Emadeddin Muntasser Explains Why You Should be More Invested in Social and Political Activism
There are a number of reasons to invest more of your time and effort into political and social causes. Even if you don’t consider yourself an activist, at some point government policies and social attitudes are likely going to affect you, no matter what your status is in society, says Emadeddin Muntasser from Washington, D.C. He himself is a human rights leader and analyst of Middle East policy on top of his role as president of Roof Safety Systems.
Take climate change for example. While it may seem like a far-off dystopia, without putting pressure on politicians to change policy about emission standards, the earth’s average temperature is set to rise by a significant amount that will disrupt life on the planet in the not-so-distant future — and we’re already seeing evidence of that. Although many leaders in the U.S. are aware of the stakes when it comes to climate change (although some are dismissing it), there appears to be a lack of political will to put mitigating policies into motion, adds Emad Muntasser.
By contacting the right officials you can put pressure on decision-makers to reconsider policies to reduce the impact on future generations. And there’s already some evidence that environmental activism works.
Many Causes Need Additional Supports
Meanwhile, there are social causes that are still trending such as Black Lives Matter (#BLM on social media), a result of unjust police killings of black people in America. While it took a while to garner mainstream support, the opinions of voters dramatically changed in favor of the movement before the election, suggesting the sustained messaging made a difference, notes Emad Muntasser.
Aside from individual causes, activism is important simply to uphold the right of citizens to express their discontent and raise awareness about unfair policies. Across the ocean, human rights groups are fighting against arrests of activists under so-called counterterrorism laws in India. Without spreading awareness of the arrests of those who speak out against oppressive policies in India — a democratic country — governments and police will be able to continue with this trend without any barriers. The same thing can be seen happening in the U.S., as police are arresting non-violent protestors in droves.
Activism can also be for ensuring people are held to account for their actions. An example of this is when Emadeddin Muntasser filed a complaint to the U.S. government against a Libyan commander for alleged war crimes. The Libyan warlord is now facing legal action in the U.S. stemming from complaints from relatives of alleged victims.
Pushing For Change Can Be Discouraging, But Activism Works, Says Emad Muntasser
Activism for any social or political causes can be an uphill battle and there is often pushback from policy makers and protestors on the other side of an issue. The key to longevity in activism is to be realistic about your expectations — you’re likely not going to solve the issue overnight and there will be setbacks. But by focusing on your goals and surrounding yourself with like-minded people, your chance of success can be greater.
If you think most people stay away from getting behind a cause, you’d be mistaken: according to stats from 2018, about half of people in the U.S. were engaged in some way on social media — a number that has probably only gone up as more people go online and organize, explains Emadeddin Muntasser.
Without sustained political and social activism, a lot of the rights and freedoms around the world would not exist. Even the rights that are in place need to be protected so they are not taken away, which includes democracy itself at home and overseas.
