Activism – Why?

I am a writer so for me my activism will be focussing on children, women and oppression. Advocating for them through written platforms, mainly centring on mental and physical abuse is something I feel passionate about. I feel others are more qualified and already dealing with the sexual side of abuse. My area of expertise is in child advocacy, that’s where I will be heading with my writings. Firstly though I wanted to dedicate a post to why we should bother with activism. It’s a question often thrown around.

At times you get comments encouraging you to just work on yourself, move on with your life. Our goal should be to put the past behind us and live a full life. Why keep going over and over this, bringing up wounds? Just move on and have a happy life…. Right?

The goal of self-improvement is a great path to take and commendable for any human. It is something we should all be trying to do on a daily basis. Growth on a personal level will contribute to a better world. There is no denying you will become a better human because of taking a self-aware path.

Activism though shouldn’t be linked to personal growth, self-awareness or the ability to heal and move on. These or any other platitude that is often offered up to cult leavers is not activism. The two are not intrinsically linked and are frankly two totally separate things. Activism and personal growth is like comparing apples and oranges. Linking these two issues can muddy the waters and can cloud people’s attitudes toward activism.

So separating these two issues, putting activism into its own category, I personally feel is very important. The choice of why people choose to do activism is many and varied, the same as the human race is many and varied.

So why do it? Why add to the social fabric of an already glutted landscape? Is that landscape really glutted? Why put more information out there? Really can we ever have enough information? The answer to that last question is always a resounding NO.

We the mentally starved now critical thinkers should never suppress information, stories or activism. This is what enriches the tapestry of the ever growing movement of freedom from the tyranny of the BORG. We are now critical thinkers, explorers of truth and the more knowledge that is out there the better.

Being human means everyone is so different. What appeals to one person will not appeal to another. Having a vast array of activism out there means more people can be reached and helped. EVERY SINGLE ACTIVIST brings something worthwhile to the table. Those doing peaceful protests may reach some in the community or halls. Those doing YouTube will reach a different demographic. Those who are going through mainstream media will touch others. Those who campaign to political and secular organisations will reach a different set of people. Those who write will find and reach others. One is not better than another but each enriches the landscape.

At the end of the day the social impact of every single activist is amazing. Why? There are 8 million people still in that cult. There are millions of family members not in the cult affected. There are millions of people who have left and there are many more millions that come into contact with Jehovah’s Witnesses daily. If you can even help 1 person it is worth it. Activism isn’t for everyone. It is not a path you have to take just because you have left. If you feel motivated to do so and feel the need then go for it.

Each country has a vast array of socio-economic demographics, racial structure, cultural backgrounds just to name a few. So having a vast array of content hopefully something out there will appeal to them. Freeing people from the cult is not a one size fits all approach so our apostasy shouldn’t be the same either. One doesn’t detract from the other to me it is like a rich story coming together where lots of little paths lead to the road marked freedom. I hesitate to use the word apostasy as i dislike the negative emotions that spring from that word. I like to use Facilitators of Freedom as a more appropriate mantra. Facilitating freedom and a better world is always an admirable goal.

So for me I honestly want to do more. I want to help and hopefully I can. My conscience demands I speak out and that silence will not help. It is not about anything else. Every story, every voice can raise up till it’s a deafening noise that can’t be ignored anymore.

Sam Fade

(First published Nov 2017 republished with author approval to VAA)