I just read Nadine Moawad’s post on Slacktivism. You can read it here: “On Slacktivism, Old and New“.

I agree that slacktivism can be “on-land” as much as on-line.

I do not like the term though. It assumes that all people should be human rights activists and those who do little are slacking off.

I believe people have the right to “just live, day by day” and the choice not to be activists or aware. I agree that we would want everyone to be conscientious and caring, but if one does not have the desire to be then she/he should have the right not to.

I would applaud the little effort (what you refered to as “click-of-a-mouse useless action”) that “non-traditional activists” (the term I prefer to use) are willing to do from time to time like wearing a ribbon for a certain disease awareness. I do not see that as slacking off by an a person who by default should be an activist. I rather see it as an essential first step priming a person to become an activist or even inspiring another to be.

Did not we all start there!?

You do not need to be “active” to be an activist. I believe anyone who clicks that button, wears that ribbon, shares this post, or even speaks up once against discrimination is making a great difference. I even believe the most influential activist is that marginalized individual who breaks stereotypes via self-improvement (better health, higher education, tolerance of differences, conscientious treatment of the other…) without even being directly involved in any kind of traditional activism.

Be an activist today by following one. Very few feminist or human rights activists I follow regularly. Nadine Moawad would be one of those great people. She stands up for the rights of womyn, queer individuals, domestic foreign workers, Palestinian refugees and those under occupation, among many other marginalized groups in the Lebanese and Arab diaspora.

Categories: Human Rights

Tags: activism, human rights, nadine moawad, nmoawad, slacktivism, social media