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<\/a>To me, the word \u201cactivism\u201d means active resistance, defiance and struggle against injustices, inequality and oppression. To really understand where modern day activism came from and how it is executed, one must be familiar with the two ancient religious stories that pretty much shape modern day \u201cactivism.\u201d<\/p>\nThe first story is about the Olympians.<\/p>\n
The Twelve Olympians, also known as the\u00a0Dodekatheon\u00a0(Greek:\u00a0d\u014ddeka<\/i>, 12, and theoi<\/i>, gods), were the principal\u00a0deities\u00a0of the Greek\u00a0pantheon. These gods are said to reside atop\u00a0of Mount Olympus in Greece. The Olympians gained their supremacy in a 10-year-long\u00a0war of gods\u00a0in which Zeus led his siblings to victory over their predecessor gods, the\u00a0Titans. The Olympians had to replace the Titans because they were considered strong, fierce, oppressive, cruel and violent. So the Olympians had to beat them by becoming even stronger and fiercer. The more familiar \u201cscene\u201d to this story that we see today, once every four years, is the Olympic games where athletes have to compete and excel to win by becoming the strongest and fiercest.<\/p>\n
The second story is about Moses<\/p>\n
This Biblical story of Moses \u2014 believed to be one of the messengers of God according to Abrahamic religions \u2014 leading the Jews who were enslaved, abused and oppressed by the Egyptian pharaohs, who were the rulers of Egypt, to the Promised Land \u2014 metaphorically called the land of milk and honey, but we can translate it as the land of freedom, abundance and happiness \u2014 as per the will of God.<\/p>\n
God prescribed commandments (laws) in writing on stone, which means they cannot be edited, and gave it to Moses to be implemented as it is. The only thing the enslaved Jews had to do was to comply. Maybe this is how the \u201crule of law and order\u201d has become second nature to the Western world for anybody who strives for the Promised Land \u2014 the land of freedom, abundance and happiness.<\/p>\n
Modern day human rights movements too, which are modeled from the \u201cWest\u201d, are influenced by these \u201cWestern\u201d stories (beliefs), which believe in a justice- and equality-based society ruled by \u201claw and order.\u201d<\/p>\n
Most modern-day activism is, more or less, a replica of these combined ideas of the Promised Land which is actualized by becoming an \u201cOlympian.\u201d We can see, on one hand, how human rights NGOs are asked to come up with a vision statement, their own idea of the Promised Land. This is then followed by set of business rules and operating procedures. On the other hand, human rights activists are expected to be rebellious and defiant against the system or authority or the government that are (or are considered to be) oppressive, cruel, abusive and violent.<\/p>\n
And the result is expected that the freedom, abundance and happiness \u2014 the Promised Land \u2014 will be actualized by changing \u201cbad law\u201d into \u201cgood law\u201d and changing the \u201cexclusive order\u201d into the \u201cinclusive one\u201d by \u201cOlympian\u201d means, which means being tough, being a champion, being excellent, being achievement-oriented.<\/p>\n
In activism, the active resistances and struggles are daily \u201cnorms.\u201d Those \u201cactivists\u201d who appear to be soft and more inclined towards dialogue and conversations are considered \u201chardly-an-activist\u201d or are even sometimes accused of being \u201ccowardly-activist.\u201d<\/p>\n
This perception and approach of \u201cactivism\u201d is well-suited in \u201cWestern\u201d countries because the predominant belief of a \u201cjust and equal\u201d world. And this belief is re-enforced by the cultures of being the best, and the rule of \u201claw and order.\u201d<\/p>\n
Whereas the \u201cOriental\u201d (Eastern) approach towards human rights activism may not be realized by replicating the \u201cWestern model\u201d because \u201cEastern\u201d beliefs are different. The cultures that are derived from these beliefs are very different. Buddhists for example don\u2019t believe in the Promised Land that is far out there somewhere. Buddhism rather talks about Nibbana<\/i> (Nirvana in Sanskrit.)<\/p>\n
