Recently, I was at the Scottish Parliament, participating alongside other INGOs, civic organisations, climate activists and students in an awareness-raising event ahead of debate around the Climate Bill. This debate in the Scottish Parliament has come almost a week after students in Scotland and around the world have filled the streets, raising their voices about the impact of climate change on all of us. In a very exciting shift, young people are leading the way. They are actively and intelligently engaged – learning about the issues and, just as importantly, they are teaching us!
The Thunberg Effect
The Thunberg Effect is a living, breathing, inspiring and challenging example of what is possible when young people are informed and empowered: encouraged to explore and unpack and participate in the complex ‘whys’ on issues of social justice, rather than focusing only on the ‘what’. Seeds are being planted for the long-term, children are growing into the kind of adults we still aspire to be when, or if, we grow up.
Do current fundraising trends encourage this kind of activism or do we too often yield to the temptation to react with a one-off, opportunistic activity?
By coupling fund-raising with awareness-raising, we move from generosity to justice.
Beyond the bake sale
Empathy and compassion are deeply human and intensely valuable characteristics to nurture, but if our response to poverty and need is fuelled only by feeling sorry for those who have less or feeling grateful to have enough, then the opportunities to educate, foster and grow sustainable solutions are compromised.
Raising money for the hungry by having a bake sale or participating in a sponsored walk for those who are homeless taps into a spirit of generosity. But, at best it only scratches the surface and more concerning, it has the potential to perpetuate a power imbalance and a subtle and unchallenged ‘them and us’.
The root causes of poverty run deep. And it is only through encounter and education that we can help young people grow their capacity to respond in sustainable, strategic ways which can change their future and the future of their global neighbours.
We should be growing activists, not fundraising activities.
Generosity to justice
Activism calls for a consistent response, one that evolves and engages others, finds partners, looks for answers and challenges the status quo. It is education in its purest form. What an opportunity for those of us called to educate our young people: to tap into their desire for change and the energy that embodies it! We have seen the power of the holistic education package, one that embraces the ‘teachable moments’ and expands them.
And by coupling fund-raising with awareness-raising, we move from generosity to justice. Fair trade, climate change, gender imbalance and unequal economic structures drive poverty. They are root causes which need to be unearthed. By embedding critical exploration of the reasons behind persistent poverty alongside the generous and compassionate focus on relieving immediate need, we can inspire students to see that change takes time as well as small, consistent, bold choices.
We should be growing activists, not fundraising activities. Schools are in a unique position to offer both encounter and education, to foster a more thought-filled response – one that demands and delivers sustainable change.
Into the classroom
One great way of encouraging activism in pupils is to start close to home. What are the issues they are passionate about, and are there some small ways these can be tackled in school or at a local level? Generate some ideas through the following questions: what things most concern you about the world? What things in the world would you most like to change? These can be about school, the local community, or globally. Display pieces of paper, with one issue written on each, around the room (group similar issues together) and ask the pupils to vote with their feet on which issue they feel is most important, and why? Give pupils an opportunity to give their reasons for their choice. Then ask them to listen to the next question – which issue do you think you as a group could improve? Why?
Consider the choices made. The class can then analyse the issues to form the basis of a local campaign.
This idea was taken from the Get Global pack (produced jointly by agencies including Christian Aid) which contains many more activism ideas.
