“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
—Margaret Mead
I came to London from a city in northern Ontario called Thunder Bay. It’s a small city, and kind of isolated, but it’s also home to a lot of really passionate activists. Coming to a bigger city I assumed that I would find bigger activism, but that wasn’t the case. In my search for like minded people I began to ask why so few people were taking on issues in the community. This article came to mind as a response to this question, but also to help fascinating people like yourself find ways of sharing your passion with others.
Step One: Start Talking
Whether you’re passionate about peace in the Middle East, safer neighborhoods, or saving cats, chances are there are others that share that passion. The easiest way to find people who share your view is to start talking about it. Discussing an issue can actually be activism in itself, because it gets people thinking. This discussion can happen in an everyday conversation, a blog, a Facebook group, a radio show, or a full blown action. There’s a myth is society that says we have to be passionate about big social issues, and making big public displays of ourselves to be activists, but that’s not true. If you’re actively bringing attention to an issue, you’re an activist.
Step Two: Collaboration
You may find through all the talking and discussing about this issue that you want to start meeting as a group, or perhaps join an existing group. This can be an exciting and nerve wracking step. Joining an existing group is a little easier, and requires less of a commitment on your part. There are a few networks in London that advertise group meetings, such as the London Activist Network, and London Commons. Before creating your own group, it is important to be aware of what’s already in the community.
Creating your own group can be an exciting venture, but it also requires commitment and energy. Be prepared to start slow. People are often cautious about joining new groups, especially if they are not normally activists, or are already over involved in issues. Make sure to advertise your meetings as much as possible. This can be done using flyers, Facebook, other social networks, or even simple word of mouth can be effective.
If you’re finding it difficult to attract new people, you may want to consider broadening the scope of your issue, or paying more attention to how you approach new members. First impressions are important, if a person’s needs are not being met by the group they will not likely return. Remember that everyone has strengths and resources that they bring to the group, and try to encourage everyone to contribute. It may seem more convenient to keep things organized on your own, but that’s the fastest way to burn out. Just because you started the group doesn’t mean you always have to take the lead.
Step 3: Get Out There!
As your group develops ideas will begin to take shape. You may want to have demonstrations, share information with the community, or work on building the structure of your group. What you do will vary from group to group and there are no set rules. Some groups such as PETA have guides than can help you organize your group and plan actions, but most grassroots groups develop organically. There will be appropriate times to put some structure in place, but this varies according to the group’s needs.
If you’re looking at going out into the community, consider your audience. The general population prefers easy to understand information that explains the issue clearly, but briefly. Politicians want proof and formal writing to even look at the issue, and make sure you send it to the right people. When contacting the media, prepare for great coverage, but don’t expect it.
The three most important things to remember when creating and running a group:
1) Avoid excluding people – everyone has something to offer, don’t discourage interest
2) Be flexible – once your issue is a group issue, you’ve opened it up to people that may have different opinions that are also valid. Group are dynamic, they change.
3) Have Fun – if you’re not having fun, it’s probably not worth doing.
That issue that’s been eating at you won’t get any attention by sitting and complaining to yourself. If you want to be an activist – get active!
