Day 16 #16DaysOfActivism 2023

It’s the final day of #16DaysOfActivism for 2023.

What better day to end it ….10th December….the annual Human Rights Day.

Somehow, this Human Rights Day seems more poignant. More global conflict than we’ve witnessed in a long time, including an ongoing war in Europe, and ‘Genocide’ now a word, thrown around in the mainstream media, like the invention of the ‘Troubles’, to make us all further removed from what’s happening.

As usual, the #16DaysOfActivism hashtag has provided an interesting insight into charities & NGOs, locally & globally who have taken up the opportunity to promote what they do.

Thanks to everyone who has participated through either a like, share, retweet or comment. Every little helps. Also, all my interviewees gave their time freely to speak with me about their work, the social issues that drive them as individuals or their organisations, and the part that activism plays in their lives.

Some people questioned whether they were activists, some saying they were advocates……in my mind the most important thing is that we don’t let words define who or what we do. Instead, we should seek to do the things that make the most difference especially if it improves the status quo for an individual in need of support.

So what was the point behind doing this #16DaysOfActivism programme, campaign, event?

Well, I want YOU to do something…..anything!

No matter how big or small you think it is, it is still better than doing nothing!

Every day a blog post was created with a link to someone making a difference. Follow them, message them, and support them when they next do an event that could do with your participation or just spreading the word.

Often we let stuff get in our way or slow us down when it comes to finding out what is going on with a particular subject or news item.

The time for doing nothing, being disinterested, or feeling there is nothing you can do about an issue has long gone.

We can talk about Human Rights today and every day but let’s think about our Human Responsibilities to each other. This seems even more relevant today with the plight of Palestinians in Gaza. How much lower will humanity sink by throwing away nearly 80 years of international law; ‘never again’ now appears like a clever ‘spin’ invented post Nuremburg to calm the masses.

No one should be hungry, without a safe place to live or the chance to be meaningfully engaged in economic activity that is free from exploitation.

The world appears to be changing daily before our eyes and not necessarily for the better. Building on the war in Ukraine last year, we now have a major conflict in Gaza, and the ongoing ‘invisible’ conflicts in the Congo and Sudan….Syria, Yemen, Western Sahara, Kashmir…..how many people there must be looking at how the international community has failed to act and preserve human life….could YOU truly be in their shoes and believe it couldn’t happen to you?

Get involved, and help out…..if not you, then who?

I will be taking on the #16DaysOfActivism programme in 2024 but with a slightly different approach. More details to follow.

Hope you’ve enjoyed following the content and are inspired to take part in some activism in 2024.

Please get in touch if you have any questions.

John Coster

[email protected]

Click links for each day of the #16DaysOfActivism programme: