Solidarity for systems change
Many historical struggles were carried out by people operating in the full knowledge that they would never see the intended goal that they sweat and bled for . . . The arc of the moral universe will not bend itself . . . It will be bent by deliberate effort and political struggle if it will be bent at all – and there’s no other hands to do it but ours. But, the point was (and is): we don’t have to do it all at once. ―Olúfémi O. Táíwò
👥 Serves: 1 person
🎚 Difficulty: Medium
⏳ Total time: Ongoing
🥣 Ingredients: “Radical Justice” book by Nina Jansen Reventlow (if you’re curious to find out more about it!)
🤓 Wholebeing Domains: Community, Liberatory Learning
💪 Wholebeing Skills: Allyship, Challenging, Championing, Inquiry, Liberation, Reciprocity, Reflection, Self-directed learning
Solidarity for systems change
📝 Description
Reflective prompts to help you radically transform the world.
In her book “Radical Justice”, international human rights lawyer Nina Jansen Reventlow argues that (1) we need to understand the root causes of the injustices we are tackling to create real and long-lasting change, and (2) we need to encourage a tapestry of activism to achieve systemic change. She continues, “each of us can and must act. And we each need to find our own way of doing so.” In the chapter about using the law for systems change, Nina urges you to be more proactive in extending solidarity across different causes.
“Finally, the concept of building solidarity across causes also applies to building connections across tactics: structural change is complex, and we need a tapestry of activism to move the current structures. None of us will be able to claim victory based on a single court case, campaign, or protest. (…) We not only stand shoulder to shoulder with our contemporaries, but our work also builds on that of all those who have come before us and whose efforts enable us to make the progress we are able to see now as well as the progress that will manifest itself beyond our lifetime. The ability to accept that we each play a role and won’t always be able to tell, in real time, what impact it has is important, as change can – and sometimes does – take generations.”
The following recipe introduces a few prompts, as shared by Nina Jansen Reventlow to invite you to reflect on your role to radically transform the world.
🌟 Steps
Step 1 – What’s dear to you?
What is a right or freedom you hold dearly? Spend some time looking into how that freedom was won: what efforts were made, which tactics were used, and by whom? Make sure to look beyond what you can find in mainstream sources.
Step 2 – How universal is it?
How universally upheld is that right or freedom nowadays? Can it be enjoyed and exercised equally by everyone in all contexts? Look at practice, not regulation or frameworks alone.
Step 3 – What needs to change?
If anything is lacking in the way the right or freedom is upheld now, what would need to change? Do we need new rules and frameworks, better ones, or do away with ones that are harmful? Do we need different practices, have different people involved? What would be needed to make those changes possible? Break it down to the smallest steps possible.
Step 4 – Act
Having broken down the opportunities to the smallest steps, where can you set something in motion or support others to do so? Make it happen.