Protest as a State of Existence

“Today, protest doesn’t have to be a walk on the street or holding a banner, but a statement of existing, repeatedly re-announcing your position.”

-Ai Weiwei

Humanity is stumbling on dire times. Pacific Ocean garbage patches the size of Texas, Corexit and oil wash-ups in the Gulf and the exploitation of labor in developing nations are just a few off the ever growing list of calamities that threaten our presence on earth. With corporations sitting on some of the largest stockpiles of cash in history and utilizing it with the promise of economic prosperity to sway public policy and opinion, the traditional notion of protest is no longer sufficient to counter influence public policy and avert the approaching climate catastrophe.

Amidst emerald grass lawns, traffic congestions and endless hours absorbing television broadcasts, we have grown up with the feeling that there was something counter-intuitive or just plain wrong with the way we lived. The usual fingers point at greedy corporations eager to exploit the earth and its people in the pursuit of profit. However, it is the consumers that drive demand and use money as voting power to fuel these organizations. With that in mind, consumers do in fact have the power to change the world through the use of choice. Our protest must expand to become a state of existence where choices stem from the awareness of what is wrong in the world and attempt to fix it.

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

-Mahatma Gandhi

Our protest must permeate into our very being. All of our choices and actions must reflect our desire for a better world. We have the choice to no longer demand any product or service which does not pass fundamental human rights or environmental standards and forgo lower prices, popular brands and convenience. Instead we can choose to live simply or funnel our hard earned bucks into products and services into companies that inspire human potential and protect the earth. We can choose to grow gardens, bike to work and use our time more productively. It is possible to cast our ballot for the society we wish to have through the choices we make every day.

This new approach to protest transcends time and space. Every choice you make is an extension of the protest for a better world. Once we begin making these defiant choices for the greater good we can expect to see systems attempt to adapt and reorganize around this new narrative where consumers wish to drive society in the direction of a better world.

What ongoing problems are you aware of? How do you actively live in protest of these problems?

References

¹Cheng, Andria. "Nike, Adidas Warily Eye Latest round of Labour Protests in China." Market Watch. 16 Apr. 2014. Web. 02 June 2014.

²Merchant, Brian. "Three Years After the Gulf Spill, Oil Is Still Washing Up in Louisiana." Motherboard. 22 Apr. 2013. Web. 02 June 2014.

³Parker, Laura. "Plane Search Shows World's Oceans Are Full of Trash." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 04 Apr. 2014. Web. 02 June 2014.

⁴Sebag-Montefiore, Clarissa. "An Interview with Ai Weiwei." Aeon Magazine. 2 May 2014. Web. 02 June 2014.

⁵Simms, Andrew. "Where Is the Signboard to Warn of a Climate Catastrophe?" The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 02 June 2014. Web. 02 June 2014.

⁶Tencer, Daniel. "Canada's Corporate Cash Hoard Is Nearly One-Third Of GDP: IMF." The Huffington Post. 25 Mar. 2014. Web. 02 June 2014.