Making change as an individual

Opinion

I’ve heard recently from four longtime friends; all of them are concerned about how the world seems to be falling apart. Our discussions wavered between a solutions-based ‘can do’ attitude and a complete sense of giving up. What, we wondered, can be done?

Building a civil society in which we make positive change in basics like education, human rights, homelessness and polarization is possible, but it feels overwhelming to tackle on our own.

Here are a few ideas to make change.

1) Say hello and greet people on the street and in your life. Acknowledge others in person. Put down your phone. See the humans in front of you. Dehumanization begins when we aren’t seen. It makes a tangible difference. These micro-contacts can be good for our health and safety, too. At a neighbourhood meeting I attended, the police indicated that crimes decrease when people feel seen and see others reaching out.

2) Listen to others. Aim to have dialogue. Allow people to express their views in safety and without attacking them. If you disagree, bring a neutral or calm approach to raising alternate viewpoints. Leave space to maintain relationships even where all your opinions might not align. Opinions can change, but only if people feel safe enough to explore their differences.

3) Ask if you can help. If you see someone struggling, and if it feels safe to do so, offer assistance. Ask a friend if they need anything while they’re sick. Ask a person using a wheelchair if they need help if they seem stuck in a rut on snowy streets. Note: Always ask first before assuming you know how to help.

4) Respond to others. Offering help is easy sometimes. Maybe buy orange juice for a sick neighbour or lift a stroller on an escalator, but if you cannot help, that’s OK. The most important part is the response and acknowledgment. Professionally, this means responding with a polite “No thank you, this isn’t for us” rather than ghosting someone who submits work or an application. If you’re personally overextended, take time to say “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that! I cannot manage to do X today. I’m double-booked but let me brainstorm for a moment with you.” Sometimes responding just means recognizing another’s struggles and seeing their humanity.

5) Volunteer. It’s the Canadian thing to do, but there’s been a huge decrease in volunteering. Community centres, congregations, and nonprofits need you. A recent volunteer shift I took helped me see, greet and welcome hundreds of people. This is the kind hospitality which makes “Friendly Manitoba” a reality and not a slogan.

6) Advocate without harm. All of us have issues we care about. Many of these political issues are concerning. Yet sometimes the advocacy that is loudest is the most detrimental. Consider, when starting a campaign, if you’re respectfully addressing those powerful few who can make change real. Do thorough research about the topic and how to safely make a difference. Are you talking to legislators who affect this issue? Contacting the relevant minister or donating to the cause? If so, good, this is helpful. However, yelling and harassing private citizens, littering the streets with stickers or flyers, or barring the right of way doesn’t make positive change. This bothers others who have nothing to do with your issues. Don’t choose to “blow out someone else’s candle just to make yours a little brighter.”

Recently, a neighbour who I respect talked about the privilege he felt in being Canadian. Then, he qualified his position. He felt privileged, but he also realized that others didn’t feel that way. When we cannot see each other, hear each other, offer each other solace and response, and acknowledge the other’s humanity-despite our differences, some will continue to be less privileged than others.

A Canada where some people lack food or shelter is a problem. A Canada that pays women substantially less for their work than men is a problem. Our country, where some require security guards and police to work, worship, go to preschool or visit a community centre in safety isn’t a place where everyone feels the same security or privilege.

As individuals, we cannot solve homelessness, hunger, inequality or hate on our own. However, individuals who see each other, listen, respond, volunteer and advocate for change can make a difference. We can make bigger change if we work together.

Joanne Seiff, a Winnipeg author, has been contributing opinions and analysis to the Free Press since 2009.