This topic was inspired by a discussion we have in my Nonviolence: Theory and Practice class about what activism really is. If you do a search for the definition of activism, you'll find a wide variety of answers to that question. Many of the definitions refer to activism as action that is "militant," or "aggressive," or "confrontational," something which tends to cause people to conclude that they not only are not activists, but they don't want to be! And yet, there are people who are able to make an immense impact on the world around them, by actively working to help to improve their communities or create positive change in a way that empowers people, and not necessarily in a militant way. In other words, there are as many ways to be an activist as there are people who want to create change. Simply put, activism is action that is taken to try to create change, and that can take many different forms. Sometimes it is militant and confrontational. Other times it is not. (Note: There is a difference, however, between charity and change, though sometimes the two go together. That can be thought of as the difference between giving a person a fish (charity) and feeding him for a day, and teaching them how to fish (change), which will feed them for a lifetime. Charity helps in the short term, but change is what can help in the long term.)
In exploring this question a bit further, I came across some clips from a 2008 film called "Fierce Light: When Spirit Meets Action." It is an award-winning film, with absolutely glowing reviews. One such review can be found at http://www.fiercelight.org/educational-review. I was so intrigued by the clips I saw that I ordered it, to see if it might be a good educational tool for stimulating discussion about activism.
The clip below is from from "Fierce Light: When Spirit Meets Action." This clip explores the question, "What is Activism?"
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