In the olden days, there were a few numbers of an activist but nowadays, many people have become an activist. Thus, a question came to mind.
Is becoming an activist worth it? What are the things required to become an activist? Does becoming an activist require a degree? Or which course should one study to become an activist?
We shall answer the questions above one by one. If you really want to become or know the meaning and what it takes to become an activist, then let’s start.
An activist is what everyone can become. You can become an activist before next month or week if you choose to. You don’t have to have a degree to become an activist.
Meaning of an activist
An activist is derived from the word activism, a system whereby a person gathers a group of people in form of protest to talk about the inappropriate or ineffective management of political or governmental administration.
Hence, an activist is a person who believes strongly in political or social change and takes part in activities such as public protests to try to make this happen. Activists put their efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic, or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good
The main aim of most activists is to get their motive solved or become the part of the political administrator.
How to become an activist (step-by-step)
I’m a big fan of activism. I remember the joy I felt on my first day of school when I learned that there was an organization called Students for a Democratic Society and that it had something to do with getting involved in politics and making things better for people who are disadvantaged or need help.
As it turns out, I was right! In fact, one single organization has changed the world: The United Nations.
#1. Find an issue you are good at
- Find an issue you are good at exploring and care about.
- Choose an issue that you are passionate about, and one that can make a difference right now.
- Make sure your passion is something worth caring about—and not just because it’s trendy or cool to do so at the moment.
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#2. Get educated on the field you want to explore
As an activist, you need to be educated on the field you want to explore. This means learning from experts, listening to other people’s stories and experiences, and reading about issues that are important for your community.
Education is essential because it helps us understand what’s happening in our world today. It also teaches us how we can make change happen by working together with others who share similar values or goals as we do.
For example, if there’s a big problem affecting one group of people (e.g., climate change), then one way of solving this problem would be through education because it teaches people how they could help protect themselves against future disasters caused by global warming or pollution from factories near their homes or even just being aware of these things so they can participate in decision-making processes when needed!
#3. Always involve in research
Do your research, that is, research the issue like:
- What is it? Who are its victims, perpetrators, and bystanders?
- Why do they suffer from this issue?
- How long have they suffered from it?
- What is causing them to suffer from this issue today?
- Can you make a difference in any way by helping out with the cause (if so, how)?
- What needs to happen for people affected by this issue to be treated fairly and humanely—and what can you do about these needs if you’re interested in making the change on behalf of those affected by injustice or oppression around the world?
Also, research causes & effects:
- How do one person’s actions affect another;
- How does one person’s decision influence others’ decisions;
- How could one individual’s actions lead directly toward positive outcomes for society as a whole without anyone having done anything wrong themselves!
#4. Find your community
The first step to becoming an activist is finding your community. There are lots of ways to do this, but the best way is by finding a group of people who share your values and goals.
You should also look for groups that have been active in issues similar to yours or are at least willing to support you if they see potential in what you’re doing.
Finally, find out if the group has any track record of success if it hasn’t yet made its mark on society, then perhaps it’s not worth investing time and energy into its cause(s).
Finally, be sure that whatever group(s) you join will continue supporting each other long after the cause has become successful (or failed). That way no one feels left behind when things go well!
#5. Get involved in the politics
The next step is to get involved in politics. This can be done by voting, supporting politicians who support your cause, and not supporting those who don’t.
Voting is an easy way to get involved with politics because it’s something everyone has to do at some point. If there are no other options available, then you should definitely vote!
Supporting politicians who support your cause will help them get elected and retain power over time so that they continue making decisions in line with what you want for yourself and others like yourself (and maybe even others who aren’t exactly like yourself).
#6. Define your goals
When you’re starting out, it can be tempting to go through the motions and just wing it. But if you want to succeed, it’s important that you have a clear vision of where you want your activism career path to lead.
The key here is not only defining what kind of work or organization would suit your needs but also setting realistic expectations for yourself based on how much time and energy (and money) are available in this area.
For example, if one goal is “to get involved with animal rights issues as soon as possible,” then don’t worry about having another goal such as “to start volunteering every Monday night at Petco.”
Instead, focus on making sure each week counts towards accomplishing both sets of goals—that way even if they’re not necessarily related they still count towards helping animals!
#7. Plan very deeply
Planning is essential to becoming an activist. If you don’t plan, then what will happen? You will make mistakes and lose sight of your goals.
Planning helps you stay focused on the task at hand and avoid making any unnecessary trips or other distractions. It also helps prevent procrastination by giving yourself deadlines for each step in the process that must be completed before moving on to another step in your activism plan (e.g., writing a blog post).
#8. Be ready to travel anytime
Traveling is a part of activism. Traveling can be done in many different ways, but the one thing that is important to remember is that you should always try to get involved with your community. This way, you can help build relationships and expand your network within the community at large. Also, traveling will give you opportunities to learn about new issues and meet people who care about them as well!
#9. Diversify your tactics
You may have heard the term “tactic” before. In this case, it refers to a specific action that you take on your behalf. For example:
- A tactic could be joining an anti-trafficking organization and advocating for their cause by signing petitions or attending events.
- A strategy can be more expansive than just one tactic; it involves many different actions taken at once in order to achieve your goal (such as organizing a march).
Another kind of tactic is called a campaign; these are larger efforts involving multiple tactics over time that work toward achieving a single goal (like getting Congress to pass legislation against human trafficking). Campaigns often involve coalition-building with other groups working toward similar goals so they can share resources and build momentum together towards their goal(s).
#10. Build momentum for change
- Don’t give up.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for money, time, ideas, or anything else that might help you move forward with your activism project.
- If you’re new at this (or even if you’ve been doing it for a while), don’t be afraid to reach out and ask someone who’s more experienced in the field of activism how they got started on their path toward advocacy work!
#11. Make a difference in your own community
It is good to make a difference in your own community if you really want to become an activist very fast. Start making a difference even though they don’t value your service.
There are many things you can do for your community, for example, boreholes, electricity, construction of streets, schools, hospitals, etc.
Where you are making these differences:
- Don’t get discouraged by the enormity of the problem.
- Try to be the first person to make these differences, don’t wait for someone else to solve it.
- Use your own mind and don’t wait for someone else to tell you what to do or give you permission.
Conclusion
It’s not easy to get involved in activism. But we hope that this article has helped you understand the process and given you some ideas on how best to start your own campaign.
Remember, it’s important to identify an issue that matters to you and then do research on how others have been successful at making the change on that issue before getting started.
Note also that there are many ways for people like us who want nothing but good for our communities as well as future generations of humans throughout history to participate in making changes happen!
We hope that this article has helped you know the meaning and how to become an activist? Please subscribe to our newsletter or like our Facebook page for more important updates.
