Running the Long Run
Thoughts of a budding sustainable activist
Memorial for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and 2 Spirit people of Turtle Island
Imagine this: you’re taking a break from working towards that fast-approaching deadline, and you settle down on your couch. You pull out your phone in one hand, carefully balancing a mug of hot tea in the other. What a perfect way to unwind. But out of nowhere, ping, a notification pops up. There’s been a horrific incident of violence, a pipeline is being built without permission, and another case of police brutality — and that’s enough to send you reeling with anger and despair. Well, if this sounds familiar to you, welcome to the club, we’re all mad here (pun intended). If you can relate to this sequence of events, chances are, you can also relate to the feeling of overwhelm about the state of the world and are constantly looking for ways to play your part. But what does it mean to ‘play your part’?
This is a question that I’ve been grappling with for years. Anything I do seems trivial, yet makes me feel like I’m part of the fight. But is that really the case? I often wonder if what I’m doing really matters, and that line of inquiry led me toward the idea of sustainable activism.
“What is sustainable activism and how can we do it?” I get asked this a lot. And here’s what I’ve come to unravel for myself — it’s no one thing, and it’s everything. Paradoxical, I know (also it makes me sound cool). But really, it boils down to working towards a goal in ways that convert our effort into meaningful contributions. Here are the 4 major points I like to check through every time I start to immerse myself in working toward a new cause:
1. Identifying performative activism
We hear the phrase ‘performative activism’ everywhere we look, but what does that really mean? A lot of us think it refers to spreading awareness, and this makes sense considering it comes up when we talk about social media. But that’s a misinterpretation. Performative activism means exactly what it sounds like — doing a deed just to make you look good, especially when the deed has no value to it. It’s a performance that ends once you and the audience leave the stage. So the next time you feel the urge to share the black square on Instagram in support of a cause, ask yourself this: does this action have any impact outside of letting your friends know you are in protest? And if the answer is no, the action likely falls under performative activism.
2. What is the cause you want to rally for?
We really want to jump into action and fight for what’s right, but what is right? For many years, I was scared of being asked why I supported a cause. Not because I didn’t believe in it, but because I felt unsure of explaining my reasoning. And this made me extremely susceptible to false information, and opposing voices that came out with an agenda. But taking the time to do my research on the history of the issue, and understanding the work of imminent people in the field takes away the shakiness. Looking at the history of injustice and revolution is a game-changer. It allows you to understand the issue deeply, and judge for yourself what makes sense. After all, we wouldn’t apply for a job without doing our research on the company and the position first, so why should this be any different?
3. What does the future hold?
There’s no way we can put an end to climate change in a week — and that’s frustrating. Keep that in mind the next time you donate to a charity or go for a march. The road ahead is long and steep, so there’s no point in starting your journey with a sprint. Treat it like a marathon, one step after another. But just because it’s a long fight doesn’t mean there are no wins in sight. Celebrate small victories, as every little win matters. It brings hope, and it brings us all closer to the end goal. The fact that there is another assignment coming up doesn’t mean you shouldn’t celebrate the great grades you got on this one, does it?
4. Self — and community — care
There’s nothing more exhausting and daunting than fighting an uphill battle, not even Avatar Aang is exempt from these feelings. Recognizing that it’s okay to take a break and set boundaries for how much you can (and can’t) do is just as important as the fight itself! Remember, you matter and your wellbeing is top priority, as that’s what will keep you moving toward your goal. And for the times you are actively engaging, find yourself a community of individuals who share a passion for the cause. Feeling cared for can go a long way in keeping us happy, healthy, and motivated to keep fighting for what we believe in. As the wise Troy Bolton once said, “we’re all in this together”.
Why go through all this trouble when we can go on doing what we’ve been doing, you ask? Well, it’s simple — our wellbeing is interconnected with the wellbeing of the world we live in. Caring for ourselves is vital to caring for the world, and there would be no us to care for if there was no world. Besides, it only makes sense to understand the symptoms before we treat the problem, doesn’t it? So keep hydrated and ploughing through. You’re doing great, and it’s going to be okay.
This is a guest blog piece I wrote for the lovely creators of Raindrops & Prose. Visit their website to explore the world through the lens of South Asian women living on the ancestral unceded territories of sq̓əc̓iy̓aɁɬ təməxʷ (Katzie), sc̓əwaθenaɁɬ təməxʷ (Tsawwassen), S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō), Stz’uminus, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm , səl̓ilwətaɁɬ təməxʷ , S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō), Á,LEṈENEȻ ȽTE (W̱SÁNEĆ), Coast Salish, Semiahmoo, and Kwantlen First Nations People.
