ACTIVISM
101
What is Activism 101?
Activism 101 is an overview of the types and elements of activism
to give those students with little activism experience a general
foundation from which to start. However, it should be noted that
like any other endeavor, activism is best learned through
experience.
Why is Activism 101 Important?
Activism 101 is important because it offers potential and
current activists a resource to help them gain a basic
understanding of their activism. This basic understanding should
hopefully spur students to introspect why they are activists, what
they want to accomplish through activism, and how they can
accomplish this.
Coalition building is generally the initiation and development of a
partnership between two or more groups that are similar in some way
or another. Since the groups involved are similar, the coalition is
based on a shared mission.
Resources for Activism 101 > types of
activism || elements of activism || role of
administration
Types of
Activism
The following dichotomies are just a sample of the different ways
to describe activism or an activist. It should be noted that the
dichotomies are continuums rather than mutually exclusive extremes.
That is, an activist can be somewhere between the two extremes.
Also, an activist or activist endeavor can be described by more
than one of the dichotomies.
General vs Specific
Students can be generally involved in activist endeavors. They
tend to be familiar with a variety of issues and campaigns but
don't devote themselves to any one in particular. On the other
hand, there are students who are specifically involved with a
particular issue or campaign and may spend most of their time with
it.
Finite vs Infinite
Some activist campaigns have a finite goal that is relatively
easy to achieve. For example, an activist may work on a campaign
for a politician. After the election, however, the work of the
group is essentially done. On the other hand, there are activist
campaigns which are ongoing such as campaigns for equal rights for
women as well as for the LGBT community.
Collaborative vs Militant
Militant activists fit the stereotype that people tend to have
of activists. A militant activist is often described as
overbearing, loud, and persistent. Some would even describe
militant activists as annoying and constantly angry. These
descriptions are obviously not true much of the time because
passion is being confused with militance.
However, one general characteristic of militant
activists is that they tend not to collaborate with those they are
protesting. Thus, in contrast to militant activists are
collaborative activists. Such activists are more willing to
negotiate with others, even those they oppose, and hope to develop
a fair solution that all parties can agree with.
Empowering vs Denigrating
Most activists are empowering because they want to let others
know that they have the ability to make a difference in producing
change and offer them the opportunity to participate in their
endeavors. On the other hand, there are those activists who
denigrate anyone who opposes them. To denigrating activists, there
is right and there is wrong. They support what is right and hate
those who support what is wrong.
Intelligent vs Emotional
Intelligent activists not only know the issues but also have a
plan of action with sound protocol and strong infrastructure to
help them achieve their goals. Emotional activists, on the other
hand, tend to fly off the handle very easily and rely more on their
emotions to guide them rather than on a well-thought out
plan.
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Elements of
Activism
Mobilizing Support
Every activist campaign has its leaders or organizers. The
leadership can be one person or a group of people. In addition to
the leadership, there is often a legion of supporters who vary in
their level of support. Nonetheless, the more support a campaign
has, the stronger it is. Mobilizing support generally entails
educating the general public about your campaign and outlining
opportunities for getting involved. Mobilization may also require
benefits, tangible and intangible, to offer to supporters.
Organizing Campaigns
Activist campaigns tend to be structured in some way or another
to maximize effiency and effectiveness. Organizing campaigns
involves detailed planning sessions, delegation of tasks, and
implementation of action plans. Campaign plans should be constantly
revisited and adjusted to take into consideration changing
circumstances and events.
Maintaining Momentum
A key ingredient of activist success is momentum. A lack of
momentum can quickly kill a campaign and wipe out all the hard work
that went into the initial stages. Maintaining momentum can be
aided by various actions such as keeping supporters motivated and
informed, having contingency plans, publicizing successes and next
steps, and communicating with opposition.
Being Proactive
One thing that sets apart good activist campaigns from great
activist campaigns is proactiveness. Many activist campaigns are
reactive in nature in that they resulted from a reaction to a
specific event or incident. However, proactive campaigns are those
that stay ahead of the game by doing thorough research, constant
planning, and careful forecasting. Although they can't predict the
future, proactive activists are able to handle crises and fallouts
due to their meticulous preparation.
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Role of Administration
Understanding the Role of Administration
University administrators are instrumental in many activists
campaigns, especially those that focus on campus issues. Sometimes
administrators made decisions or policies that students disagree
with. And sometimes administrators can help student activists
accomplish their goals. Regardless of their role, it is important
for activists to acknowledge and understand the role of
administration.
Although it may not seem apparent at times,
administration does its best to meet student needs and interests
while balancing the needs and interests of other stakeholders
including faculty, staff, alumni, donors, parents, and the
government. In addition, administration has a responsibility to
safeguard the overall well-being of students, which includes
physical safety and emotional comfort. This responsibility is often
at odds with what students want, but is nonetheless a
responsibility that must not be compromised.
Keeping Pace with Administration
The general career span of a student is four years.
Administators, on the other hand, tend to hold longer tenures at
the university. A common argument that activists have is that
administrators can outlast students, meaning they have the luxury
of waiting for student activists to graduate and thus not give in
to their demands. Although it is true that administrators are at
the university longer than students, the argument that they can
wait for students to graduate is not generally true.
For the most part, administrators want the same
thing as students. The disconnects are often how things are going
to get done and how long will it take. Keeping pace with
administration is where maintaining momentum is crucial to
activism. By having an activist campaign that has a moderate level
of momentum to carry it strongly year after year as well as a
positive relationship with administration, student activists are in
a greater position to achieve their goals because previous efforts
are still building on each other (and not lost in vain) and
administration is willing to help.
Considerations
When dealing with administration, keep the following in mind to
ensure that you have a strong case and reputation:
* Have proof: Avoid playing the blame game if you don't have any proof. Basically, don't make claims that you can't back up.
* Tell the truth: Essentially, don't lie. It just makes your campaign look bad and digs you in a hole. The same goes with exaggeration of details.
* Do your homework: Before you enter a conversation or negotiation with administration, always research the issues and plan what you want to say and what you want to get out of the the meeting.
* Be professional: Respect breeds respect. Administration does its best to respect students; students should be as respectful. Minimize as much as possible the "us vs them" mentality.
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