Name:

Course:

Instructor:

Date:

Activism

Activists’ acts may range from letter writing, posters, boycotts, demonstrations, to terrorist acts, in cases where matters get out of hand. More often, activists confront their opposition in swaying their opinion while also gaining support from the general public. Activists seek to educate the public on matters relating to why they are getting involved in activism acts. Parental modeling is somewhat significant in bringing up future activists because many children learn from their parents how to respond to particular situations appropriately. Those who are likely to become prime activists develop a personality while still young. They learn to speak out for themselves whenever they feel emotionally compelled on issues that matter to them. They can also speak on behalf of the others who tend to be shy and fear confrontation. People usually become activists to promote, enact, or intervene in the social, political, economic, or environmental change to reform societal course towards a perceived greater good (Han, Pg. 1). The paper looks to focus on Greta Thunberg’s TEDTalk and Yousafzai’s UN speech.

Being an activist requires boldness, bravery, and some considerations to the issues that matter to the well-being of society. At the age of 15, Thunberg was a recognized environmental activist and had won an essay contest about the environmental issues in a local newspaper. Following her win, she could not relax, and so she started to hold protests at the parliament premises in Sweden. Thunberg vowed to continue with the protests until the Swedish government reconsiders the environmental issues per the world’s agreed carbon emissions target (“Greta Thunberg: Who Is She And What Does She Want?”). The protests took a hit on social media and widely spread across the world. Her hashtag read #FridaysForFortune. Thunberg could miss Friday classes regularly to attend the protests and often urged students worldwide to join her. In a few months, many students started to hold protests across major cities in the world. In 2019, Thunberg did not return to school; instead, she continued to campaign and attend climate conferences. She also traveled to New York to address environmental issues at the UN conference. Upon her return, she refused to board a plane as she was concerned with the environmental issues, and she ended up going back with a racing yacht, which took two weeks. Millions of people applauded Thunberg’s acts across the world, and they started to protest in support of her movement.

The reason as to why people become activists is to speak for their rights and the rights of hundreds of people struggling to achieve the goals of peace, education, and equality (Doshisha.Ed. Pg. 16). Yousafzai understood that millions of people had fallen victim to terrorism acts, and someone has to step up and speak on their behalf. She says of the right to equality of opportunity and the right to education. An activist, she is determined to stop at nothing to achieve her ambitions and life expectations. Yousafzai cannot afford to be weak; either can she display a sign of fear and hopelessness as she has to pursue her dreams. Being an activist, she understands that women’s rights and girlchild education matter to society. Still, the vast majority of the people who should step up for such projects do not care whatsoever. She urges men not to stop fighting for women’s rights, but meanwhile, women need to come forward and fight for what is right for them. The only way to liberate society or rather the oppressed in society is through the activists’ voices. Activists’ words mean a lot to the world and can inspire changes and prosperity.

In conclusion, it takes more than taking out to the streets to air your grievances. Activists face confrontation from the authorities while trying to protests for their rights. Indeed, standing for what is need people who can sacrifice the time, resources, life, more importantly, being bold and courageous. Activists are often interviewed to address why they are protesting and what they think should be done to rectify the situation. To be an outstanding activist, one has to be bold, sacrifice, and courageous. The three aspects can make one standout among the crowd.

Works Cited

“Greta Thunberg: Who Is She And What Does She Want?”. BBC News, 2020, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49918719.

Doshisha.Ed.Jp, 2020, http://www.doshisha.ed.jp/information/attached/news_20140216yamamoto.pdf.

Han, Hahrie. How organizations develop activists: Civic associations and leadership in the 21st century. Oxford University Press, 2014.