This is a question that I have struggled with a lot, because it’s so vast. For starters, what is an activist and how does it differ from being an advocate?
According to the dictionary, an activist is ‘a person who campaigns to bring about political or social change’. An advocate is defined as ‘a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy’. An advocate also has a second meaning within the legal profession as ‘a person who puts a case on someone else’s behalf’.
Now I use the term activist and advocate interchangeably because while their meanings are ever so slightly different they refer to the same act: standing up for a right of another being. I consider myself an activist because I aim to bring about social, cultural and societal changes on a number of issues, but I am also an advocate because I am providing a voice and making a case for those who cannot do it themselves. Strictly speaking I am also an advocate because my day job is as a legal professional, but that’s not important here.
But what does all of that really mean? How do my actions define me as an activist/advocate? I have always wanted to help animals and while that hasn’t directly happened in my day job, it is something that lead me down this path. I went into law because I wanted to help animals, and during my studies I found that law provided me a way to not only help animals but to also help a number of other causes that I care about. I have worked for non-profit environmental organisations that use the law to challenge local government planning applications. I have used the law to help those with nothing obtain access to safe housing and escape abusive situations. It has also provided me a deep knowledge of government and politics, and has helped me gain a deeper understanding into how policies are made and amended. For me, I know that my studies and my profession will allow me to campaign for the changes I want to see in the world via a method that I am skilled at. But there are so many other options out there. I therefore thought it was a good time to list all of the different ways that you can help a cause that is important to you in whatever way best suits you.
Note: The majority of the examples here are animal rights based, purely because that is the cause I am most familiar with. There will be however the same options (if not more) available for any cause you feel passionately about, including LBGTQ+ issues or how to combat bullying.
Face to face with the public
- street outreach – hit the streets and talk with the people who go past about the issues that matter to you. You can do this either on your own or you can volunteer/work for a cause that matters to you. For example, take part in an Anonymous for the Voiceless cube of truth, where you can meet with people on the street and open their eyes to the suffering of animal agriculture.
- Become a school speaker – exactly what it sounds like. Attend schools around the country and give talks about the issues that are important to you. Animal Aid, for example, run a school talks programme where a volunteer will attend a local school to educate pupils on animal rights issues, as well as answer any questions that the students may have about how they can help.
Using your creative talents
- design a range of t-shirts/bags/accessories – create items that are stylish but informative that allow people to make a bold statement without needing to be loud. You could even donate a percentage of your sales to a charity that advocates for the cause you care about. Most charities now have their own range of merchandise which can allow supporters to financially contribute to the cause while also being able to wear their cause in their clothing.
- start a youtube/instagram/tiktok account to spread your message – this one very closely links to being a good public speaker for obvious reasons. Some people are naturals in front of the camera and these social media platforms allow you to reach a far wider audience than you probably could in person. They also allow you to get very creative in your content, where you can have fun expressing yourself while still promoting the cause of your choice. Again this one in particular could relate to any of the ideas in this list, so the possibilities really are endless.
- write a blog – this is my preferred option. I can’t speak in public very well and I turn into a potato when on a screen, but I am a pretty decent writer. Hence why I decided to start this blog and to raise awareness for veganism and animal welfare concerns in the way I thought best for my talents. It’s pretty easy to manage and it allows me to be creative with a topic I am passionate about.
- create art that brings awareness to the cause of your choice – paintings, sculptures, jewellery, candles, soaps, dishware, shoes. The possibilities are endless!
Sporting events
- do a sponsored event – run, walk, bike, skip. The event doesn’t need to be an official sport activity like the London Marathon. For example, Rory Cockshaw recently ran from dawn until duck to raise money and awareness around how many turkeys are killed every year over the Christmas period. You could run an event in full costume or plan to run/walk/bike a certain distance to raise awareness. Go wild!
- organise a sporting event – you could get your family, friends and wider community involved to hold a big sporting activity that will raise money and awareness for a particular cause. For example you could arrange a 5-a-side football tournament or a fun run in your local area. It is also a great way to get the wider community involved including businesses and schools.
- do a sport challenge – think of all those ’30 day squat challenges’ you see doing the rounds, especially at the beginning of the months. You could agree to do the challenge with a load of people to encourage friendly competition, or you could simply ask people to sponsor you. You could even be so bold as to say that if they donate more money, you will do double the daily challenge.
Big social events
- host a games night – get a lot of people round and hold a light hearted game competition. this could be video games or board games and people could donate a certain amount per game to take part.
- host a quiz night – always a fun night. Who doesn’t love a quiz?? Plus it means you get all other types of activists involved: a public speaker to be the Quiz Master, a talented artist to prepare the prizes and decorations and a detailed orientated person to come up with all of the quiz questions. Team work makes the dream work afterall.
- host a movie night – you could tailor the movies to be related to your cause. For example, host a Black Fish viewing party, followed by What the Health. You could even go so far as to make it a sponsored ‘stay awake’ event where people have to try and stay awake for the whole night, with the movies and vegan goodies on offer to help them achieve this.
- Organise a silent disco – or a loud disco! Some sort of fun party that could be themed for your cuase. For example, everyone has to come dressed as their favourite animal and all of the music is animal based. Or everyone has to come dressed as their favourite female icon, and all of the music is promoting girl power!
- a camp out/sleep out – most commonly seen to raise awareness of homelessness, and it does send a very powerful message. The same sort of event could be used to raise awareness for any cause though, and it will also be a good personal challenge for those who wish to take part as sleeping rough outside is a very challenging thing to do.
Smaller but just as powerful acts
Not everything needs to be a big spectacle. I don’t believe that activism needs to be loud and in your face in order to be effective. This is especially true if you are brand new to the scene and are still learning about what the real issues are within the cause itself.
- educate yourself – watch films, listen to podcasts, read books, speak to other members of the community. All of these will help you learn more about the cause and why the change is needed.
- correct people when they are wrong – whilst a seemingly small act, it can be a powerful one. Calling someone out for their rude, ignorant or ‘old fashioned’ comments can bring a great deal of awareness to a cause. For example, if you find that your uncle always refers to women as ‘chicks’ or ‘babes’, ask him why this is. Why does he view women in that way? Where did he first learn this? Now in some cases this may not be appropriate, so make sure to read the room and approach the situation in an educational but non-confrontational way.
- buy products that promote your cause – from clothing to accessories, candles or notebooks, you can make quite the statement with something quite understated. For example, The Spark Company create clothing with feminist and LGBTQ+ quotes which can be worn to promote the cause. I also have a little postcard stuck up in my office that reads ‘protect our plant’ and it is somewhat surprising how many of my colleagues have started a conversation with me about the environment once they see the little postcard.
- share things online – you can still promote a cause without needing to make the post yourself. If you see someone on TikTok with a fantastic vegan recipe, share it with a friend. If you see a quote about veganism or feminism that speaks to you, add it to your story. If you read an interesting article on gay rights, share this on your social media platform. It all raises awareness and could even lead more people to your cause.
- Donate to any of the above – if your friend is running an ultra marathon to raise money for a mental health charity, donate to his fundraiser. If you want to help animals but can’t have a pet, sponsor a kennel or shelter. Even £1 can make a difference and it will allow you to support a cause that means a lot to you.
Taylor Talks Vegan 