Jun 18, 2010
Effective
activism's
a long-haul process, not "save the Earth in 30 days, ask me
how." But there are some principles that seem to reoccur for people
addressing every kind of challenge from the Gulf Oil spill to inadequate
funding for urban schools to how to deal with Afghanistan
and Iraq.
They give us clues on how to reach out to engage our fellow citizens and
help
us get past our own barriers, not to mention burnout and disappointment.
When I
was updating my Soul of a Citizen
book on citizen activism, an activist rabbi who was teaching the book at
a Florida university
suggested I gather together a Ten Commandments for effective citizen
engagement. Calling them Commandments seemed presumptuous, but I did
draw
together ten suggestions that can make engagement more fruitful. Some
I've
already explored in various Soul of a
Citizen excerpts.
I'll flesh out others in coming weeks. But
pulling them together in one place seemed useful.
Suggestion #1: Start where you are. You don't need to know everything,
and you
certainly don't need to be perfect.
Suggestion
#2:
Take things step by step. You set the pace of your engagement. Don't
worry
about being swallowed up, because you'll determine how much you get
involved.
Suggestion
#3:
Build a supportive community. You can accomplish far more with even a
small
group of good people than you can alone.
Suggestion
#4:
Be strategic. Ask what you're trying to accomplish, where you can find
allies, and how to best communicate the urgencies you feel.
Suggestion
#5:
Enlist the uninvolved. They have their own fears and doubts, so they
won't
participate automatically; you have to work actively to engage them. If
you do,
there's no telling what they'll go on to achieve.
Suggestion
#6:
Seek out unlikely allies. The more you widen the circle, the more
you'll
have a chance of breaking through the entrenched barriers to change.
Suggestion
#7:
Persevere. Change most often takes time. The longer you continue
working,
the more you'll accomplish.
Suggestion
#8:
Savor the journey. Changing the world shouldn't be grim work. Take time
to
enjoy nature, good music, good conversation, and whatever else lifts
your soul.
Savor the company of good people working for change
Suggestion
#9:
Think large. Don't be afraid to tackle the deepest-rooted injustices,
and
to tackle them on a national or global scale. Remember that many small
actions
can shift the course of history.
Suggestion
#10:
Listen to your heart. It's why you're involved to begin with. It's what
will keep you going.
* * *
I'd
love
reader comments on how these idea have played out in your own personal
social
engagement.
Adapted from the wholly updated new
edition
of "Soul of a
Citizen: Living with Conviction in Challenging Times" by Paul Rogat
Loeb (St Martin's Press, $16.99 paperback). With
over 100,000 copies in print, "Soul" has become a classic guide to
involvement in social change. Howard Zinn calls it "wonderful...rich
with
specific experience." Alice Walker says, "The voices Loeb finds
demonstrate that courage can be another name for love." Bill McKibben
calls it "a powerful inspiration to citizens acting for environmental
sanity."
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Paul Rogat Loeb is the author of "Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in Challenging Times" (2010) and "The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen's Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear", named the #3 political book of 2004 by the History Channel and the American Book Association. See www.paulloeb.org
Effective
activism's
a long-haul process, not "save the Earth in 30 days, ask me
how." But there are some principles that seem to reoccur for people
addressing every kind of challenge from the Gulf Oil spill to inadequate
funding for urban schools to how to deal with Afghanistan
and Iraq.
They give us clues on how to reach out to engage our fellow citizens and
help
us get past our own barriers, not to mention burnout and disappointment.
When I
was updating my Soul of a Citizen
book on citizen activism, an activist rabbi who was teaching the book at
a Florida university
suggested I gather together a Ten Commandments for effective citizen
engagement. Calling them Commandments seemed presumptuous, but I did
draw
together ten suggestions that can make engagement more fruitful. Some
I've
already explored in various Soul of a
Citizen excerpts.
I'll flesh out others in coming weeks. But
pulling them together in one place seemed useful.
Suggestion #1: Start where you are. You don't need to know everything,
and you
certainly don't need to be perfect.
Suggestion
#2:
Take things step by step. You set the pace of your engagement. Don't
worry
about being swallowed up, because you'll determine how much you get
involved.
Suggestion
#3:
Build a supportive community. You can accomplish far more with even a
small
group of good people than you can alone.
Suggestion
#4:
Be strategic. Ask what you're trying to accomplish, where you can find
allies, and how to best communicate the urgencies you feel.
