Some updates first
Hello! At the time you receive today’s post in your mailbox, I am attending a special function. A prayer. This is an occasion for me and for my family. I would be happy to receive your best wishes, prayers and hopes for us.
No more than 3 friends around me have witnessed the challenges that have happened to me the last fortnight: a house-move and ill-health being among them. They say I’m on superwoman mode. I know I’ve pushed myself a lot this week. I wanted to express gratitude at what has been so far and what will be. (According to the Ikigai audiobook I’m currently listening to during my chores, a healthy level of challenge increases life longevity!)
Next, I’m cheering that I have you. Thank you. For your replies too. Getting to know what you feel, your reaction and a glimpse of your thought process is rewarding for me.
Also a line of gratitude for having beautiful neighbours and friends. Here’s a glimpse of my hennaed hands that are typing this post!
With all that out of the way.
Have we professionalized and packaged activism?
I was reading a post by a senior leader in the NGO space who used this phrase this week. It got me thinking. How did this professionalization and packaging happen? And what does it mean for those working for human rights? Can we unpack these words a little?
You may know that civil society/ NGOs/movements are not all the same. There is considerable variation in every aspect but above all in finance. Some are well funded, some have moderate sources of money and many don’t have any funding at all. And so as a social worker or an activist, what you will “earn” every month can vary too – from little/nothing to corporate-sector-like pay checks complete with insurance. I have worked at different parts of this spectrum.
And so I quickly wanted to reflect about it in today’s post.
A round up of what make raw activism – that which is likely unpaid, doesn’t look like a “job” with social security benefits – powerful
- Not belonging to a heavy structure or institution can lend a great deal of freedom to the issues raised, methods of expression
- Complete control over your form of activism
- Better chances of staying connected with ground issues. Of living and working amongst people whose issues one is working on or rights one is advocating for. Therefore hopefully a stronger grasp of grassroot realities
- People and communities that one is working for is the highest place of accountability. (not answerable to any donor or funder)
- No administrative overheads. Often, a simple structure, if at all. This flexibility can be powerful depending on how much self-discipline one has as well as the movement or group has.
Downsides of activism which is unfunded
- Sustainability
The reality is that such activists may also have families or needs to care for. Not having a stable source of income can be devastating depending on many personal factors. It can be hard to plan a family or have any financial goal. - Unhappy or broken family
I know of a lot of family members (especially spouses or children) of activists who have feelings of pain over pride. This is a sad reality too of their lives. They would do anything to stay away from the social sector altogether, uninspired by the activist in the family – who cared a lot for society but couldn’t provide for her/his own family. - Harder for women
This form of activism is particularly hard on women activists from lower class/caste backgrounds – what security do they have? Who will look after their health? Who will pay for them when they are in trouble? Do all of them truly have their communities behind them, showing up and standing by them during their own hour of need? Take the example of women activists who work with rape survivors in low-income settings, with low/no pay or irregular funds. Even as they do inspiring life-altering work with the rape survivors, on the other hand, they often struggle with a lot of a loneliness and insecurity themselves. It’s not easy to form a community that is going to look after your needs. One long spell of illness or an accident can be quite revealing. - Accountability unclear
The absence of an institutional backing or structure can be counter productive. Sometimes accountability to people can be vague, hard to track and in reality just absent. - Zero social security
Many colleagues tell me that this is why they will choose to work in the funded NGO space over unfunded movements.
What do you think?
The purpose of my post was not to make you conclude about what or which form is better or worse. But to simply articulate the realities as well as choices that people make under circumstances in the civil society world. It is an incredibly challenging area to work in after all.
I want to leave you with:
“NGO bhi ek nasha hai. Kabhi chodta nahi. “ (translates to NGOs are also an addiction. Never leaves us!”)
my mentor in Vidarbha
Until next week!