Powerlessness
What it is
In the beginning, we weren’t activists. We were skeptical that we could do anything about the problem and, at points, didn’t feel particularly obligated. We might largely put the issue out of our minds for months or years at a time. We look back on this time with regret for not getting active sooner.
“I was basically the silent, non pushy vegan. Just, I'm vegan, and that's good enough. On Facebook, I had been seeing the DxE disruption videos from the local chapter here in Seattle. And at first, I was hesitant. ‘That's not my thing. I don't even know if that's a good idea.’”
AJ Jivdaya
What it’s like
Some participants described a time when they wanted to get involved, but they were shy. They didn’t know what to do and didn’t know anything that was going on around them. They joined when invited, but even then it sometimes took a little bit of coaxing to get on board. Rare exceptions got involved in the movement in some other way- first attending protests for other causes where they met animal rights organizers or by attending an animal testing or circus protest before going vegan.
“Talking to the activists outside of the disruption, seeing that they're normal people, and hearing why they do it and more in detail- that experience totally changed my perspective.”
AJ Jivdaya
What we need
Social exposure to activists
Ways to dip a toe in
Lots of follow-ups
“When you're starting from scratch, you don't even know this whole process of identifying a problem and coming up with a campaign, identifying stakeholders. It's all very foreign and strange. So, I was lucky to find a good community the first time I reached out.”
Matthew Cooper
Social exposure to activists
Getting to know others involved in activism can normalize it and help would-be activists see the work as something they could experience belonging in.
Ways to dip a toe in
This will allow them to, in addition to watching, get to know the other advocates and demystify involvement.
A note on low-pressure ways to get involved: seasoned organizers might be naturally fearless, or have calibrated our nervous systems in such a way that we forget what it was like to be brand new. Sometimes the first step we think to offer is, to a would-be activist, terrifying. For example, standing in an AV cube wearing a mask and holding a TV was cited by several people as something that seemed too scary for them, at first. These activists were quickly able to move up a ladder of engagement and do things much higher pressure than standing in a Cube, but only after dipping their toe in by showing up to watch a cube or demonstration without needing to participate. Two participants described watching an action as their first involvement, and one initially decided to do so covertly, without telling anyone she was coming.
Lots of follow-ups
Be liberal in distributing your contact information (or, better yet, collect theirs) and sending invitations to the next social event.
On that note, make sure there always is a next social event on the calendar to invite them to. Savvy organizers have systems in place to remember to stay in touch with newcomers and regular participants alike.