“Those who say it
cannot be done should get out of the way of those already doing it”
When I spent time with the Occupy Movement at St. Pauls and
Finsbury Square in 2011, I learnt one thing that has guided my activism till
date— caring is everyone’s business no matter rich or poor, free or oppressed;
because a time comes in everyone’s life that you will need someone to fight for
you. The moment we stop fighting for ourselves is the moment we lose our
humanity.
So when #1SimpleStep was birthed to fight for ourselves, I didn't only think it was just, I thought it was only ethical for me to join.
The only thing that gives credibility to any movement is the
same one thing that ensures its sustainability— the grassroots. So on 19th
April, 2013, when 10 of us walked in front of the Flagstaff House into the
building to deliver our letters and concerns to the Presidency and leadership,
it wasn't about getting masses of people to take that step, it was about that
simple step being taken by a community of the masses. We were not 10 strong w/men;
we were 10 w/men strong.
What #1SimpleStep achieved was building trust that healed
our fears and sharing our struggles that built a community. To put this into perspective, every grassroot
movement that has ever shifted power has been built on the foundations of trust
and a sense of community.
That said, corruption is not the cause of our poverty and
mess in this country, it is just a symptom of it. The cause is not even apathy
which is always on trial in our mouths. The real cause is LETHARGY. We ritualize the ballot box and elect people to represent us in various leaderships
without demanding accountability, transparency and sustainability. We do really
care but we don’t care so much, we don’t care enough.
#1SimpleStep didn’t only break the spiral of silence; it
proved that the only 3 things we need to shift power in this country are faith,
love and persistence, which are heavily grounded on a conscience. And by being
peaceful in nature, we are a conscience and hence we are stronger. This is the
first evidence that we shouldn't just walk the talk; we should also talk the
talk and walk the walk.
Organized dissent and peaceful protest are the mother of all
transformational change and so we are at the right side of history, change will
come as we press on. We don’t only need to talk about hope in dire
circumstances, we always have to pursue, practice and preach it.
“Hope is not a matter
of personal psychology, in the midst of uncertainty it is the most strategic response,
the need to be optimistic is the most important political decision anyone can
take”
THANK YOU so much, Gideon. Honoured to have done this with you.
ReplyDeleteGolda.