If only enough people knew and cared about a certain conflict or problem, the assumption goes, then the combined energy and support could be harnessed in order to trigger an immediate flood of solutions. I do not want to see us move into a way of relating which is defined by potential for harm. Climate change is a huge issue and everyone ought to take steps to fight it. While nothing . Heres one more video youll enjoy on this topic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxASM44gPlU. Bellafonte is one, for sure. The gap between the haves and the have nots must be narrowed significantly. Though Im sure there are many more, next steps I am envisioning right now begin with investing in relationships with our peers, in deepening our personal visions for what liberation might look like, in studying the organizational and collective contexts under which many of our most dynamic movement leaders developed their thought and action, in joining and actively participating in local organizations and community groups, and learning how to be in conflict with each other, to disagree with one another without expanding violence towards each other, to learn how to respond to harm with compassionate accountability. As we work to be free of a culture of punishment/revenge, we also have to confront the other side. 18. Celebrity endorsements make a difference as they have a larger impact than that of regular individuals. Three factors seem to be: 1) capitalist funding models, 2) uninspiring non-profits, and 3) experiencing personal, physical, emotional, or spiritual overwhelm. TV personality Kim Kardashian and model Naomi Campbell take a selfie in 2016. Celebrity activists provide us with a powerful outlet for our guilty consciences and our self-serving views of history. Any action taken toward this end is therefore righteous and will to put us a step closer to fixing the problem; surely any little bit of help must be better than nothing. Finally, I found your closing remarks on what would be good to consider when getting involved in any cause very thought-provoking. May not always be peaceful. Also, you ignore the progressive activism of some celebrities, who have fought for . So popular, the article claims, that superstardom seems to require some sort of alignment with a cause or even an entire country in need. We can begin to see clearly the ways that celebrity culture, idolization and individualism impact how we value ourselves, our comrades, and less visible leaders when we reflect on how we discuss and relate to many of our most visible movement leaders. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have come under fire for promoting green politics and deciding to limit the number of children they have, only to take numerous private flights. When we dont see the principled and discipled collective actions many of our leaders engaged in prior to becoming well-known, which significantly contributed to the sharpness of their analysis, the impact of their actions, and the consistency and longevity of their participation in anti-oppressive struggles, we paint a picture that our leader somehow became this way on their own, overnight. This is because they draw on the self-serving guilt trips that lead many people to believe that their privileged position has invested them with the burden and the responsibility to save those less fortunate from their plight. Write to Cady Lang at cady.lang@timemagazine.com. I am currently getting involved in the LGBTQ movement here in Chile and I will most definitely be asking myself some of the questions you posed. British politician William Hague with actor and UNHCR special envoy Angelina Jolie in the Democratic Republic of Congo. To trot out an old clich, they talk the talk (boy, do they talk), but they refuse to walk the walk. They deserve our attention, respect, and engagement, but they deserve to experience this in a way that is not disengaged from their humanity, or the humanity of those supporting and engaging them. Notes for Celebrity Activism - Notecards Latest police ENGLISH. Why is this Happening? My new friends began to describe how there had been a massive gathering in the stadium for the screening of a video put together by a foreign NGO. But heres the issue as the crew leave and people come to pick up the boat (both via air), the voyage will end up generating more emissions than a simple flight would have done anyway. It is also charity and insulting to the poor. And Im sure we could come up with others that are more recent. Our lack in stronger organizations and structures to support organizing for collective vision leads to a tendency towards individualistic activism. The 6 Most Interesting Things Apple Just Announced, The Secret History of the Shadow Campaign That Saved the 2020 Election. Celebrity activists can be a link between people in the West and distant tragedies. It erases away our humanity: our human complexities and contradictions; our human capacity for growth, change and transformation, our human capacity for both harm and love. Mia Mingus (IG). In 2017, superstar Rihanna spent a significant amount of time