5 Ways To Be More Politically Active
In our modern world, the political sphere that surrounds us all and impacts all our lives can at times seem daunting and impossible to change. So here are my five ways of being more politically active.
1. Use social media
Social media is a frontrunner in modern political activism. It can be used to reach and share a message to thousands of people, including those who aren’t yet involved in the grass routes movements of political change. By following or liking pages and accounts of political parties and/or activist groups you then subject yourself to all the services they provide like events, fundraisers, campaigns and meetings. Because we all check our phones and social media platforms so often, adding political activism pages to all the things we like and follow can be a very good and convenient place to start if you want to be more politically active.
2. Get organised
One of the trickiest parts of political activism is knowing where to start, people are often in the position of wanting to help but not knowing where to go or what to do. The best way to eliminate this problem is to utilise the already existing organised groups and political parties in your area or in your city. Activist groups and campaigning organisations will very often have branches and meetings in your local area or your city. These services are catered for and completely welcoming of people who aren’t politically active but want to be. It simply takes looking online or scanning social media, I’m sure you will find something or some group whose cares and interests you can liken yourself to.
3. Educate yourself
In order to be an efficient and effective social activist and campaigner, you need to be knowledgable and well-read on the issues you are campaigning against and/or the social message you want to fight for. By researching and getting familiarised with the issues and ethics that are at the heart of the campaigns and movements you liken yourself to, you will become an extremely valid and useful member of those movements. Because you know what you want and you know what you’re fighting for. So educate yourself, it’s as easy as reading up about social issues online and being up to date with the news, because once you care and know a lot about something you will want to know about everything you can do and say to help your movement.
4. Set goals and targets
Because campaigning and activism are so often tackling large societal issues like sexism, racism, class inequality etc it can be challenging to know what you want or what you’re aiming to do by being politically active. So, by setting reachable and tangible targets like helping in a certain fundraiser or being active in a specific local campaign, political activism becomes a bit less daunting and your help feels a lot more significant. Then subsequently over time, it is the victories and accomplishments of small campaigns and local activism that collectively contributes to the political progress you are striving for. It is, after all, the accomplishments of grass routes movements that change the world and turns the wheels of political history.
5. Share and involve
In any political movement or organised social activism, the more people who get involved, the more successful and impactful the movement is. By involving family and friends in your activism, not only does that involve more people to help in your movement but it also subsequently spreads the message of what you and your movement are trying to achieve. Always make it known what you’re trying to do, whether it be by sharing things on social media or just letting people know how to get involved. The more people your movement has, the more powerful it becomes.
