- a tutor and a teacher (not automatically activism either but it is how i do it)
- worked for the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers
- marched + organized protests on various issues
- supported folks who worked on abortion/planned parenthood clinic defense (front line of only sustained US terrorist campaign in the past 20 years. but i wasn't out in front myself at the time)
- part of underground party scene and organized benefits for several good causes (not automatically activism but sometimes was, whether benefit or no)
- a tutor and a teacher (not automatically activism either but it is how i do it)
- volunteer medic at protest and demonstrations in the US
- volunteering in the Jamaican prison system
No 'fence, but I can imagine your students groaning inwardly at the prospect of double Class Struggle with Prof. Angry...
Edit: that sounds really harsh, just kidding, y'understand.
I get you, but you've lost the distinction Sufi was making in the question.
Incidentally I prefer to write lengthy letters to my MP, and to track his voting patterns and complain every time he does something self-serving
What's the most effective form of political activism?
it's all very useless. we must all give up trying to change anything.
fundamentalists gaining power everywhere, the left ate its own liver for breakfast. soon fascism and milliatarism will be flavor of the day as resource-crisis escalates (along with increasing extreme weather patterns).
well i moved to a place where i don't have to drive. i eat much much less meat than 3 years ago. i recycle every day. and feel pretty fucking powerless in regards to political situations around the world and various scenarios playing out in the next 40 years.
I think there are no really easy answer to this one. If there were then everyone would be doing the same thing.
I think the most important thing, after having decided what you believe in and feel strongly about, is just to do something. When you've done something you will be better placed to consider whether or not it was effective, at which point you have a rethink, and do something else - or the same thing but better.
So it's a feedback loop really.
A lot of it depends on what you feel passionate about and what your short and long term aims are. Additionally, what campaigns are active near where you live or work, and can you actually stand working with the people involved?
So for a given group of people their lives may be immeasurably improved, but at the cost of allowing the structural reasons for their issue arising to continue to exist...