educating her fanbase on the damage caused by Hurricane Maria. At the turn of the 20th century, the prominent British journalist, author and politician Edmund Dene Morel and Anglo-Irish diplomat Roger Casement successfully challenged King Leopold of Belgiums violent and autocratic rule of the Congo Free State. We demonize people or we put them on pedestals. Log in Join. New Internationalist: Does Celebrity Activism Do More Harm Than Good? This is because they draw on the self-serving guilt trips that lead many people to believe that their privileged position has invested them with the burden and the responsibility to save those less fortunate from their plight. Actor George Clooney has taken great interest in Darfur; Madonna and Oprah Winfrey have embraced the fight for girls education in Africa, while Angelina Jolie knocks at the doors of the major centers of power as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador to promote support for humanitarian relief. Issues of sustainability, effectiveness, community ownership, local relevance, and adaptability to change, which are the lifeblood of any conflict transformation approach, are hardly taken in considerations by these broad top-down solutions. It is harmful and dehumanizes all involved. We have to acknowledge celebrity culture and how it stretches well beyond formal celebrities and into our movements, organizations, groups, relationships just as punishment does. (modern). When we mainly value our work by how visible it is to another person, or how others view our work in relation to someone elses, it becomes easy to lose touch with ourselves, making it difficult for us to identify and trust our own experiences, and capabilities. Away from the fantasy world of easy-to-understand, black-and-white, single-story views of a conflict lays a world of complexity, depth and uncertainty. We treat this subject and the negative unintended consequences in our 6-episode DVD Series on poverty and development. section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. But what are the consequences, and is this something we necessarily want to promote? When were in this mental place, it can feel easier to align ourselves with someone elses vision and framework that feels similar to our own. The belief of the problem from others. When those organizations inevitably fail to live up to our expectations, we revert to celebrating specific individuals who we see embodying our values. And then theres Jay Z, who took the time to respond to Harry Belafontes criticism that todays celebrities have turned their back on social responsibility with this: This is going to sound arrogant, but my presence is charity. Celebrities and Charities Don't Always Mix - mic.com Just who I am. Almost towards the end you said: My experience working with armed conflicts and humanitarian crises has shown me the disastrous effects that such views tend to have on the ground. However, although I read the whole article, I couldnt find what precisely those disastrous effects you mention are. The videos portrayal of the over two-decade-long conflict had deeply angered many of those who had endured it firsthand. Nobody likes being lectured by a hypocrite, and its the Earth thats losing out in the process. It is not love. These campaigns give everyday people a chance to do something larger than themselves, but there has to be online and offline goals and objectives, Tyree says. Rancho Cucamonga High. Celebrities, Musicians, and Activism - Smart Academic Writing If you undermine your argument, why should I buy it? On the flip side, this way of engaging in someones work or analysis also places far too much weight and expectation on what any one person or one groups framework can reasonably accomplish. I think that our well intentioned desire to help can be fulfilled in the degree to which we can become facilitators of community action and actors that seek to disturb the system, but never to direct or control it. Hi Ho! Ultimately, however, while social media can raise money and awareness, its only one part of a larger puzzleone that wont be solved by any single campaign. But this kind of celebrity advocacy isnt new, either. I realized that, of course, they were talking about the launch of the first Kony 2012 video campaign by the U.S.-based organization Invisible Children. Certainly Harry Belafonte stands out as clear example of a well-known personality whose activism work has significantly advanced the fight for civil-rights in the United States. And while celebrities undoubtedly help bring serious issues to a larger audience often encouraging pledges from governments, policymakers and businesses the problem lies in that they are much less effective at transforming all this into appropriate, tangible policies. We are mapping the world's opinions to help improve civil discourse. The Dodd-Frank campaign should have involved asking local activists, populations and mining experts in the eastern DRC about mineral supply chains, he writes, to check whether they could be altered to improve the situation. That awareness is the first step towards making a change. But