks to his actions he managed to get out of jail and become president in 1994. His government was in power 27 years.
Susan B. Anthony
She was an American who fought for women’s right to vote. She joined the suffragette movement in 1852. Through her speeches she defended the right of women to vote, as well as the right to earn, own property and have labor rights.
Thus, on August 18, 1920, American women were finally able to exercise their right to vote.
Emeline Pankhust
In 1889, the Englishwoman founded the Women’s Franchise League, with the aim of giving women the right to vote, among other things, for which she went to the extreme of hunger strikes.
Thanks to Emeline, women’s right to vote was legalized in England on July 2, 1928.
In conclusion, is activism a good thing?
Without a doubt, activism can generate great changes, usually positive changes, since they are generally for the welfare of society in order to solve certain problems.
History shows that the best demonstrations and the most profound changes are those that are achieved through dialogue. So, in a peaceful way, it is possible to achieve great changes as long as a large number of people joined to promote such change. But, the work of an activist is not simple. This requires time, years and even sacrifices, but when an activist is committed to a cause tends to generate a strong impact on society leading to great results.