Activist Brigette DePape was a page in the Canadian Senate when she came to the attention of the public on June 3, 2011 by a protest she made during the first throne speech of the majority government of Stephen Harper. By silently holding up a sign that said “Stop Harper!” she earned dismissal from her job, the media nickname “the rogue page,” and the admiration of Canadians concerned with the undemocratic, ideologically extreme tendencies of the Harper government.

DePape has produced an extensive essay for the Council of Canadians on how we can be more engaged in political life and activism. rabble.ca is reprinting the essay in five parts, with part five running today. Links to others are below.

Since my action in the Canadian Senate, I have found it incredibly valuable to meet older activists. It has been reassuring to realize that they have been grappling for years with many of the same dilemmas that I am today. It is also inspiring to see the great joy and meaning these activists derive from activism. This is the same joy I am feeling as I begin doing grassroots work.

I am grateful for the insights that older activists have shared with me. Through exchanges with them, I am beginning to understand what has and has not worked in Canada in the past. I think that younger activists like me have a lot to learn from the experiences and insights of more seasoned organizers. Through intergenerational learning, we can help ensure mistakes are not repeated and build on the victories and the important groundwork laid by our predecessors.

Surrounded by student activists and peers working on campaigns from bottled water-free campuses to boycotts to blockades, I see the incredible energy and clarity of vision that young people can bring to the movement. It is not only younger activists who could benefit from learning and working with seasoned activists, but older activists can also benefit from working with young community organizers.

Imagine the kind of synergy that could be forged by the coming together of the fresh and steadfast vision of young people with the political know-how and experience of older activists.

I would love to see more intergenerational learning take place. Progressives could do more to mentor young leaders. Community organizer Ashley Burczak explains that, “The Right has prioritized efforts to build young leaders […] developing structures enabling new activists to enter their communities, educating those activists on the core tenets of the movement, and providing them with the skills they need to lead.” This kind of cross-generational learning would be extremely beneficial for young activists.

The Next Up Program is one great example of older activists creating a space for intergenerational learning. It is perhaps the closest thing Canada has to an activist school. Through a mentorship program, participants train in the areas of critical analysis, media and communication skills, and community organizing. Participants complete a community placement and young people receive the guidance they need to grow as community leaders and activists.

While mentoring and training of young activists by older ones is key, I also see that there needs to be more space for younger activists, who have often spearheaded blossoming grassroots groups, to put forward and live out their visions. It is important that older activists ask themselves not only how they can engage youth in what they are doing, but also how they can support the grassroots work young people are doing. How can we come together?

I’ve been encouraged to discover the kinds of forward-thinking, yet politically sound campaigns, that can be built when “green and grown” (or young and old) activists team up together. One example is the Save Our Prison Farms Campaign in Kingston, Ontario, which includes people of all ages — from a junior high school student to grandparents. Together, this intergenerational group organized an advocacy and educational campaign and bravely blockaded their cattle to stop Harper from shutting down their prison farm. (While the farm eventually fell victim to Harper’s tough on crime agenda, I remain inspired by this group whose members refuse to give up the struggle for food sovereignty and restorative justice and continue to strategize on next steps.)

In terms of intergenerational campaigns, I was thrilled to hear about the sit-in staged in John Baird’s office by young people in solidarity with the striking postal workers. While the action did not receive the attention it deserved, it’s a good example of the kinds of student and worker solidarity actions that we need to see more of.

Another way to build intergenerational links is by parents mobilizing with their children. It is wonderful to see parents who are supportive of their children’s activism. Still, the best way for parents to support their children would be to join them on the streets. We need movement-parents. Harper’s agenda is going to make it very difficult for people my age in the future: his inaction on climate change will compromise clean air and water, his attack on pensions and social programs make future prospects for young people much bleaker. If parents want to ensure a secure and healthy life for their children, they should consider joining their children and other young people to mobilize.

It is exciting to imagine the kind of change we can create when people of all ages join together. With mentorship programs and intergenerational solidarity and campaigns, as well as the prospect of movement-parents, I am hopeful that links between younger and older generations in Canada are beginning to form. 

The effects of taking action and prospects for our movement

It is exciting to think about the future of social movements in Canada. What if we decide to make the leap and collectively take action to create a better Canada? If the past is any indicator for the future, a plethora of positive impacts will follow. 