the new documentary, alongside other pieces of research, shows the very real and devastating effect of this simplified rendering of the facts. Here's What an Expert Thinks. As Ive delved into these issues, I found a great resource in the book Beyond Survival: Strategies and Stories from the Transformative Justice Movement edited by Ejeris Dixon and Leah Lakshmi-Piepzna-Samarasinha which shares occurrences of this harm as well as instances of transformative community response. We also have to put the mirror to ourselves and understand that this is really a reflection of who we are as a society.. We will try to apply solutions that may have worked in well in their specific situational, geographic, or cultural context without considering why applying it to our situation may lead to a different outcome or require some adjusting and rebuilding in order to succeed. Once again pushing us into binary thought of good or bad people, it creates an opening for mainstream narratives that attempt to justify violent institutions including militarized police forces, and prisons, arguing that there are people who belong there, when we know this isnt the case. Our willingness as individuals, organizations, and entire movements to look past violence is often determined by the race, skin tone, ability status, income, immigration status, English-speaking ability, and gender presentation placing Black and brown, disabled, undocumented, non-english-speaking, low-income, trans women and femmes in our movements at the bottom. This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. My new friends began to describe how there had been a massive gathering in the stadium for the screening of a video put together by a foreign NGO. On the plus side, celebrity star power can put a spotlight on a particular cause and bring positive results. The tragedy behind these sorts of campaigns is that they are motivated by the belief that problems around the world remain unresolved due to the lack of international awareness of their existence or global commitment to resolve them. But, as were constantly told in the climate debate, actions are what matter, and words are meaningless if we see that even the speaker doesnt appear to believe them. Well said. Ask yourself why you even care about this conflict in the first place? Social media has severely exacerbated blurred these lines of relation, easily dissolving the separation between peoples actions and analysis, and their personalities and style, and in this way, we can easily lose our sense of clarity around what we are valuing in someones work. We avoid holding leadership accountable, or even acknowledge violence or abusive theyve committed for fear it will destabilize our movements. With the embrace of complexity we are able to discover that the way we seek to approach and work within a conflict must be incredibly flexible and diverse. Share this article: Many celebrities engage in activism, but often their work is I saw them as unquestionable, unable to make mistakes or have short comings, and sometimes, I even started to see them as unable to cause harm or enact violence. . So, what effect does this designation of celebrity activist have on our ability to both hold leaders accountable and grasp their humanity? A punitive culture teaches us we have to be good or bad. Arrogant, patronising activism can come from anyone not also actively working on their own liberation. Should Celebrities Be the Voice of Social or Environmental Causes? One of those activists, Chonthicha Jangrew, is a candidate for the Move Forward Party. Use photos or images only if you are certain they are in the creative commons or have received permission from us. It's hard to take those dire warnings seriously when they're immediately undercut by the actions of the speaker. It is not uncommon for a celebrity to use their status to start. Just like Obamas is. When the main outcome we are looking for in our leaders a social justice version of the same entertainment, inspiration, and endorphin rush we find by following mainstream celebrities and their lives, we are limiting everyone involved while increasing avenues for potential harm. Once we make this shift in thinking, our perception transitions from engaging with someone as a movement leader into viewing them as a celebrity activist. As I continue untangling these oppressive thought patterns in my own mind, I hope to be a part of future conversations where we are not tearing ourselves apart, but instead are challenging ourselves to further untangle our practices from the systems were fighting and weave a stronger cloth on our own. Excellent article, Andres. Celebrity-led advocacy campaigns can also draw in huge sums of charitable donations. (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true); Waging Nonviolence is a nonprofit organization and all donations are tax deductible. In fact, argues Tia C.M. And I wonder, how revolutionary can our movements truly be if there is no space for those of us who are living in the context of these conditions and identities? . A politically skewed or blatantly inaccurate post may urge viewers to formulate misinformed opinions. He can be reached at ajimenez125@gmail.com. facebook. This often leaves us as followers believing that we somehow have to find a way to become, reinvent, or evolve ourselves into the movement leaders we admire all on our own; No frameworks, no guidance, no rest, and no mistakes. 