Actions Protest Louder the Words, True Movements are Made by True Ideas

• In Event: Highlighted Session: Building peace through protest

Proposal

Actions Protest Louder than Words,
The goal of this paper is to highlight the importance of choosing wisely what to protest for or against, as well as the hallmarks of positive social protest, which can be carried out most effectively through actions of care to ameliorate injustice, while at the same time speaking to expose the injustice. When protest goes into extreme action it is sometimes called a revolution. These are not necessarily violent physically, but they can bring change, sometimes good, sometimes bad, and sometimes short-lived. If we look at the social revolutions which have given birth, rebirth, or at least rebranding (renaming) to countries, no matter in the East, West, North, or South, these have usually started off as “in the name of the people”, “for freedom”, “for the glory of our country,”, “to save the world”, or other persuasive slogans to rally the masses, but each one has eventually turned into the same or something similar to what it was supposedly revolting against, with a new all-powerful ruler and his cohorts, in these days dressed in suit and tie. Why does this happen over and over? Georg Hegel said that what we learn from history is that we don’t learn from history. Human nature, basically, has not changed.
It seems the lasting revolutions are the spiritual ones based on love, compassion, and truth because these revolutions are a protest of the evil and injustice in the world, but beginning with oneself, and then going on, not to force, but persuade others to join in. These are guided, not by powerful rulers with armies, but by an agreed upon belief that life, particularly human life, has intrinsic value and purpose, transcending the relatively short years of this mortal experience. Such movements often take the form of religions, philosophies, or moral codes, several of which credit God or some cosmic intelligence as the Creator, Initiator, Planner, or even Father of us and all the universe or universes, and some go as far as to say they talk with him daily as their Best Friend and that He talks back in a close relationship of trust. These movements, while peaceful, have been powerful to create longer-lasting positive change in the world, although parts of even became corrupted and politicized at times, too. C. S. Lewis once said that if man has an inner longing which nothing in this world completely satisfies, the most probable explanation is that he was made for another world.
Lewis also said that the worst and most oppressive tyranny was the one “sincerely exercised for the good of its victims.” Amongst all the religions, philosophies, or political ideologies that claim to want to save the world, there are a few whose stipulated goal is to take exclusive and complete control of it and all its populace, using whatever means necessary, including deceit and violence of any sort because they say that the means are justified by the goal. Ironically, the upper echelon and often self-proclaimed leaders of such movements, after their protest, persuasion of the masses, and revolution, are usually the wealthy and powerful, unquestionable, and untouchable. Obviously, these are not movements of love, compassion, and truth and so the environment of such an organization and those ruled under it is self-preserving, distrustful, and fearful. This sort of association bears resemblance to the modern cartels, mafia, triad, or such brotherhoods throughout history, the motivations being similar, power. As one great teacher put it, by the fruits you will know the tree.
The importance of protesting for the right cause is foundational. Throughout history, it has been possible to mobilize “protesters” in exchange for incentives, even hiring them or offering them material wealth and positions of honor, if they would help to overthrow “those evil rulers” and upper class. These people who could be manipulated to protest and revolt were even labeled “useful idiots” by one group in relatively modern history. In these times, manipulation of people’s perceptions and opinions has become particularly easy through modern media, AI, and censorship. When considering protest, it is important to be aware of these factors. Actions of love do not destroy, but rather give life. People who love, take care of each other sharing gladly and freely. People forced to share by some political system, do so for fear of punishment or at the point of a gun. One says, “What’s mine is yours and I want to share it with you.” The other says, “What’s yours is mine and I am going to take it from you,” questionably just robbery under another name.
Love is always more powerful than hatred; truth is more powerful than lies and eventually is known; light is energy and darkness is simply the absence of it.
• This paper is relevant to CIES 2024 because it includes successful models of protest through actions of care across borders involving the USA, China, Kenya, Uganda, DRC Congo, and Syria. These models are a positive ongoing protest of inequality, while offering concrete solutions in a variety of very different contexts.
• The problems addressed are inequality, racism, oppression, and violence.
• Advice to CIES: Actions of care are a powerful protest in any context.
• Improvement: We continually learn the importance of winning the hearts of people, including leaders, to bring out the good in them. Many people want to do good but find themselves in difficult situations to carry it out.
• The impacts were: children fed, impoverished people economically empowered, school provided, medical attention and shelter given. All of these are already self-sustaining or in the process of becoming so. Assessment is made through official statistical reports.
• The theoretical framework used is Social Critical Theory, Social Constructivist Theory
• Research Methodology: qualitative and quantitative as the results deal with both emotional and physical improvements, so both narrative and numbers are needed.


Abstract

Author

• James Michael Brant, World Institute Social Education Developemt