Principles to Guide the Young Activist: About Palestine, Its People And Its Ongoing Struggle For Freedom And Rights
02 February 2014
By Ramzy Baroud
In a recent radio interview with a National Public
Radio affiliate in Juneau, Alaska, I was asked if I
had advice for a 16-year-old Palestinian student,
Haitham. He had just arrived in the US as part of a
school exchange program, and, admirably began reaching
out to his peers in his and other schools to teach
them about Palestine, its people and its ongoing
struggle for freedom and rights.
There was not enough time to convey much to Haitham,
whose voice expressed the personality of a gentle,
smart and driven young man. And since I have been
asked that question on more than one occasion, mostly
coming from young people in Palestine, here are a few
thoughts that are an outcome of my own experiences,
and nothing else.
Beat your ego to a pulp
"Ego" is Latin for "I", but its implications are
common to every language. If an activist doesn't learn
to control his ego, he is likely to suffer numerous
consequences, and perhaps ultimately fail in his
mission. An activist, especially one who represents
causes deemed "controversial", will find himself under
repeated attacks and unwarranted accusations targeting
his "self" not his ideas. And while there are those
who will try to erode your confidence, there are also
those who will hail your perceived success and heroism
even. Both are dangerous to the ego, for they could
upset the balance necessary to keep us focused and
involved as members of a larger community, and moral
in our behavior and conduct.
Define and internalize your message
It is easy to get pulled into all sorts of directions
that may separate you from your original mission. To
ensure that you will always find your way back, you
must be clear on what you stand for and why. Thus it
is essential that you define your cause, first and
foremost to yourself before you present it to others.
Internalize it as an enduring part of your character
before you stand in front of a crowd, hold a
microphone, or carry a banner. If you are not fully
convinced of your message, you will not be able to
influence others.
Be guided by universal values and human rights
Even if your message pertains to a local cause, find
the universal aspect of your drive to bring about
change, and embrace it. "Injustice anywhere is a
threat to justice everywhere," said Martin Luther King
Jr. If you adhere to this notion alone, you know that
you will remain true, not just to your cause, but to
the underlying values that give it meaning. Universal
human rights can always serve as a gauge by which you
can assess matters within a larger moral framework.
Find a frame of reference - relate to your audience
The onus is not on your audience to relate to you as
much as it is on you to relate to their frame of
reference: their history, their political reality and
other dynamics that operate within and control their
society. Only then, can you tailor your words and
expectations - but never the morality of your message
- in ways that they may understand, relate to, and act
upon.
Humanize - But don't sanctify your subject
It doesn't matter how worthy a cause is, if it is too
distant or disconnected from people. It is essential
that you allow your audience the chance to relate to
your cause as that of people, with names and stories,
beautiful, inspiring, but also disheartening and
complex. But it is important that you don't provide a
sanctified, thus unrealistic narrative either, for
your audience will disown you and question your
credibility. Humanize your subject, but remain
truthful in your presentation.
Be educated, strive for intellect and be wary of
ideology
Education will give you access to otherwise
inaccessible platforms. It will empower you and your
message with the articulation you need to widen your
circle of support. But you are also an intellectual.
The right education could further develop your
intellect. And when it is done with sincerity, both
education and intellect will feed on one another.
While there is no harm in adhering to an ideology that
you may perceive to hold the answers to the dilemmas
with which you contend, be wary of becoming an
ideologue, a slave to stubborn dogmas. That will
stifle your intellect and will make your education a
mere platform to serve unworthy, elitist causes.
Keep an open mind
No matter how powerful your argument may seem, how
high your education and how insurmountable your
intellect is, remain humble and open-minded. If you
close your mind, it will cease to grow. Your ideas
will eventually become outdated, and your ability to
imagine a world beyond your own will wither and die
under the weight of your own sense of self-importance.
Have an action plan
It is not enough that you want to change the world.
Sure, do that, but you must have a clear notion of
what that actually means, and how you wish to bring it
about. Such a roadmap can always help you re-examine
your work and reassess your actions, and, if ever
necessary, alter or entirely change your direction.
Don't get swayed by success
The fight for justice is unending, as is the struggle
against racism, and inequality. So "success" in this
context, by definition is relative. While you must
acknowledge, even celebrate achievements along the
way, let "success" be a milestone towards another
goal, and not an end in itself. This way you can
always keep moving forward, with a vision that passes
the immediate goal, on to a greater one, where the
'rendezvous of victory' is an idea, so coveted, yet
unattainable.
Live a balanced life
Only by living life you contribute to it. Don't
estrange yourself from your surroundings. Learn from
the mistakes others make, and from your own. Don't be
afraid or feel guilty if you try to find balance in
your life. Enjoy a sustainable life, but without
excess. The fight is long, at times arduous, but you
are here, along with millions of others, for the long
haul.
They say people who live for a higher cause are
happier than those who don't. May you always find your
happiness in alleviating the pain of others by
standing up for what is right and honorable.
- Ramzy Baroud is an internationally-syndicated
columnist, a media consultant and the editor of
PalestineChronicle.com. His latest book is My Father
Was a Freedom Fighter: Gaza's Untold Story (Pluto
Press, London).
©
EsinIslam.Com
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