2023 Copyright The Boar. In the past, as I was beginning to notice my patterns of thought that viewed movement leaders through a binary lens, and relating to them through practices found in celebrity culture, I also noticed myself disengaging from uncomfortable, or unpredictable elements of their humanity. Perhaps we should also highlight some good examples of activist celebrities. From conversation with friends, and what Ive experienced and witnessed, what we cut out often includes investing in personal relationships, acting in solidarity with movements that our work does not center, and contributing to community care in spaces we inhabit. Even our new climate queen Greta Thunberg got in on the hypocrisy. "While it's good all of these celebrities stepped up, they inadvertently pinpointed a major issue in celebrity activism: White celebs get the privilege to take their time to speak about issues that don't affect them. Hyde's chapter on celebrity activism is particularly good. I think that aid is another key and vital element of what can be considered as a colonized and mechanistic approach to assistance and development work. Click here to go to the current weekly digest or pick another article: (Italiano) Come opporre una resistenza efficace alllite tecnocratica? As Daniel Drezner writes in When foreign policy goes glam, engaging in humanitarian causes clearly benefits the Clooneys, Jolies and Damons of the world. At that point, responses to unaddressed trauma and burn out had expanded into frequent panic attacks and migraines, dangerous weight loss, and rashes developing under my eyes and on my chest among other symptoms. The process by which our movements transition leaders into celebrity revolutionaries is heavily based on race, skin tone, ability status, immigration status, English-speaking capability, income and gender presentation, prioritizing cis-gendered people. In this case, the endless runny nose results from irritation of the nasal lining, a spongy membrane that . Ahead of the 30th anniversary of Geldof and Bonos Live Aid, The Conversation asks whether star backers cause damage by oversimplifying the politics of power. Activism may go too far. Unfortunately, many of the policies and remedies promoted by this ever-growing influx of celebrity activists have been heavily criticized for being paternalistic, detached from reality and often dangerously counterproductive. I believe the question posed in the video about how do we connect our good intentions and desire to help with things that actually work is spot on. It is not meant to focus on mainstream celebrities. Does political activism do more harm than good to society? Some (I cant think of any, but im sure there are some) may approach a campaign with a genuine solidarity and interpersonal skills to work effectively with diverse people, and others not. All rights reserved. Peace and justice organizations, as well as universities, publish their own independent content on Waging Nonviolence. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. twitter Celebrity eco-activism really undermines the cause, and thats a truly harmful consequence. By Cady Lang. The goal of it is not to criticize our movement leaders or tear down our movements. A stark example of this is provided in the new documentary, We Will Win Peace, which tracks the impact of Section 1502 of the USs Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. So in 2011, I cancelled my donations and subscriptions. the outrageous privileges of the rich eliminated Peace, Sharing and Happiness should be basic values. Let us admit that the celebrities involvement does some good despite the problems involved. Lets invest in people finding the work that feels good to them, rather than pushing them to fill a role that is convenient for us, but doesnt work for them. We also cannot transform how our movements and the leaders within them relate to one another through individual response or action. Still, that didnt prevent roughly 300 people taking 114 private flights and mega yachts to the resort, nor Google transferring them privately in luxury vehicles and helicopters. Celebrity activism: Help or hindrance? - My Media Blog Should celebrities promote charities? - New Internationalist Easier We see these forms of engagement lead to fragmented relationships, uncoordinated movements, and the formation of social cliques. From George Clooneys Enough Project, rapper Akons newly launched Lighting Africa to the viral Kony 2012 campaign, theres no doubt celebrity activism has gone mainstream. Right on, Leo! This can look like expecting our leaders to always be available, always be working, to conflate our leaders with their work, to view them as incomplete without it. Often unknowingly, I was contributing to this larger dynamic propped up by this