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Action in the age of apathy

At the height of the longest government shutdown in U.S.
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A CULTURE OF ACTIVISM How do we help foster a culture that supports political activism in Canadian society?. www.shutterstock.com

At the height of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history earlier this year, a Twitter user made the astute observation that the French would never allow tens of thousands of federal workers to go weeks without pay—at least without taking to the streets first.

It got me thinking about the cultural factors at play in different societies, and how those distinct norms either encourage or dissuade activism. France, of course, is steeped in a long history of protest dating back to the French Revolution, and there's no denying that the French people continue to hold significant sway over their leaders. Take the recent Yellow Vests movement as example: After four weekends of chaos unfolding in the streets of Paris, embattled French President Emmanuel Macron decided he needed to do something to placate the Gilets Jaunes, announcing a series of concessions that included raising the minimum wage, cancelling a planned fuel-tax hike, and scrapping levies on overtime and pensions.

In all, the new measures will cost the French government up to US$10.1 billion, which makes them seem all the more improbable. It's hard to imagine Justin Trudeau making such significant concessions after agreeing to spend $4.5 billion to buy a pipeline that thousands of Canadians came out so vociferously against.

Although it may pale in comparison to France, Canada does have a history of activism, whether we're talking about the Abortion Caravan that protested the criminalization of abortion in the '70s or the Indigenous communities that stood against land theft in Oka in the '90s.

More recently, Canada has cultivated a civilized, almost placid image in the international media, casting itself as a level-headed voice in contrast to the bluster and braggadocio of Trump's America. Thousands piling into the streets in protest probably doesn't jive with Trudeau's stolid version of Canada.

In a December column for The Washington Post, Vancouver political commentator and cartoonist J.J. McCullough writes about what he sees as Ottawa's attempt to restrain political activism through its Elections Modernization Act, "a mammoth piece of legislation embodying the worst consensus wisdom" from both the left and right.

Seemingly triggered by Canada's introduction of set election dates in the early 2000s, the bill proposes a three-month "pre-election period" in which Canadians will face restrictions on their political activity. Spending more than $500 on "partisan advertising" and "partisan activities" (which includes things like door-to-door canvassing and phone calls to organizing rallies) during this period requires registering with the government, as well as securing a registered financial agent and auditor.

On the face of it, the new law appears to be at least partially in reaction to the pay-to-play political landscape of the U.S., where powerful lobbyists have intertwined their interests with legislation for so long that it will likely take years, if not decades, to untangle the mess—if there is ever the political will to do so. But, in reality, Trudeau's bill might also serve to quell political activism, and, most alarmingly, the kind of grassroots campaigns that so much historical social change has been founded on.

"The new law would help censor established NGOs, unions and other activist groups as intended, but given their resources and experience in complying with existing federal regulations, they would not be its worst victims," McCullough writes. "Of far greater consequence will be the discouragement and intimidation of those upstart actors and activists whose political organization is more amateurish and whose causes, accordingly, are most likely to be disruptive or challenging to Ottawa."

I'm not sure what, exactly, it will take to get Canadians to embrace a culture of protest. We are, after all, not a people that have historically enjoyed rocking the boat. What I do know is that the activism of today looks entirely different than eras of civil unrest in the past. For many so-called "slacktivists," political action is as simple as hitting the "Like" button, and I shouldn't have to tell you that's not how change is made.

The main driver of any significant social movement is being emotionally invested in a desire for change—and that's true of activists in 2019 or 1969. Nobody risks tear gas, imprisonment—or worse—to protest for a cause that doesn't sit near and dear. You just hope the next generation of Canadians, as well as the leaders who serve them, understand that a desire for change isn't a vote for cynicism, but one for hope.