"I Am An Activist" and "People for the American Way"

         In today's post, I'd like to focus on a specific interest group that is heavily involved in encouraging individuals to be active members of the polticial and social world. The group's message and purpose is restoring America back to the image of the founding fathers: that all men would be treated equal.

“People For the American Way is dedicated to making the promise of America real for every American: Equality. Freedom of speech. Freedom of religion. The right to seek justice in a court of law. The right to cast a vote that counts. The

American Way.”
        -Mission Statement from the official website of People For The American Way

       People For the American Way (PFAW) is a non-profit organization that seeks to influence public policy as well as public opinion on a variety of modern-day issues. According to the mission statement easily accessible on their official webpage, the group focuses on a variety of issues all in some way pertaining to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as well as other important U.S. documents. That is, they focus on policy and cultural issues pertaining to the “opportunity for all and the freedom to learn; freedom of conscience; civic participation; community and family; societal and personal responsibility; fairness and justice; pluralism and diversity”. Part of the mission statement states, “We believe a society that reflects these constitutional principles and progressive values is worth fighting for, and we take seriously our responsibility to cultivate new generations of leaders and activists who will sustain these values for the life of this nation.” They have been involved with a number of active battles over nominees for the judicial courts and policy decisions regarding issues including the size of public school classes, separation of church and state (names prayer in school or any other school activity that make mentions of god), civil rights, voting law and procedures in Washington, DC and equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) community people. The PFAW also actively promotes and encourages civic participation.
           Young People For (YP4) is a program launched by People For the American Way in 2004 to, according to the webpage, serve “motivated, socially aware, diverse and creative young adults who are emerging leaders in their communities, and works with them to create positive change in their communities while empowering the newest generations of skilled, progressive leaders who will lead with progressive values, make progress in their communities today, and create sustainable change over the long term”. Programs include everything from organizations of college campuses to leadership academies to train and educate members of YP4.

I encourage you to look into this group more or others like it. Being involved in an interest group is a wonderful way to meet others who share your goals and passions. It's also a great place to start if you'd like to make a difference and become active but are unsure of how to do so. There are literally hundreds of interest groups to choose from and all groups offer different incentives, benefits, and goals.

I'd like to close today's post with a quote by the founder of "I Am An Activist", an organization that helps individuals connect with others of a like mind with similar goals and provides ways for people to make a difference. Below are her thoughts of why activism is important. Read her thoughts and then think carefully about the image that follows. Can you make the connection between her words and the explicit humility depicted in the photo?

Activism is being a voice for the voiceless, standing up for the weak

I am not an activist in pursuit of recognition or fame.

I am not an activist so that strangers will think I am a good person.

I am not an activist because it’s good for business

(although more often than not, it is).

I am an activist because being an activist makes me feel alive.

and the frail, engaging the human spirit. It’s putting your head above

the parapet. Being heard. Being seen. Being counted

I wake up every morning thinking… this is my last day.

And I jam everything into it. There’s no time for mediocrity.

This is no damned dress rehearsal. You’ve got one life, so just lead it.

And try to be remarkable

Being an activist is sexy. Being a voice of dissent, getting informed,

finding something in yourself that gets you outraged so you expose

the truth and get active is far ‘cooler’ than worrying about split ends

and spots.
-Dame Anita Roddick - 1942 - 2007Source: I Am An Activist

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The Softer Side of Activism

Perhaps you're a little unsure about suddenly becoming more involved in the political sphere. Never fear! You do not have to have a political goal or message to become an activist. Political activism is just one side of the coin. Social and community activism is just as equally important.


Being an active part of your community can come in a varity of forms. Everything from picking up trash at the beach to serving food to the homeless at your local soup kitchen qualifies as a form of activism. Remember, activism is simply a set of actions and attitudes that seek to promote change based on an ideology or goal. Therefore, your desire to have cleaner and less poluted beaches qualifies as an activist goal.


Why get involved? The answer is simple, really. Could you imagine a place where members of the community did not help one another or where the members didn't care about the success of their society? Whether your desire is to initiate positive change in the lives of those that reside in your community or whether your goal is to improve the actual physical community you reside in, it would be hard to argue that some level of change isn't needed.


So, find the change you believe needs some attention and make your efforts to go and change it.
Here are some ideas:


1. Become involved in a local homeless shelter
2. Volunteer as a candy striper at a local hospital
3. Work in a mentorship program for troubled teens
4. Become an afterschool tutor for high school students
5. Pick up trash on local beaches and parks
6. Paint over graffitied walls and bridges
7. Help organize a community walk for a cause (cancer, aids, ect)
8. Visit a retirement home and spend an afternoon with an elderly person
9. Donate part of your paycheck to an organization like the ASPCA or UnitedWay
10. Volunteer at your local Salvation Army or Red Cross


Click here for more opportunities.