The basic idea of Nibbana<\/i> is being out of \u201cthe suffering\u201d and focusing on the \u201chere and now\u201d and not the \u201cpast.\u201d It means not indulging in memories, which actually means \u201cnot getting attached\u201d to your ego and simply \u201cletting go.\u201d It also means not indulging in the \u201cfuture,\u201d which actually means \u201cnot having any expectations\u201d of self-desire.<\/p>\n
I am also aware that the notion of \u201cnot having any expectations\u201d in life can be a troublesome idea for many, particularly to \u201cWesterners,\u201d because \u201cWestern cultures cherish the idea of \u201cachievement,\u201d whereas \u201cEastern cultures\u201d \u2014 Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism \u2014 emphasize the idea of \u201creflection through introspection.\u201d So the question that usually one deals with is, \u201cHow to do what I do in the \u2018West?\u2019\u201d and, \u201cHow to do what I do in the \u2018East?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
No wonder why the \u201cWest\u201d produces more technicians, engineers and scientists and the \u201cEast\u201d produces more gurus and philosophers.<\/p>\n
Buddhism explains the dynamics of suffering, how to end it and calls it the Four Noble Truths. The layperson\u2019s modern translations of them are follows: 1) Suffering: Acknowledging the problem. 2) Cause of the suffering: Identifying and understanding the \u201ccombinations of causes\u201d to that problem. 3) The secession of the suffering: Knowing that the problems can be solved. And 4) paths to the secession of the suffering: The paths that one should follow to realize the state of \u201cno problem.\u201d This idea is also very similar to the very ancient idea of Ayurveda (literal translation is \u201cknowledge of life and longevity,\u201d which is also popularly known as the ancient medical science of India\/South Asia.)<\/p>\n
The how: Buddhist way of doing human rights passivism (by end of this article you will, hopefully, understand why I use the word \u201cpassivism.\u201d)<\/p>\n
The root causes of any suffering, according to the Buddhist philosophy, are primarily craving and hatred. These two mental attitudes are derived from the mental status called \u201cdelusion.\u201d So, all the hatred, aversion, oppression, violence, abuse, bullying against another fellow human being on the grounds gender, race, caste, faith, disability, sexual orientation, gender identities and other status are derived from the \u201cdelusional\u201d mind. The Buddhist approach and the Ayurveda approach to solve this problem, like an enlightened guru or a skilled doctor would do, is to first and foremost have compassion towards that \u201csick (delusional)\u201d person who is oppressive, abusive and violent. This, unlike the \u201cconventional activism\u201d approach, is \u201cpassivism\u201d approach. The \u201cOriental\u201d way out of this problem is not to \u201cfight\u201d with the \u201csick\u201d but help to heal them.<\/p>\n
The Buddha taught the eight-fold path, which can be summered in three steps: The Prajnaya<\/i> (wisdom, basically means being wise, identifying the problems and appropriate solutions); the Sila<\/i> (precepts, basically following the dos and don\u2019ts, having a bit of rules and orders) and the Samadhi<\/i> (which basically means to be resourceful and utilize these resources into one\u2019s practice while reaching the blissful mental status.)<\/p>\n
The difference lies on how one perceives:
\na) The perpetrator or someone \u201csick\u201d who needs compassionate attention?
\nb) The victim or someone who should become a compassionate doctor or more of welfare friend to the \u201csick\u201d person?
\nc) How to do or why to do?
\nd) Achievement or reflection?
\ne) Rule of law and order or ending suffering?<\/p>\n
Based on the different beliefs and cultures, the human rights activism or passivism have to be done differently. The activism that has been successfully worked in the \u201cWest\u201d may not work as well in other regions of the world. An African should find their own activism or passivism. So should the Chinese, the Russians, Indians, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, South Americans, Arabs and different Indigenous and Aborigines communities.<\/p>\n
In this today\u2019s globalized village human rights activism or passivism does not have to be one vs. other; it can be either without disrespecting the other or a bit of both, may be.<\/p>\n