LibGuides: English: Past Issue: Youth Activism

What is activism?

Activism is the use of direct and noticeable action to achieve a result, usually a political or social one (source); or the process of campaigning in public or working for an organization in order to bring about political or social change (source).

Video: What is activism? Anjali Appadurai at TEDxYouth@Biddeford
Born in India and raised in Canada, Anjali began to explore ideas of social justice while in high school. Passionate about youth engagement and civil responsibility, in her second TEDxTalk, Anjali asks youth to question the definition of activism and to apply the interpretation that speaks to them in order to create the world they want to see in the future. Duration: 12:21

Video: Four Corners: Tremble and Obey

How the Chinese Communist Party crushed democracy. 30 years ago millions of students and citizens protested in Tiananmen Square calling for democracy. A trove of vision and audio reveals how the shocking events unfolded.

Production Year: 2019

Duration: 48:49

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Video: The Feed: Vegans: Activist or Terrorist

The vegan activist who stole livestock, got a $1 fine for her crimes, and then feared for her life. She was publicly outed, got death threats, and stalked in her private home. Who is in the right?

Production Year: 2019

Relevant section starts at 2:13

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Video: Fighting the System

Meet the environmental activists taking over a power station, the feminists confronting Rupert Murdoch and his entourage, & the animal rights champions invading high street stores.

Production Year: 2015

Duration: 55:13

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Video: 60 Minutes: Children of the Revolution

These days that old saying, “Children should be seen and not heard”, is just that: old. Young people have had enough of the way the adults are running the world and they want everyone to know they can do better. The latest global protest phenomenon has school kids going on strike, abandoning the classroom and taking to the streets to demand action on climate change. It’s a campaign that started with one teenager in Sweden, and it has grown to include 1.4 million angry and noisy students from 125 countries. And they’re not just loud, they’re also very smart. So perhaps we all need to be reminded that the times really are a-changin’.

Production Year: 2019

Relevant section starts at: 20:58

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Useful Links

ABC News: #GenerationLockdown: Two Australians shake up America with viral anti-gun ad
Watch the fake ad campaign that is shaking up Americans who are becoming increasingly numb to school shootings.
The Guardian: 'The beginning of great change': Greta Thunberg hails school climate strikes
The 16-year-old’s lone protest last summer has morphed into a powerful global movement challenging politicians to act.
Time Magazine: Next Generation Leaders
From a refugee boxer to a prolific YouTuber, meet 10 young people forging new paths in politics, music and more.
30 Activists Under 30 Who are Changing the World
The real change makers are not politicians. They’re not the multi-million dollar corporate donors. They’re regular people facing discrimination and dangerous social realities.

The people creating real change tend to be the people whose lives depend on that change. They cannot afford to be apathetic. They are everyday citizens, marginalised communities and, often, they are young people. These youths are standing up and banding together to better the world.

See resources about activism centred around The #MeToo movement.

Books Available in the Library

How I Resist by Maureen Johnson (Editor)
ISBN: 9781250168368
Now, more than ever, young people are motivated to make a difference in a world they're bound to inherit. They're ready to stand up and be heard - but with much to shout about, where they do they begin? What can I do? How can I help? How I Resist is the response, and a way to start the conversation. To show readers that they are not helpless, and that anyone can be the change. A collection of essays, songs, illustrations, and interviews about activism and hope.
No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg
ISBN: 0141991747
'Everything needs to change. And it has to start today'

In August 2018 a fifteen-year-old Swedish girl, Greta Thunberg, decided not to go to school one day. Her actions ended up sparking a global movement for action against the climate crisis, inspiring millions of pupils to go on strike for our planet, forcing governments to listen, and earning her a Nobel Peace Prize nomination.

This book brings you Greta in her own words. Collecting her speeches that have made history across Europe, from the UN to mass street protests, No One Is Too Small to Make A Difference is a rallying cry for why we must all wake up and fight to protect the living planet, no matter how powerless we feel. Our future depends upon it.
I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World by Malala Yousafzai
ISBN: 1780622155
Written in collaboration with Patricia McCormick, Malala tells her story - from her childhood in the Swat Valley to the shooting, her recovery and new life in England. She's a girl who loves cricket, gossips with her best friends, and, on the day of the shooting, nearly overslept and missed an exam. A girl who saw women suddenly banned from public, schools blown up, the Taliban seize control, and her homeland descend into a state of fear and repression. This is the story of her life, and also of her passionate belief in every child's right to education, her determination to make that a reality throughout the world, and her hope to inspire others.
Youth Activism in an Era of Education Inequality (eBook) by Ben Kirshner
ISBN: 9781479898053
What is youth activism and how does it contribute to youth development? How might collective movements of young people expand educational opportunity and participatory democracy? The interdependent relationship between youths' political engagement, their personal development, and democratic renewal is the central focus of this book. Kirshner argues that youth and societal institutions are strengthened when young people, particularly those most disadvantaged by educational inequity, turn their critical gaze to education systems and participate in efforts to improve them.
She Takes a Stand (eBook) by Michael Elsohn Ross
ISBN: 9781613730294
Portraits of brave women from the late 1800s through today: role models who are passionate about important issues. A source of inspiration for young women with strong social convictions, She Takes a Stand highlights 16 extraordinary women who have fought for human rights, civil rights, workers' rights, reproductive/sexual rights, and world peace. Among these are many who have been imprisoned, threatened, or suffered financial hardships for pursuing their missions to change the world for the better. Included are historic heroes such as anti-lynching crusader Ida B. Wells and suffragist Alice Paul, along with contemporary figures such as girls-education activist Malala Yousafzai; Sampat Pal Devi, who fights violence against Indian women; and SPARK executive director Dana Edell, who works to end the sexualization of women and girls in the media.
Girls Resist! by KaeLyn Rich
ISBN: 9781683690597
This book covers topics like picking a cause, fundraising, networking, and protesting, as well as teen-specific topics and how-tos like having tough talks with unsupportive family members, lobbying and campaigning for representatives when you're too young to vote, and best practices for being effective (and safe!) while raising awareness on social media.
Craftivism by Betsy Greer
ISBN: 9781551525341
Craftivism is a worldwide movement that operates at the intersection of craft and activism; Craftivism the book is full of inspiration for crafters who want to create works that add to the greater good. In these essays, interviews, and images, craftivists from four continents reveal how they are changing the world with their art. Through examples that range from community embroidery projects, stitching in prisons, revolutionary ceramics, AIDS activism, yarn bombing, and crafts that facilitate personal growth, Craftivism provides imaginative examples of how crafters can be creative and altruistic at the same time. Available as both a print book and eBook.