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On Voting

            Voting is one of the simplest forms of activism. It encompasses a wide rage of goals from political, environment, economical, and social topics. As American citizens it is one of the most basic rights and also considered one of the simplest civic duties. So, why is voter turnout for elections consistently low election after election? The answer is simple; most people don’t believe their voice, or their vote, really matters.

            Ok, I’ll admit, having a plurality “first-past-the-post” electoral system with a very complex electoral college is not exactly conducive for counting every single vote. However, that does not diminish the value of the vote. Voting, while numerically and statistically may at times seem insignificant, holds a deeper message and a much more important meaning: power. Voting, voter turnout, and election result can and often do send a very powerful message to government about the political legitimacy of the government and the opinion and cultural of the populous.
           Looking at the results from the most recent midterm election in November, 2010 is evidence of this. When the government acts against the will of the people, the people respond by voting them out of office. Sure, maybe your individual vote didn’t exactly change the entire political system but marking a box on a ballot certainly speaks of your power to keep the government in line, especially when collectively the votes of the people reflect a general dissatisfaction with governmental action.
          Some studies suggest voter turnout remains low because the opinion of the government is also on the decline. If political legitimacy, that is the extent to which the populous views the government as a legitimate and efficient mechanism, is low why would anyone want to vote? Why would anyone want to participate in a process they believe to be illegitimate?

           An article from Fox News puts it eloquently. Here is an excerpt from that article:
"Why vote? Because in America, that is the way we change things. That is the way we reform the system. That is the way we guard against the threats to our liberties and exercise our responsibilities. That is the way that we keep America free. Candidates come and candidates go. Elections are won and lost. Sometimes we elect crooks and nobodies and, every once in while, a statesman who strides across the Congress or, from the Oval Office  across the world like a colossus, showing the world what it means to be a free people and, more importantly, why freedom matters. And, for the same reason, it matters that you vote. It is your voice – and the only person who can silence your voice is you. So applaud, complain, march, protest, petition – these are your rights but, without your vote, they are meaningless actions, backed up by nothing."
          From: "Why Vote?" by Peter Roff. Published November 2, 2010 by FoxNews.com
          Source: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010/11/02/peter-roff-vote-change-reform-candidates-elections-congress-oval-office-george/

         Voting is an important part of the political process and essential to political and social activism. As the article above notes, voting is how we change things. Feeling or believing that the political process and political system is illegitimate is not a reason to note vote; it is a reason to vote! As a citizen of this country you have a right to change the system if you do not believe in it anymore. The founding fathers and framers of the U.S. Constitution were very clear about that. They sought to set up a system that could be changed.
        I'll finish this post with a quote from the Declaration of Independence, for it sums up not only the reason to be involved in activism, but the importance of voting

"But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."

Not registered to vote? Get started! Click here!

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Activism: An Introduction

          We've all seen them: the yelling, screaming, crowd standing on a street corner holding homemade signs with something written in sloppy script about "Puppy Mills Kill" or "Save the Planet”. Let’s face it; most of us roll up our windows, turn the volume higher on the radio, and turn our glances in the opposite direction pretending not to notice the uncomfortable ambiance that suddenly becomes the elephant in the room when we stumble upon such displays of activism.

So, if encountering a potentially angry crowd yelling rhetoric about issues we don’t particularly have interest in causes a sense of discomfort or irritation, why should we be activists? Why should we get involved and if we are to do so, what will our incentives and goals be? Does activism always carry a negative connotation?

The answers here aren’t clear. Activism is simply defined, according to dictionary.com, as “the doctrine or practice of vigorous action or involvement as a means of achieving political or other goals, sometimes by demonstrations, protests, etc.” It’s interesting to note the use of the adjective “vigorous” which continues a derogatory subtext of what “activism” really means, but, is activism really that simple to define?

I don’t think so. Activism, in reality, can be loud and forthright or it can be quiet and subtle. Simply showing up at the polling booth on Election Day is a form of activism: it is an intentional action that seeks to achieve change in the political arena. Volunteering on Sunday mornings at the soup kitchen is another form of activism. Though not political, volunteering or working for an organization that seeks some form of social change is another form of activism.

So, why get involved? It’s simple: this is your world. You should value your voice and believe in the power of it. You may even be an activist already and not even know it or you may have spent a significant number of years trying everything in your power to avoid the label of “activist”. Whoever you are and whatever your initial reaction to activism may be, I’d encourage you to give the realm of social and political activism a chance. Explore your own thoughts and aspirations. If there was one thing you could change in your world, your community, or even your neighborhood, what would it be? Once you answer this question the only thing you have left to do is to be the one to act on it.

Follow this link for a 12 step guide to becoming an activist

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