POLITICAL ACTIVISM

 

Activism is the process of campaigning in public or working for an organization to bring about political or social change. Activism has been present throughout history, in every sort of political system. Activism is an action that goes beyond conventional politics, typically being more energetic, passionate, innovative, and committed. 

Why is political activism important?

Activism has played a major role in ending slavery, challenging dictatorships, promoting equality for women, opposing racism, and many other important issues. Activism can also be used for aims such as attacking minorities or promoting war.

An activist is someone who organizes and acts to change a public policy or law. A politician is someone who seeks election to a public office on behalf of a general ideology or a specific agenda on which they promise to act.

Activists and politicians do not look or behave the same.

Now, where does one draw the line between politics and activism?

Activists can push, protest, and demand change in ways that no government official can. Activists often make bold, defiant, and resounding cases for the change that a politician may support but lacks the power to implement. 

A government official holding a public office or an elected position must be willing to engage in a range of compromises; power-sharing, and deal-making that are often in conflict with personal interest. This does not mean that the activist-turned-politician cannot be sympathetic or supportive of progressive causes.

But there is no doubt that the country needs activists with integrity and vision to push politicians and galvanize the people when elected officials cannot provide the support they promised. So when an activist becomes a politician, society loses the former to gain the latter and vice-versa.

An example is Hadiza Bala Usman. In 2011, Hadiza campaigned for the federal constituency of Musawa as a candidate for the Congress for Progressive Change. In 2014, following the Chibok school girls kidnapping by Boko Haram, Hadiza noticed that the Jonathan administration was not prioritizing the kidnapping, she then co-founded the Bring Back Our Girls campaign group to advocate the rescue of the abducted schoolgirls. Hadiza has also helped coordinate meetings with the parents of the kidnapped girls.

A politician must compromise to get results. A good activist must be uncompromising and should not have to worry about offending large numbers of people. Activists can and often do act in ways they know will provoke law enforcement agencies and lead to eventual arrest. Politicians rarely use such tactics. Even when the politician agrees with the activist’s actions, he or she often pretends not to, especially when the activist tactics have angered the political clan.

Democracy needs good activists and good politicians. Good activists can and often do advance the goals of good politicians.