January’s inauguration was a depressing and slightly terrifying spectacle. Yet having already seen the response to the US election from colleagues and contacts, I’m not totally in despair. Indeed, I feel somewhat hopeful and think that as well as the many threats Trump brings, there is also opportunity. I realise this may seem naïve but bear with me...
Since 5 November, I’ve seen an increasing number of people getting together to discuss how to put the far-right back in its box. Until now, I think we’ve been a little complacent – the far-right has always been ‘over there’ on the fringes and not something to take seriously. But now it is here, on our doorstep, threatening to break down the door. And so now we actually have to do something about it.
And people are. All around me, I see people stepping up. Mobilising. Strategising. Taking action. And this is where the opportunity lies. We know the far-right flourishes when people feel economically and culturally under threat. My feeling is that the same is now happening in reverse. Our values of equality, social justice and freedom for all are also under threat. And this is a hugely motivating reason to act.
The task in hand should not be underestimated. Those of us who want a fairer society are up against the mega rich who are using their wealth to buy politicians and control the media; powerful international forces such as the Russian and Chinese governments who are pumping billions of dollars into propaganda designed to weaken democratic societies; and “grifters” who use extreme narratives to get clicks and make a lot of money. On top of this, there is the disinformation, deep fakes and social media algorithms that normalise harmful narratives and radicalise our friends and family.
The far-right thrives on fear and division. And so the best way we can counteract that is by not falling for their tactics.
Instead of feeling scared, we need to be brave. Instead of picking sides, we need to be kind. This is not some fluffy motto to have on a fridge magnet at home. It can be really bloody difficult to be kind, particularly to people we don’t like. Kindness is a strength and an asset.
Instead of denying past mistakes, we must say “yes we failed, this is what we learnt and this is how we’re going to do things differently”. The more that we admit when we've got things wrong or explain when, how and why we’ve changed our minds, the more we can normalise this behaviour.
It is so much easier to do all these things when we’re not on our own. We need to bring people together, work across sectors and with unfamiliar and unlikely partners.
This means we absolutely have to ditch cancel culture, which serves only to boost our egos and fuel division. Instead, I propose we engage in “radical empathy”, where we listen to people’s fears without belittling them, understand the roots of perspectives and prejudices, and find areas of shared identity and needs. “We agree on more than we disagree about so let’s work together” feels far more productive than the current approach of “you disagree with one thing, so you’re the enemy”.
Over the coming weeks and months, Agenda is going to be sharing a host of resources that we hope will make a positive contribution to the fight for social justice. We’ll be releasing useful resources, hosting events (like this one) and workshops, and having conversations (like this) that aim to help equip civil society and others with the tools it needs to make a difference. Keep an eye on our website for the details.