Suggestion
#5:
Enlist the uninvolved. They have their own fears and doubts, so they
won't
participate automatically; you have to work actively to engage them. If
you do,
there's no telling what they'll go on to achieve.
Suggestion
#6:
Seek out unlikely allies. The more you widen the circle, the more
you'll
have a chance of breaking through the entrenched barriers to change.
Suggestion
#7:
Persevere. Change most often takes time. The longer you continue
working,
the more you'll accomplish.
Suggestion
#8:
Savor the journey. Changing the world shouldn't be grim work. Take time
to
enjoy nature, good music, good conversation, and whatever else lifts
your soul.
Savor the company of good people working for change
Suggestion
#9:
Think large. Don't be afraid to tackle the deepest-rooted injustices,
and
to tackle them on a national or global scale. Remember that many small
actions
can shift the course of history.
Suggestion
#10:
Listen to your heart. It's why you're involved to begin with. It's what
will keep you going.
* * *
I'd
love
reader comments on how these idea have played out in your own personal
social
engagement.
Adapted from the wholly updated new
edition
of "Soul of a
Citizen: Living with Conviction in Challenging Times" by Paul Rogat
Loeb (St Martin's Press, $16.99 paperback). With
over 100,000 copies in print, "Soul" has become a classic guide to
involvement in social change. Howard Zinn calls it "wonderful...rich
with
specific experience." Alice Walker says, "The voices Loeb finds
demonstrate that courage can be another name for love." Bill McKibben
calls it "a powerful inspiration to citizens acting for environmental
sanity."
Paul Rogat Loeb is the author of "Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in Challenging Times" (2010) and "The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen's Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear", named the #3 political book of 2004 by the History Channel and the American Book Association. See www.paulloeb.org
Effective
activism's
a long-haul process, not "save the Earth in 30 days, ask me
how." But there are some principles that seem to reoccur for people
addressing every kind of challenge from the Gulf Oil spill to inadequate
funding for urban schools to how to deal with Afghanistan
and Iraq.
They give us clues on how to reach out to engage our fellow citizens and
help
us get past our own barriers, not to mention burnout and disappointment.
When I
was updating my Soul of a Citizen
book on citizen activism, an activist rabbi who was teaching the book at
a Florida university
suggested I gather together a Ten Commandments for effective citizen
engagement. Calling them Commandments seemed presumptuous, but I did
draw
together ten suggestions that can make engagement more fruitful. Some
I've
already explored in various Soul of a
Citizen excerpts.
I'll flesh out others in coming weeks. But
pulling them together in one place seemed useful.
Suggestion #1: Start where you are. You don't need to know everything,
and you
certainly don't need to be perfect.
Suggestion
#2:
Take things step by step. You set the pace of your engagement. Don't
worry
about being swallowed up, because you'll determine how much you get
involved.
Suggestion
#3:
Build a supportive community. You can accomplish far more with even a
small
group of good people than you can alone.
Suggestion
#4:
Be strategic. Ask what you're trying to accomplish, where you can find
allies, and how to best communicate the urgencies you feel.
Suggestion
#5:
Enlist the uninvolved. They have their own fears and doubts, so they
won't
participate automatically; you have to work actively to engage them. If
you do,
there's no telling what they'll go on to achieve.
Suggestion
#6:
Seek out unlikely allies. The more you widen the circle, the more
you'll
have a chance of breaking through the entrenched barriers to change.
Suggestion
#7:
Persevere. Change most often takes time. The longer you continue
working,
the more you'll accomplish.
Suggestion
#8:
Savor the journey. Changing the world shouldn't be grim work. Take time
to
enjoy nature, good music, good conversation, and whatever else lifts
your soul.
Savor the company of good people working for change
Suggestion
#9:
Think large. Don't be afraid to tackle the deepest-rooted injustices,
and
to tackle them on a national or global scale. Remember that many small
actions
can shift the course of history.
Suggestion
#10:
Listen to your heart. It's why you're involved to begin with. It's what
will keep you going.
* * *
I'd
love
reader comments on how these idea have played out in your own personal
social
engagement.
Adapted from the wholly updated new
edition
of "Soul of a
Citizen: Living with Conviction in Challenging Times" by Paul Rogat
Loeb (St Martin's Press, $16.99 paperback). With
over 100,000 copies in print, "Soul" has become a classic guide to
involvement in social change. Howard Zinn calls it "wonderful...rich
with
specific experience." Alice Walker says, "The voices Loeb finds
demonstrate that courage can be another name for love." Bill McKibben
calls it "a powerful inspiration to citizens acting for environmental
sanity."
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