EFFECTIVE ACTIVISM TODAY
The following excerpt is from the self help
psychology book, Be Your Own Therapist.
It was refreshing recently to witness a newer highly-effective
style of activism being used by women trying to change the
system of breast cancer research. What was immediately evident
was their lack of blaming and anger. There were determination,
focus and clarity to find out just what the problems were.
Lo and behold, these women discovered that instead of the
current research being a sexist problem, it was more a group
problem. Breast cancer researchers and government officials had
established their own hierarchies and kept researching virtually
the same things over and over. (In mousetrap terms, they kept
researching spring-loaded mousetraps without looking for any
other ways of catching mice.) The activists were able to change
this research focus in a matter of months of media attention.
(Planning by those women no doubt took longer.) Many problems
with governments, businesses and other groups today are just
such hierarchical problems. They may have had historical roots
in sexism, racism or anti-gay feeling; but today such
hierarchical problems often topple without that much effort
because society has changed. They topple more readily when
approached with calmness and determination instead of anger and
blame.
| Anger is ALWAYS beased upon unfulfilled expectations; fully let go of the expecting, and your anger will be no more.
|
Unfortunately, there remains much old-style ineffective blaming
activism. Activists (women, blacks, gays or whoever) are often
among the first to be offended by others' lack of understanding,
yet frequently they themselves show little understanding of the
80% of the population friendly to their causes. For that
friendly 80% is typically alienated by activism that
unexpectedly costs them money or time. Also, they are
increasingly turned off by the bashing rhetoric. Activists who
are locked into the bashing of others probably need to be
reeducated or replaced by their parent organizations.
Newer activists often see things differently and promote debate
within activist hierarchies. The result of such debates is often
more effective activism, such as evidenced by the women who
recently tackled where the research funds go in breast cancer
research. Let us celebrate the new activists!
Next Excerpt 
| Celebration Time: If we are such a sexist society why do men vote as much as they do for women candidates? Why do blacks with a B+ high school average have a better chance than whites of entering college? |
More Excerpts This Chapter
OUR FAVORITE GROUPS: THIS AUTHOR WANTS YOU!
CELEBRATION TIME
MUST LACK OF UNDERSTANDING FEEL BAD?
HARD TRUTHS @
UNDERSTANDING AND BEING UNDERSTOOD
YOUR GROUP HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS ACME INC.
GOING-ALONG DISEASE
BLAMING OTHERS DISEASE
EFFECTIVE ACTIVISM TODAY
THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY
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Psychology of Sex Education - Psychological Sexual Health Care
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