Life in us yet
Being a left activist and a feminist can be inspiring, sometimes frustrating, sometimes exhilarating, but it does not necessarily lead to exhaustion. Political "burn-out" is by no means inevitable. Many activists of the left remain as impassioned, fiery and focussed as when they first started, many decades ago.
Others may get inflamed with outrage over a particular issue, but lose the spark of rebellion very quickly. However, a change in the political situation can bring back into activism those who had previously lost the impetus to fight.
Sarah Maddison, former NSW convener of the Women's Electoral Lobby, admitted in the July 28 Australian that she is fatigued, and is taking some time out to complete her doctoral studies. Wearily she asks, "Who will carry the banner for future social change?". Speaking for a generation which has been struggling for change for some time, she says that while we are still passionate about our causes, we are exhausted.
Well, we are not all exhausted, nor are we all disillusioned with the state of activist politics and the potential for social change.
Having a clear perspective means seeing ourselves as part of a long and proud tradition of the fight against the irrationalities of the current system. Social movements of the kind that Maddison mentions — for women's liberation, the environment, freedom of sexual expression — along with ongoing struggles for workers' rights and for racial equality, have historically ebbed and flowed. Any given political situation depends on the actions of those pushing for change, and of those who stand to lose their privileged positions in a new political environment. The balance of these forces determines the state of politics.
Keeping a positive perspective in the times when struggle seems hardest is a challenge, and one that is not automatically overcome by the good intentions of the activist concerned. Understanding what has politically shaped a particular situation is essential for sustaining activity.
Maddison's misunderstanding of what has led to the relative weakness of the women's liberation movement during the past decade contributes to a sense of helplessness and consequent cynicism. She asks, referring to the height of the social movements in the '60s and '70s, "What do we have to do to sustain a society in which participation and activism are an integral part of the fabric?", but fails to see that the thread of participation and activism running through the fabric at that time was eventually snagged, not by exhaustion, but by a political process.
The decline was in great part a result of a reliance on the Labor Party to take the fight to parliament and legislate justice. Many activists went from the streets into government bodies, universities and non-government organisations and, in the case of women's liberationists, into services for women. The dependence on an ALP government for funding then took its toll on many who previously had fought the system from without. The ensuing demobilisation left the movement ill equipped to challenge the attacks that came during the 1980s and '90s from both ALP and Coalition governments.
This doesn't mean, however, that the struggle is over, nor does it mean that there are not young people getting involved in activities today, especially in areas such as campaigning against racism and against corporate tyranny and global injustice.
When Pauline Hanson spread her message of racial hatred, tens of thousands took to the streets to protest, including one high school walkout which mobilised 14,000 students across the country in 1998. When the bloodshed in East Timor escalated after the independence ballot, 30,000 people in Sydney and a similar number in Melbourne rallied to force our government to take action. This year hundreds of thousands of people made a stand for indigenous rights and against the racism of the federal government.
Maddison says, "Many people who, as students, were radicals find that life in the real world, complete with children and a career, does not fit a commitment to activism beyond a membership of Greenpeace and the odd heated debate at a dinner party".
While it is true that young people play a crucial part in struggles against an unjust system, there is a great need for the continuing involvement of those who have developed political maturity from many years' experience. By no means have all these activists fossilised. Many are passing on their skills and experience to the new generation, who are taking on the challenge beside them, not necessarily instead of them.
Maddison ends her article: "To those of you who still carry the banners, I applaud your passion, I recognise your responsibility, I commend your commitment and I offer you a pillow for your weary heads". Being patronised like this is one of the frustrations of left activism, but those of us who don't feel world-weary and disillusioned look at the challenges ahead and hope to re-inspire those who have lost the perspective that the struggle is worth it.
BY MARGARET ALLUM