For Fighters: Five Steps to Change the World, NOW.

After demanding that you do more, please let me explain: For more than 20 years I have been working with children, youth, and adults in Canada and across the U.S. to change the world. For all my life, I have been learning from fighters, people who burn with the desire to make another world possible. I have learned a lot from them about how to engage young people; how to create change throughout our communities; when youth voice must be heard; who listens, who speaks, and who ignores children and youth; and what difference engaging youth can make.

Today, more than ever, the fighters among us are wondering what they can do to make a difference. Among the things I have learned from my work is what work is worth doing, and how to get that work done. Never one to just listen and believe, I have tested these learnings in my own life and in the work of the organizations I’ve worked with and have found they work. Here, then, is one thing I have learned.

Step 1: GET MOTIVATED.

• Start by figuring out what reality you want to change. Do that by asking yourself what matters to you in your life and why that matters. Wonder out loud or write privately, but whittle your concerns down to a tangible, real issue that you can see. Check out this list on The Freechild Project website if you want inspiration.
• Ask yourself why you want to change that reality. Develop a clear picture of what is wrong, what should be different, and what makes you think that it needs to be different. If you can’t figure out those points, you might not have the right issue in mind. If you are positive you do, then keep digging. The Community Toolbox offers a useful writeup of the SWOT Analysis tool.

Step 2: INCREASE YOUR KNOWLEDGE.

• Begin by getting educated. If you think you already know a lot about an issue, dig deeper and learn even more. If you know nothing, begin slowly. Use free tools like Wikipedia, and ask your friends, family, and neighbors what they think. The Freechild Project provides a useful resource section.
• Get different view points. No situation is exactly what it appears to be; there are layers to peel back and opportunities to examine. Ask tough questions of anyone who agrees with you. Have one-minded conversations with people you totally disagree with. The PEW Research Center for the People and the Press has a nice online tool for learning about different social perspectives, and Tom Hayden wrote a great summary of how radicals and idealists become co-opted by opportunists.

Step 4: TAKE ACTION.

• Action requires… acting. Without spending too much time planning, launch into employing the knowledge and skills you have and have acquired. Sometimes, the best way to move things forward is to simply get moving, deliberately and with intention. Learn about the good work of Take Part.
• Do not accept the way things are. Anytime you face a roadblock, name it, walk to it, and confront it. If that is another person, if that is an organization, if that is a situation, it doesn’t matter: work to change it. Do not take “No.” for an answer, do not settle for complacency, and whatever happens, never say “never”. Here’s an introduction to “Stimulants and Barriers to Social Change” that I found useful.

Written by Adam Fletcher, this article was originally posted to http://commonaction.blogspot.com. Learn more at adamfletcher.net!