What Can I Do? You Ask

Never once have I spoken at a University, church or a mosque without one or more of the audience raising the question: "can you tell us something tangible that we can do to change this situation?" The topic can be Palestine, the Iraq war, human rights or anything else, yet the inquiry remains the same.

Initially my answers were generic: "just spread the word". Sometimes such answers are not satisfying, considering that urgency of the situation. Eventually, I tried to develop a bit more comprehensive, cohesive response to quell the feelings of helplessness. And it often worked. Many of my audiences became outspoken, some went as far as volunteering as human shields in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and others became active mouthpieces for peace and justice using whatever capacity they could afford.

But these little gestures can hardly suppress the feelings of helplessness, to become universal codes that unite pro-justice individuals and groups around a common cause. I do believe that a segment of the intellectual activist community around the world must specialize in research and writing in topics that can answer the question of what the average citizen of this world can do to make a difference, and how activists can utilize their skills and beliefs to unite in their fight for justice.

In a recent radio interview, American scholar Noam Chomsky was asked what an American could do so that he or she can effectively stop the Iraq war. Chomsky's response was indirect and helped little to direct the growing agitation among Americans to influence their country's foreign policy. In other countries, Chomsky said, people don't ask what can they do, "they just do it."

Professor Chomsky was of course alluding to the fact that those who are serious about issues of social justice need little direction on what can be done. I respectfully disagree. In the United States, an average citizen is trained to believe that he has the power to enforce change through peaceful and democratic change. While the concept is theoretically true, practically, considering the influential role played by capital, organized pressure groups and consequently the media, many Americans feel as marginalized as those of undemocratic third-world countries. Considering such complexity, the "just do it" approach can hardly be effective.

And, in an article titled: "Archeology of the Road Map", Palestinian scholar Edward Said finished a highly dispiriting reality detailed in his article by highlighting the successful work of Palestinian doctor Mustafa Barghouti through the work of his organization: "The National Political Initiative (NPI)."

NPI's work includes providing medical care to over 100,000 poor Palestinian in secluded villages and the development of a pro-active political movement that mobilizes Jews, Arabs and activists from all over the world.

The International Solidarity Movement (ISM), which labors to provide needed protection to Palestinians throughout the West Bank and Gaza is another brilliant example of the work of those who simply couldn't play the role of the audience anymore.

Yet, as I am always reminded, not every conscientious individual around the world is capable, for many obvious reasons to be dispatched into a war zone. True, and because of that, a much more defined and comprehensive discourse must be put forth to guide people of conscience around the world to do their part in the looming face-off between justice and aggression.

In a recent commentary, I highlighted the need for such a discourse, a discourse that can serve as a dictionary for activists worldwide, that can cater to those deprived from the democratic tools of change and those who enjoy such rights, those who are capable of joining direct action groups and those who are not, those fighting for racial equality and those fighting religious prosecution.

I was pleased with the overwhelming messages I received in response to my article. They were mostly agreeing, but some still raised the question: "So what is your alternative?"

Since then, I have accumulated a very long list of world-renowned activists, journalists, community leaders and intellectuals, who fought for various causes throughout the years. The list also includes regular individuals who proved that no academic qualification or an appearance on a popular television show is required for a person to be capable of delivering change.

With the help of selected journalists around the world, from different cultures, religions and backgrounds, I intend to illuminate the success stories of grassroots activists all over the world, to serve as an inspiring, yet realistic first step into effective activism.

An open invitation to journalists, editors and publishers across the world to join me in this effort, to collect essays, solicit exclusive interviews and pictures, so that such a project might actualize. Individuals, who wish to share success stories in their communities, wherever these communities are located, are also encouraged to do so.

Sometimes desperation and helplessness are more crippling that bombs and missiles. Through unity, organization and an unambiguous discourse however, the cycle of vulnerability that many of us felt in Palestine, Iraq and continue to feel, can be forever broken.

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Ramzy Baroud is the editor-in-chief of PalestineChronicle.com and the editor of the anthology entitled "Searching Jenin: Eyewitness Accounts of the Israeli Invasion"