celebrity culture mentality. According to a 2015 article in The Guardian, celebrity activism has become far more popular over the years. The big issues are: Greed, Corruption, Impunity, Hypocrisy, the military-industrial complex, cruelty Question: Why all those Tax Havens in the world led by the American State of Delaware! Should celebrities stay out of politics? This piece isnt about scolding ourselves for our flaws; its meant to help identify our shortcomings and adjusting to strengthen ourselves and our movements as we move forward. I see continually see a massive gap between what is internationally applauded and promoted, and what the local communities actually want, need, or even find relevant. She also designed the Fenty Beauty line, providing accessible makeup to all skin tones, an unjust rarity in the beauty industry. However, far from being deterred, celebrity activists find solace in the assurances of so-called experts, specialists and analysts who fill the ranks of leading international organizations, Washington think tanks and Ivy League universities. It can feel like just another huge, never-ending task on a long continually growing to-do list. Thank you to the many friends and comrades who have engaged in vulnerable conversation with me around these ideas. The yacht was her vehicle of choice because of the carbon emissions caused by planes Thunberg has been encouraging people to fly less to save the environment. Hahahaha! If you do decide to take that leap, then start by listening rather than preaching, facilitating rather than commanding, cooperating rather than defeating, creating organically rather than planning mechanically, and seeking to unsettle the status quo rather than trying to control it in its entirety. Now he is interested in responsible travel and community tourism. To donate by check, cryptocurrency or other method, see our Ways to Give page. To offer up the idea that were not going to utilize a platform for a day is not a goalits a tactic that should be used as an overall part of a bigger campaign to evoke larger change.. And now, as climate discussion becomes increasingly important, its still the same issue we need more than ever to do something about the environment, but the actions of celebrity eco-hypocrites is still proving off-putting to the wider public. Activists do more harm than good to their cause. Yeah, theres a sense in which your damned if you do and damned if you dont. Yet if the cycle of simplified celebrity messages leading to ineffective even harmful African policy is to be broken, genuine engagement with, and commitment to, the people they advocate on behalf of is critical. Leo Tolstoy once wrote to the effect: You sit on my back and oppress me, but assure me that you feel sorry for me and will do anything to alleviate my burden except get off my back! What better way to liberate ourselves from this burden than by taking up a global cause in a far-away land, and who better to show us the way to do it than our favorite celebrities? Aiko Fukuchi is a queer, Japanese American writer and community organizer living in Detroit, Michigan. I have no solution for this dilemma, but I do believe that most effective strategies that address this issue are highly context specific and are organically generated from the creative energy present within the local communities. They are currently part of a collective living project, Brick & Mortar Collective, as well as a creative disability justice collective, Relentless Bodies. However, far from being deterred, celebrity activists find solace in the assurances of so-called experts, specialists and analysts who fill the ranks of leading international organizations, Washington think tanks and Ivy League universities. Being told that you have an urgent responsibility to act in order to help solve a conflict that you hardly even knew existed in the first place is the first step down a slippery slope of continuous despair, wasted goodwill and neo-colonialism. And, most importantly, why should you become involved? If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Im sharing this from my personal perspective, but this train of thought is something I see in many social and progressive movements today. Causes are to celebrities what corporate social responsibility is to business every established name has to have at least one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii_k_AUqo8I&feature=share&list=TLE94OXxqmE7E. When you post an image with a tag on, say . We prefer with a note at the top of the article. Economic System in Islam Compared with Capitalism and Socialism, ASIA-UPDATES ON MYANMAR ROHINGYA GENOCIDE, KUDANKULAM ANTI-NUCLEAR SATYAGRAHA, INDIA, Remembering TRANSCEND Member Graeme MacQueen (1948 25 Apr 2023), National Peace Disruption: This Is a Nation of Thieves, Quantum Physics and Spirituality: The Relationship between Quantum Mechanics and the Vedas, The Wests State Media and Their Increasing Violence: The Hersh Affair, TRANSCEND MEDIA SERVICE Why Celebrity Activism Does , Click here to go to the current weekly digest.
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