Activism

ItsIts aa Gi r l!

Gi r l!

Its a Girl!

3 activism

this is book 3 in the “it’s a girl!” series.

This is us.

We are white, cis-gender, able-bodied, have access to education and health care... In other words, we are incredibly privileged.

We wanted you to know this in order to provide some perspective on what we have written. This is just one small side of a huge issue. We know that we do not own these questions, but we feel strongly about their importance. Our voices are just two of many, not more important than any other.

Please open yourself up to as many voices as possible, and don’t be afraid to use your own. by ida johansson and olivia korostoff-larsson färnebo folkhögskola österfärnebo, sweden 2015

“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”

- Alice Walker

The word “Activism” can be intimidating. Maybe you immediately think of dramatic protests, blockades or boycotts.

It can seem like “Activists” are only people who dedicate their lives to a cause, radical change-makers whose name everyone recognizes.

But don’t be intimidated, don’t step back.

Because we need your voice.

You do not have to be Rosa Parks or Nelson Mandela to be an activist.

It is not about who you are or where you’re from, it’s about what you do.

You don’t have to be an “Activist” to participate in activism, and your activism does not have to fit any predetermined image of what “Activism” should be.

At its essence, activism is taking action to incite social, political, economic or environmental change. It is about looking at a problem you are passionate about, and figuring out what you can do to address it. Activism is joining with others to change the social order and give a voice to the voiceless.

Activism can occur through demonstrations and boycotts, but also through the spread of information, through debate and discussion, and the thousands of choices we make everyday.

A well-known feminist rallying slogan says that “The personal is political”.

What we decide in our personal lives, what we wear and eat, reflects our political perspective.

It is easy to complain about corporations and the government not taking responsibility for their actions. We tell ourselves that it is them who must make a change.

But what about me?

If we want things to change in our society, we have to change ourselves first.

It’s often the difficult decisions that have the strongest impact, even if these actions may seem small.

For example, when people feel strongly about injustice within the food industry, they often decide to eat only vegetarian or vegan food.

These are people who give up something to encourage larger, systemic change.

inspir Chilean Student Protests (2011-13) High school and university students led protests across Chile demanding education reform. These students occupied their schools and demonstrated for an end to profit in higher education and more government involvement in secondary schools.

Joshua Wong At only 17 years old, Wong brought tens of thousands of people onto the streets of Hong Kong when he led the 2014 Hong Kong protests (aka the Umbrella Revolution), which demanded universal suffrage in Hong Kong.

ation Free Speech Movement (1964-65)

Students at the University of California-Berkeley rose up in huge numbers to protest the school administration’s ban on on-campus political activities. They demanded that the school acknowledge their right to free speech and expression, and inspired student movements all over the world.

Femtastic This group is a collective of young female hip-hop artists from Sweden. They have banded together to create feminist music and break through into a male dominated music scene. These outspoken women are working for gender equality in music and in society.

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“Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world.

Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.�

- Margaret Mead itsagirlzine.tumblr.com