What is "Activism" ...?

ACTIVISM is another word, probably fraught with the accents of the current time we inhabit.  Like consciousness, it’s a word that is used more to suit the user, than to convey a dictionary-correct meaning.  In the old days, it might have meant carrying signs, attending rallies, using a loud voice to protest… stuff like that.

Merriam-Webster describes it thusly: “direct vigorous action, especially in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue.” It stems from a German word, simply meaning “active” in the dynamic sense of pushing for change.

So, let’s boil this down to something simple and usable.  ACTIVISM, then, simply means “activity targeted toward making change“.

So, kind of like this: if you feel strongly about something, then get off your lily-white ass and do something about it. Make your voice heard.  Address people who count.  Making noise in the world is the first part of signalling change. If enough people wake up, start making noise, and start taking actions based on that noise, change is imminent.

Silence doesn’t bring about change.  Pretending something is okay, when it’s not, does not bring about change. Burying your head in the sand, under the guise of being spiritual, noble, or detached, doesn’t bring about change.  Being polite and quiet (like a nice Canadian), emulating propriety and manners, doesn’t bring about change.

But, what about making “noise”…?  What part of that is meaningful, and what part of that is, as the word implies, just “noise”…?  This is where we need a bridge between consciousness and activism.  Making noise could just be a screaming child, or an angry parent, or a person with a lost cause who just craves attention and validity.  So, this begs a couple of questions: (1) what is worth making noise about? And, (2) how can ‘noise’ be productive, creative, inspiring and worthwhile? 

How can ‘noise’ not only be an asset to your cause, but also create connection and understanding between humans, which would seem to be a vital platform to move forward in a world of harmony and real potential.