Activism- a critical review

Author : Ashok.G.V.
Location : India



Contrary to what the title may suggest, this is neither an attack on idealism among the youth nor is it an attempt to root out the causes of substance abuse. This is quite simply an observation of what in most cases causes the demise of the passion to bring in a wave of refreshing change, to do something to repay the motherland or speaking as a global citizen repay the society in general.

Acknowledging the complexity of the problem at hand
A mere use of the keywords Human Rights Abuses on the search engine of the official website of Human Rights Watch brings out an enormous amount of results and each and every report is compelling and convincing. But the fact is that these reports have had little or no effect for the people because of whom the report is needed in the first place, the victims. When have these reports translated into tangible result yielding action plan formulation and implementation?

On rare occasions yes, but is it a matter of daily occurrence? The Answer to this question is that it is a rarity and most certainly not a matter of daily occurrence.

The fact that we need to understand here is, sending out letters to local leaders, campaigning for signatures for petitions, signing and submitting petitions by themselves are merely a part of the process. In reality, the purpose a majority of these efforts bring about is to help people like me and you realize that we have better lives and we need to be thankful for that.

When the long and laborious efforts put into these signature campaigns and letters to local leaders go unnoticed, the logical conclusion is disappointment. More often than not, intellectuals among the youth who fervently involve themselves in these efforts end up sad beyond measure and turn to substance abuse to help them through. It is important to understand the complexity of the problem and that the solution is a long, tedious process which will yield result, but will take time.

What is irresponsible activism?
“For evil to triumph, all it takes is for good men to do nothing.”-Edmund Burke

Doing nothing to stop evil is a measure of supporting it in the words of Edmund Burke.

In many instances we see people making donations to organizations sometimes within the boundaries of one’s own locality, city and nation and in other instances to organizations abroad. The feel good factor after having made the donation is visible on the faces of these philanthropists. But how many of us actually follow up on these donations and verify if these donations are being utilized in the best interests of the intended recipients?

In India for example, quite often orphanages, destitute homes, shelter for women, refugee rehabilitation centres, etc. are centers of exploitation. The donations which the wonderful people of society make are often siphoned off to the personal treasury of the management of these organizations. Many a times the residents of these centres are the victims of abuse in the form of beatings, sexual assault and starvation. Basic amenties like comfortable sanitary facilities, sleeping quarters, electricity and cooking gas are absent even though on a count of the receipts present with the donors, one would see donations to the tune of several hundreds of thousands of dollars coming into these organizations. Why are the management of such dens of exploitation continuing with their illegal activities? Well it is simply because it is profitable to do so considering the funds they get from innocent donors not aware of what happens to their donations.

Irresponsible activism is being the philanthropist in the scenario discussed above. If one does not have the time or the resources to actually ensure that one’s donations are being put to good use and does not act as motivation for exploiters to continue to exploit the exploited, then it would be doing more service to society by not giving charity at all. Let us not abet the people who grow their fortunes by virtue of the problems that plague our world.

It is important to understand the cause one wishes to support. More importantly it is important to know the organization one wishes to involve with and its credibility before deciding to support it. Without understanding the cause, the solution or the organization and still supporting it is the measure of irresponsible activism which as we would all agree causes more damage than good to society.

Conclusion:-
The role of activism in today’s world is priceless and most certainly the need of the hour. But without a conscious and smart approach to issues, activists would perhaps be doing more bad than good to society. It is important that we understand activism not as an leisurely activity but a serious approach towards ensuring the continuity of the human race with peace, prosperity and happiness as companions. Patience is the mark of a responsible activist, embrace it and learn from failures and incorporate the lessons in the next attempt to bring success. It is important to rise to the occasion as smart citizens and not as ignorant simpletons to ensure that the noble thoughts and gestures have positive meaning for the beings that need our help. One does not have the right to call oneself an activist without understanding this simple fact first.