Top Five: Ways to Spark Change

The term “civil disobedience” was popularized by Henry David Thoreau’s 1849 essay by the same name. Using only his words to protest against his government's laws allowing slavery, a practice he felt was wrong, Thoreau began a nonviolent form of protest that is still recognized today.

Throughout history there have been numerous examples of people using nonviolent means of protest to bring about change they wish to see in the world. From Susan B. Anthony and the Women’s suffrage movement to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights movement the world has seen significant change thanks to these kinds of people standing up for what they believe is right while still respecting the rule of law. As Dr. King wrote in his Letters from Birmingham Jail;

"Any man who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust and willingly accepts the penalty by staying in jail to arouse the conscience of the community on the injustice of the law is at that moment expressing the very highest respect for the law."

If there is something you feel strongly compelled to speak out against in order to bring about a change, here are five ways that may help your cause pick up some traction and attention to make your voice loud enough to not be ignored.

Demonstrations

One of the most useful ways to protest, a demonstration protest comes in many forms. From community organized marches like the ones we saw across the country following the death of George Floyd to the sit-ins of the 1960s at whites-only lunch counters. These are examples of physical presence bringing attention to civil rights. Even occupation of a specific area like the Occupy Wall Street movement can be ways for groups of people to express their freedom to assemble.

Petitions

Petitions are ways for a large number of people to show their support for something. The process is fairly simple and requires the collection of as many signatures as possible. Petitions show people in power that it is not just you but a large number of people care about a certain topic. Sometimes it’s easier to get people to sign their name than to show up for a demonstration.

Boycotts

Boycotting by nature is simply the opposite of a demonstration. Instead of using your physical presence or your voice to speak out against something you are using your absence. The absence of large numbers of people can be a glaring issue at a sporting event or school function. The absence of a large group of people deciding to not spend their time or money on a specific product or brand can have tremendous influence on how that brand/product can operate.

Canvas

The goal of canvassing is to try to reach and educate as many people as possible about the issue you are concerned with. Unlike petitioning you are not trying to get anything from the people you speak with but solely focused on informing them of the issue. Many times canvassing involves literature or pamphlets that highlight the key talking points and distributing them to mailboxes, car windshields or message boards/telephone poles to spread the awareness as much as possible.

Internet

Internet activism is still activism but will never replace in-person organizing. However, that does not mean that the internet doesn’t have its place for today’s activists. Social media can be a very useful tool in spreading awareness about your message. Creating groups on Facebook or other social media sites can help you coordinate with others and establish things like unique hashtags to help drive more activity.