Activism is changing - just like everything else across the globe really. The Arab Spring was undeniably a breakout moment for this generation, in equal parts a cause célèbre and simultaneously a massive rejection of the old-style authoritarian, traditional regimes and conventional lock-and-key systems that held a predominantly youthful mass of people in a cage for decades, starving them of any chance for real change.
It certainly put activism and talk of activists on the map - but the Arab Spring hasn't been the only activism making waves this year - probably just the one you've heard about the most. In the past 12-months, there have been countless grass-roots activist movements fizzling under taking hold from Pakistan to Sudan, Venezuela to South Korea headed by strong-minded individuals and groups seeking justice, freedom and change in their countries after years of oppression and inequality - I know this because I've been tracking them along with my colleagues for a new series starting today on Al-Jazeera English about grass-roots, non-violent activists and campaigns across the globe.
The brand-new series (@AJActivate) starting on 20/09/2011 is a window on these new activist movements across the planet challenging conventional, age-old norms, traditions, dictators, injustice, oppression, intolerance and more, whilst showcasing the often interconnected ways in which these newly-formed activist groups around the globe are working with each other using 21st century technology and innovative social media tools to challenge the stale old ways and bring about change in way fundamentally different from anything before.
The aim for the series was to look at activism through a different lens, one that the mainstream media hasn't focused on much recently - Which is: How much do we really know about the individual activists behind these global headlines? When did they decide to become activists? What inspired them? How do they deal with the challenges thrown at them every day? How do they break the news to their parents of the life they wish to lead? How does their activism affect their relationships? Why do they even want to change the world and what makes them bold, courageous and fearless enough to take that step from passive spectator watching injustice from afar to a totally involved instigator at the heart of a movement for global change?
In conventional news media we're used to blanket images of thousands of people protesting in faraway places for and against a litany of causes, moving in this direction or that direction, talking about freedom, justice and rights, all sounding the same after a while - but why is it often hard to identify with these people and their missions, which they so passionately believe in?
We want to know - where is the human face of activism? That's what I'm interested in, and what I hope this series manages to shine some light on for those interested - from the activists we've met in Argentina, South Korea, Pakistan, Sudan, China, Venezuela, USA and India - and the many more we'll be following in the following series...
They say 2011 is the year of activism, and we've become used to seeing the official face of an activist movement, the flag, the slogan, the fist-pumping, the cheering crowds, or dead bodies - but we rarely see the activists as human beings, struggling with their own personal problems, with trying to follow their ideals practically, dealing with mundane office administration, parental interference, strained relationships, the pressure to succeed, dealing with anxiety, confusion, fear of failure - all the things that make them such extraordinary human beings, and eventually successful activists.
This is the story of those remarkable individuals, told through their own eyes - don't miss the chance to discover the real face of Activism.
How can you change your world? A New series on Al Jazeera English following activists as they fight for social change and justice - starting 20/09/2011 @AJActivate #AJActivate