Learning to turn the tide
Ann Johnson gives us an example
When faced with a situation of shocking injustice and/or suffering, we can be fired to rush in and set about trying to do everything possible to change it. Alas, all too often we achieve far less than we had hoped. We can then experience burn-out and feel defeated by the enormity of the task.
According to Steve Whiting of ‘Turning the Tide’, rather than being tempted to engage in immediate and hectic activity, we may find it more valuable to stand back and pause before asking ourselves, ‘Where can I put my best efforts?’, before thinking through and assessing potential opportunities.
‘Turning the Tide’ is the Quaker Peace & Social Witness programme to promote the understanding of using nonviolent action as a positive tool for change in society. Members of Quaker Concern for Animals (QCA) invited Steve and his fellow facilitator Kiyo Miyamoto to run a workshop at our AGM on 7 May at Friends House. Kiyo and Steve opened up for us pathways to tackling seemingly insurmountable problems. Through a series of simple processes, daunting tasks suddenly became more manageable. We were helped by a simple, portable, nonviolent action ‘toolkit’, which can be applied to a wide range of causes. Our group of QCA members and guests used this kit to address the everyday, sometimes casual, yet monumental abuse and exploitation suffered by non-human animals. Our experience turned out to be illuminating, encouraging and empowering.
The aim was to deconstruct a central problem by locating and identifying potential root causes that could prove more realistic targets for action. Using pencils, ‘post-it’ notes and a ‘washing line’ where we each pinned our special Concerns, Steve and Kiyo showed us how to effect change through simple strategic thinking and campaign planning. We explored this through drawing a series of inverted pyramids on struts, then placing the problem in the pyramid and the underlying factors that supported it – the ‘pillars of power’ – on the struts. By selecting one key support factor and placing it in the next pyramid, we could commence identifying its own ‘pillars of power’ – and so on.
Potential campaigns suggested for our workshop included one against the legal use of whips in British horseracing, the installation of CCTV in all abattoirs, banning unregulated breeding of companion animals, dedicating aisles in supermarkets for non-animal-tested toiletries and raising awareness of how animals suffer in warfare through publicising the ‘purple poppies’ initiative.
Since Turning the Tide is not issue-based, this programme can be applied to many different causes. Members of Quaker Concern for Animals ended the day in no doubt that change can become a reality.
For more information on the Turning the Tide programme visit: www.turning-the-tide.org
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