Building a Movement
Movement building in New Orleans: Vietnamese American youth led their
community in the successful shutting down of a landfill in their
neigbhorhood.
Are there things that seem obviously true to you right now? Weekends are days off and being paid under a certain wage is unreasonable. No one should be kept from entering a restaurant because their skin is a different color. Males and females should both be allowed to go to school and receive equal pay. Yet, you and I both know that even these were not obvious truths to most people not so long ago. It took massive movements for change to make a belief of just a few, into an accepted view of the many.
What will it take to move people across this country and world to make choices that uphold food systems, healthy to our bodies, relationships and land? Can “movement thinking” and examining other movements, past and present, offer insights to you all who are working on creating this change? As someone who has been working in efforts parallel to yours-specifically, mobilizing youth and communities for racial and economic equality-I offer a few observations that may be relatable to the emerging sustainable agriculture movement.
“You can’t create movements but you can prepare for one.” This provocative assertion from Jim Wallis, a seasoned participant and leader of several movements, helps demystify and put the task of making change within reach. He, and others who have been part of historic moments of sweeping change, have described the experience as being part of a force much greater than themselves, not unlike a force of nature. So, instead of being daunted by the overwhelming task of creating an entire movement, consider focusing on what you can contribute towards making wise preparations.
First, remember that it only takes a few people who are both willing to observe the truth and are willing to act on it. Movements happen when the truth about universal needs becomes evident to many people seemingly all at once. So evident, that we change, not only what we preach but what we collectively practice. It always starts with just a few who are upset enough with the status quo to begin rejecting it.
The act of students in a single town in South Africa is widely recognized as “the beginning of the end” of apartheid in the entire nation. The “Soweto Uprising” happened on June 16, 1976, when students boycotted classes in response to being forced to learn in Afrikaans, seen by blacks as the language “of the oppressor”. This single action by youth created a powerful momentum for change. Youth in other towns and adults began to take bolder action to resist a status quo that had already been in place for nearly thirty years. The event also brought international scrutiny and, eventually, economic sanctions crucial to the demise of apartheid. It is doubtful that those students knew what reverberations their single act would create!
Some other observations to be gleaned from examining movements:
* be ready to take larger actions by practicing smaller ones
* prioritize developing leadership in ourselves and others
* create and strengthen connections amongst those who care
* draw upon the strength of diverse resources
* spot and go to where the energy is (listen carefully and build momentum)
For now, remember to cultivate hope. Have heart, young people who want to see a world with sustainable food systems. Who want to see equal access to healthy foods for rich and poor and for people of all cultures and backgrounds. Have heart. Change is possible.
As Arundhati Roy shares, “Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”
YOOJIN JANICE LEE is a youth and community organizer who was previously the Executive Director and Lead Organizer of the Boston-area Youth Organizing Project.