What do we mean by "direct action?"
Posted by Stop Coal Team at Jan 22, 2011 04:35 PM | Permalink
First and foremost, it means a commitment to getting personally involved in stopping climate change. Engaging in Direct Action means we will not stand by and expect others to solve this immense problem for us. It means we will not simply hope that government will do the right thing of its own accord. It is a commitment to active involvement in making positive change, and stopping what we regard as reckless and immoral behaviour on the part of government and business.
First and foremost, it means committing to personal involvement in the fight to stop climate change. It's about persistently showing up and speaking out. It means we will not stand by and expect others to solve this immense problem for us. It means we will not simply hope that government will do the right thing of its own accord. It is a commitment to active involvement in making positive change, and stopping what we regard as reckless and immoral behaviour on the part of government and business.
This encompasses a whole continuum of actions, from getting together with our neighbours to demand a meeting with our MLA or MP, to physically blocking destructive activities such as coal mining. For us it is always non-violent, and respectful of others. We do not condone property destruction.
We all need to “decide on the protest that best suits our convictions” * and find our place along that spectrum from a persistent demand for dialogue to civil disobedience. As a group, we have decided that traditional lobbying approaches like letter writing, attending meetings, and signing petitions will not, by themselves, lead to the changes needed to avoid a climate catastrophe.
We have concluded that the public needs to take more assertive, audacious steps to increase awareness and pressure government to radically reduce emissions. We are actively considering what actions to take to achieve our goal of stopping the mining and export of coal from BC. In all our efforts we pledge to act transparently and with dignity. We seek to inspire other British Columbians to do the same.
We take these steps because we have to, not because we want to. Because we are aware of how serious the problems are and how little time we have to act, we must take a stand. We can no longer ignore the crisis we face, or limit ourselves to responses that we know will have little or no impact.
We invite you to join us in these actions, and we also encourage you to talk to friends and neighbours and decide on the actions that best suit your convictions.
This is an ongoing conversation that needs to involve every British Columbian. We welcome your input.
*Martin Luther King, from his 1967 speech denouncing the Vietnam war. Well worth reading or listening to as you consider how best to “break your silence” on climate change.
Resources on direct action and civil disobedience:
(Note that we aren’t endorsing any of these views – we simply offer them for your consideration.)
Introduction to Non-Violent Direct Action (Social Justice Wiki)
"Nonviolent direct action confronts, disrupts, and actively opposes that which is wrong, albeit without violence."
Beyond Intractability
How do we encourage passive and active supporters to become active proponents -- consistently showing up and speaking out? How do we ensure that while acting and speaking from a strongly principled position we also build broader support?
Beyond Talk
Civil disobedience is a time-honored tactic and strategy of peaceful social movements. It has been used throughout history as an effective way to demonstrate the seriousness of an issue, the morality of a situation, and the commitment people have to bring about change.
There are occasions when outdated laws and policies are unable to ensure justice and the common good. We have reached such a moment in the struggle to stop global warming. As with Gandhi’s walk for independence and Martin Luther King’s march for equal rights, history now calls on people of conscience to peacefully take a principled stand on global warming. Today scientists and policy experts, like NASA’s James Hansen and Nobel Prize laureate Al Gore, are calling on Americans to engage in civil disobedience against coal-fired power plants, the country’s dirtiest energy source and biggest source of global warming pollution. more
Act UP Civil Disobedience Index
Network for Climate Action (UK)
