Social activism is grassroots and bottom-up action. One dynamic of social activism is that it seems to work in cycles. A social action can easily gain and lose momentum because participants can "tune in" and "drop out" at will. This makes it an on-going learning process. All forms of communication are used to spread social activism, from online social media, to posters/flyers, to face-to-face dialogues. It can take a variety of forms, including action on the street (ie- demonstrations, squatting, etc.), social gatherings and networking. It is often open-source, making it easily adaptable to different situations. There is a broad range of demographics, involving different groups of people according to the topic.

Effects can be divided into two categories: short-term and long-term. Some of the short-term effects include: building a sense of community, awareness-raising, increasing biodiversity in the city and decreasing the level of stress and frustration the people have been experiencing about the problems they face. Some of the long-term effects include: educating the general public, starting a dialogue with the government, finding creative solutions, achieving better living conditions, localization of the democratic process (direct democracy), cultural exchanges and a cultural shift.

Examples

Examples of social activism include: painting of the bicycle lanes at night on the streets of Helsinki, carrot mob, urban agriculture/farming, and Transition Towns, just to name a few.

Social activism.... for a better and greener city. :)

Dodo Experience