Activism 2.0

Activism is on the rise once again, but this time it’s different.

Since the civil rights movement, how we approach activism has shifted significantly. Attacking injustices has lost much of it’s effectiveness and thus we stop standing up for what we believe in. Voter turnout has been on the decline for decades, despite countless hours invested in the political drama played out in the media. We ignore Greenpeace and other activist charitable organizations that seek to engage us on the street. Something inside us just isn’t resonating with these approaches to change. Fueled by fear and anger, the application of force to invoke change feels violent and ineffective. Violence perpetuates more violence. To react to an injustice with force is not the solution. Peaceful demonstrations are better than violent ones, yet they remain passive forms of resistance and thus remain a moderate form of forceful behavior. This is not bad, but it’s also not the most effective method to encourage positive change.

A new breed of activism ground in love, understanding and compassion is emerging. Instead of attacking our enemy, they become our friend and ally. As our friendship strengthens, we navigate into the belly of the beast so that we may create change from within. In essence, we become the enemy. We understand that we are all part of the problem and together we can work in unison to promote positive change. To be effective, we must let go of our perspective of separation. Good and evil are two sides of the same coin and exists within us all. Yet we have the option to choose good. When our actions are sourced in compassionate understanding, a dialog and relationship based upon positivity takes shape.

While action is essential, without order there is no direction. To organize is to bring order to action. And for this action to be effective, interests must be aligned. True progress is the result of organized action which aligns all stakeholders around a common goal.

While our experiences inform our unique identities as individuals, at the core we are all the same. All humans have the same fundamental needs. We are driven by the desire for love and acceptance, no matter how much we may deny this truth. We want to be seen and heard. We desire to be acknowledged and valued for our unique contributions.

Tapping into this desire is the seed from which all productive transformation emerges. Through our commitment to understand, acknowledge and value one another with compassion, we set the foundation for collaboratively channeling our passionate action with positivity. We become allies with our former enemies. Nobody said this will be easy. But together we will change the world.

The choice is ours. Let’s commit to listening and understanding one another. We may not agree and that’s ok. Acknowledging and agreeing are two entirely different things. However, we cannot reach agreement without first acknowledging one another. This tiny action has tremendous potential. Start being an activist today.

Pure Love & Light.