THEMOST IMPORTANT FORCEINTHE WORLD... SOLIDARITY.

Whatisallyship?

Allyship is the act of emphasizing and advocating for social justice, human rights and overall inclusion and equity. Allyship usually happens when people outside of a certain minority support said minority, but allyship can happen on a smaller scale within communities.

Imaginethis...

You wake up to a world where free healthcare is universal, same sex marriage is legalized, energy is sustainable and more people are being fed and off the streets than ever

Sounds good, right? How would we get to that point? How do we ensure that everyone has the building blocks to be equal, to live in that hypothetical world?

One simple word: allyship.

Whyisallyshipimportant?

Allyship is the foundation for equity and justice. Allies tend to have more privilege, and can recognize that privilege. They have powerful voices that coexist with oppressed ones, voices that can empower minorities 33

Isthere"good"and"bad"allyship?

Allyship is not easy, and there are dos and don’ts to it. Because of this, it is near impossible to educate yourself without making mistakes. There is a lot to learn - and even harder, more to unlearn. Beingproactiveinyoureducationandtakingcriticismiscrucialtobeinganally.

DO:

Do be open minded - listen no matter how opposing the ideas, beliefs or opinions are to your own

Do your own research thoroughly with multiple credible sources (i.e. data based articles, scientific journals, public data... NOT only social media posts, political opinions, rumours…).

Do accept and use criticism given to you with courtesy and act on it sources:

Do recognize your privilege and use it to amplify oppressed voices.

DON'T:

Do not expect everything to be handed to you Learning must be proactive

Do not be patronizing when someone is uneducated on a topic, learning isn’t linear and always fast paced.

Do not compare your own struggles to a marginalized person’s, especially if you are more privileged than them.

Do not choose to be ignorant

"Why Allies Are Necessary" The Guide to Allyship, guidetoallyshipcom/ #why-allies-are-necessary

"Gender, Racial, Economic Justice" protest sign photograph by Fibonacci Blue

"I owe my Asian pride to Black power" protest sign photography from Left Voice

"Support your sisters, not just your cis-ters" protest sign photography by James Daniel Justice for Mahsa Amini protest photograph by Stephanie Keith. 34