‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.’
Margaret Mead said that. She died in 1978, but the words of this American cultural anthropologist still ring true. I hear it repeated often. But today I really thought about it.
It’s not governments who push progressive change. It’s progressive people and movements who reach through with a voice so loud and true, that powerful people have to listen.
Sometimes when you feel like one small voice in a sea of injustice, the agitation, the discomfort and the pushback feels pointless. And in NSW, in a country where we celebrate our first world freedoms, under anti-protest laws you can get arrested.
Seems counterintuitive that the state have arrested a 97-year-old man for blocking the world’s biggest coal port, but the billionaire who’s profiteered from the climate change-causing fossil fuel extraction, that will one day cause the death of millions, gets another tax break. When it comes to upholding long-term community safety, my hero is the 97-year-old man.
I often wonder how people keep going. How they find the energy to keep resisting. For all of those good people who have decided not to sit back, for those who lean forward on peace and non-violence, on social justice, on a home for all, on racial equality, on a safe and inclusive world, and on protection and conservation of wild creatures and wild spaces, then it’s good to remember that while it may feel impossible, change can happen. And very often it was those considered ‘voiceless’ who made the difference.
In the 1960s, Vincent Lingiari led 200 stockmen on the famous ‘Wave Hill Walk-Off’ for fair pay and decent working conditions. This sparked the Gurindji people to demand the return of their lands. Hence the famous pic of Whitlam pouring soil into the hands of the Traditional Owner.
Malala Yousafzai was 15 years old when she was shot in the head on her school bus by a Taliban gunman, for her activism in promoting girls’ education. She had given her first speech on school closings when she was 11. Thanks to Malala, children in Pakistan have the right to access free education. Her words still ring true: ‘Let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons.’
Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison for his role in fighting South Africa’s apartheid policy. In 1994 he became South Africa’s first democratically-elected leader. When he walked free from Victor Verster Prison he emerged as a symbol of resilience, forgiveness and leadership.
American activist Tarana Burke sparked the ‘Me Too’ movement in 2006. She wanted to break the silence surrounding sexual assault, rape and harassment, and empower women through empathy and strength in numbers. Her work sits at the intersection of sexual violence and racial justice. As an activist and community organiser, she created a movement that cut through the dominant narrative.
In 2019, Greta Thunberg started the ‘School Strike for Climate’ as a lone action outside Sweden’s parliament, every Friday. In less than a year six million people attended strikes globally. Now she stands loudly against genocide.
There are so many people and movements absent from this list. I don’t have the space to list them all. Make your own. When you feel despairing, read their stories. And remember there is one common thread that we need to make real change. Something missing from our political stage, missing from our corporate leaders, missing from our grand narrative.
Something these quiet changemakers have in spades.
Courage.
Make it your thing for ’26.
The Echo’s coverage of political issues will remain as comprehensive and fair as it has ever been, outside this opinion column which, as always, contains Mandy’s personal opinions only.
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