Category: Activism

Occupy – a form of protest

The occupy movement started with the Occupy Wall Street in 2011. Occupiers created physical and political space for reasserting the power of the people. People taking up space and using social media/technology to spread in different locations is a powerful tool to protest.

New york, United States. 30th May 2012 — Protesters carry a large ‘Occupy’ banner as they march in the streets. — Occupy Wall Street has a march in New York in solidarity with the Quebec students striking over student fees and Bill 78, which effectively outlaws most protests, who use kitchen pots and pans as their symbol.

Expressing your culture to support a cause

Known as a ‘war challenge’ or ‘war cry’ in Māori culture, the haka was traditionally performed by men before going to war. The aggressive facial expressions were meant to scare the opponents, while the cry itself was to lift their own morale and call on God for help to win. Here it is used in a protest in 2022 and it is a very powerful tool.

Activism Quotes

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtfully committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.

  • Margaret Mead

Cultural disobedience

Civil disobedience is the deliberate violation of unjust laws. In a similar spirit, cultural disobedience bravely subverts dominant cultural norms. We may think of culture as softer and more malleable than institutions and laws, but in many places cultural taboos are so strong that they become entrenched as law, while in other places, cultural taboos function as de facto law

Saudi woman in burka sitting in her car, about to drive it

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