I know firsthand that when one person or group takes action, it gives other people strength and courage by reminding us of the power we all have. I’ve been inspired by people in Canada taking action, like the campaign of climate activists, students, and Indigenous community members who stood up to Urbandale Construction Corporation and Richcraft Homes to stop them from cutting down a forest near Beaver Pond in Kanata, a small community outside of Ottawa, Ontario. While the action was not successful in the sense that the developers eventually cut down the trees, it was successful in the sense that it inspired me and many others in the movement to defend the rights of nature and Indigenous rights. When a butterfly flaps its wings, it can cause the earth to shake. When one person takes action against injustice, other actions will follow and culminate in shaking the world of injustice. 

I have discovered the wealth of evidence that shows the effect non-violent direct action can have on people by ending submissiveness, increasing fearlessness, revealing one’s power, increasing self-esteem, bringing hope and satisfaction, taming aggression and violence, and increasing group unity.

Since my own action, I have felt a sense of fearlessness I have not felt before. When I saw Stephen Harper at the movie theatre two years ago, I felt the urge to do something, but I held back. I wanted to scold him for pillaging the dirtiest energy of all in the tar sands to perpetuate an unhealthy oil addiction; for stealing Indigenous land and poisoning our water; for subsidizing big business while eroding the social safety net the rest of us depend on. Instead, I muttered meekly, “Did you like the film?” By taking action, I proved to myself that I am no longer afraid.

Democracy is as much a process as it is an atmosphere. That atmosphere of change has been fermenting throughout much of the world as we saw with the Arab Spring. What would it take to bring that mood here to Canada? 

So many people are already working to stop Harper and his agenda. Many choose to work quietly. What if our efforts began to express themselves in the streets instead of in the privacy of our homes and offices? We are beginning to see this. In the past few years, there has been remarkable surge in public protests in Canada. Look at the thousands of people who protested at the G20. The movement is building. 

What would a peaceful uprising look like in Canada? We would not only come together virtually, showing solidarity on Facebook and on the internet, but with our bodies. We would move from our homes and tight-knit circles of friends and into the streets. By coming together physically, we embody our unity and common vision. By converging as a public, we show our breadth and power. Our vision for a more democratic and just society is no longer something we read about and talk about. We see it. We feel it in the bodies beside us. We hear it in our chants.

Conclusion

It is time for our Arab Spring, our water war, our civil rights movement.

Following my action, I’ve been trying to get my hands on as much information about direct action and movement building as I can. But as I read history books about non-violent direct action, examples from Canada are generally missing. I look for them in the table of contents, but they are not there. I envision a day when the movement we are growing will be cited alongside amazing movements for justice and democracy that are happening around the world. It is time for our Arab Spring. It is time for our civil rights movement. It is time for our water war. Let’s put Canada on the map of mass non-violent action by building a movement of people who will fight for human rights, Indigenous rights, the rights of nature, and the rights of future generations. 

I used to be afraid to question, to challenge, to dream, to experiment, but no longer. I am beginning to discover the power of dreaming seriously about a better Canada and working with others to create it. I once shared in the misconception that Harper has been given free rein to do as he pleases. But now I realize that he hasn’t — all Canadians have a hold on the reins too and we can help steer our country on a better course. We are united through the Commons — through water, democracy, the economy, health needs. Hope for Canada over the next four years and beyond lies not with government, but with the rest of us, organizing together for a country based on our own voices, values and vision.

The flourishing of people power in Egypt is thanks to a myriad of unions, organizers and committed individuals who did not wait for change. They became the change. What is incredible is that here, too, each one of us has the power to bring about change. As Rebecca Solnit explains, “young women in veils and an unknown 20-year-old rapping in Arabic and you yourself, if you wanted it, sometimes have tremendous power, enough to bring down a dictator, enough to change the world.” I have been inspired most of all by Asmaa Mahfouz, the 26-year-old woman who issued a video calling for Egyptians to join her in Tahrir Square. People did, and they together made the Egyptian revolution. Her words will always stay with me: “As long as you say there is no hope, then there will be no hope, but if you go and take a stand, then there will be hope.”

This article is part of an essay that was published by The Council of Canadians. It can be read in full here.

Part one — Thinking outside the ballot box: Stop Harper

Part two — Thinking outside the ballot box: Democracy means involvement

Part three — Stop Harper: Moving beyong the Hill and using people power

Part four — Political life and activism

Cathryn Atkinson

Cathryn Atkinson is the former News and Features Editor for rabble.ca. Her career spans more than 25 years in Canada and Britain, where she lived from 1988 to 2003. Cathryn has won five awards...