It’s unclear why certain issues such as racism and gender disparity, among other inequalities, are still existent given all the efforts that have been invested over the years, if not decades. Activism matters. For better understanding of the concept, it is defined as efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society towards a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range from petitioning elected officials, running or contributing to a political campaign, preferential patronage (or boycott) of businesses, and demonstrative forms of activism like rallies, street marches, strikes, sit-ins, or hunger strikes. Of recent, online activism has also taken form. However, are means not justifying the end? A commentary on the problems with social media activism highlights that while spreading awareness is important to combating political or social issues, there is an extent to which mindlessly reposting the same trite artwork doesn’t contribute to meaningful change. Spreading awareness on social media without offering ways for others to combat the issue—also known as ‘slacktivism’—should be categorised as indifference rather than activism. Jeanette Murekatete, a customer care attendant, says activism carries a lot of significance, especially when it comes to dealing with social injustices. She, however, says at times, the way activism is done is the problem. “For example when you see how some people call for women empowerment, especially on social media is not appeasing,” she says. “It’s hard to address an injustice with another. How you approach things matters a lot if you want to achieve your desired results,” she adds. Writer Zeynep Tufekci says protests work, but usually not in the way and timeframe that many people think. Protests sometimes look like failures in the short term, but much of the power of protests is in their long-term effects, on both the protesters themselves and the rest of society. Olive Mugunga agrees, saying activism or protests yield results but not always immediately. “It takes so much effort and determination from those organising for it to bring about change. However, times are changing and I think we should think of other ways if the current ones aren’t working, she says. Mugunga also believes some people spearheading certain activism or campaigns might not have proper motives or use ineffective means. Protests are signals, according to Tufekci. In the short term, protests can work to the degree that they can scare authorities into changing their behaviour. “We are unhappy, and we won’t put up with things the way they are.” But for that to work, the “we won’t put up with it” part has to be credible. Nowadays, large protests sometimes lack such credibility, especially because digital technologies have made them so much easier to organise, when it can take as little as a few months or even weeks to go from a Facebook page to millions in the street. Legitimacy, not repression, is the bedrock of resilient power. A society without legitimate governance will not function well; it’s hard to coerce enthusiasm, competence, and creativity. For change to happen, people need to have the right motives and the right patterns in the first place. This is the only way activism will be as effective as it should be.
