Remember many of today's high profile campaigns began at the grass roots

The pursuit of social justice, often means working in the margins.

Think back to recent campaigns such as miscarriages of justice, the living wage campaign, the anti-roads and peace protests.

All began in the margins. The people and institutions in the centre ground, simply did not want to hear.

On miscarriages of justice, friends and family of those convicted in big cases like the Birmingham Six and Guildford Four campaigned to get their voices heard. The odd journalist helped and politicians – notably John McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn, in many of these cases.

In the end, the subject became mainstream, with a whole structure established to deal with miscarriages of justice. That system today is far from perfect but it has come some way from when those who oversaw the criminal justice system either did not think there were innocent people in prison or more likely it was better they stayed in prison rather than the truth be known and the whole process undermined.

The living wage campaign began with community groups, made up of people struggling to do two or three jobs a day to keep their heads above water due to low wages. The efforts of organisations like London Citizens and the trade unions, led to enlightened businesses taking up the call. Then London Mayor Ken Livingstone championed the cause, setting up the London living wage unit and since them the idea has gained ground to the point that the government has now embraced it.

The anti-road protests of the 1980s and 90s saw people taking direct action to halt the bulldozers. This was never more evident than on the three-mile odd length of the M11 link Road through east London, where protesters locked onto anything that halted the construction from trees to buildings. The politicians were not listening, as more and more of the country went under tarmac. In the end, they did listen and the road building programme was stopped.

On peace, there was the Greenham Common protest. The women setting up the camps, taking daily direct peaceful action to stop nuclear warheads being positioned at the site. In the end, the missiles went.

All of these examples prove that working in the margins is crucial to obtaining change, however, such work must not distract from the need to change the centre.

It is laudable work, some, though, focus so much on the margins that they fail to recognise a need to impact on the centre?

The latest big rebellion is against those in power is over climate change. The youth led, Extinction Rebellion is at the forefront of taking direct action to bring home the importance of seriously addressing the climate catastrophe. They will continue taking these steps until those in the mainstream take the issue seriously and start making the changes needed to save the planet.

What is important, though, is to not lose sight of the need to work with those in the mainstream, in an effort to make that change, Work with the sympathetic politicians and businesses. The politicians can make direct change in the way lives are lived, otherwise change the politicians.

All have a part to play. The actions in the margins have to connect and permeate into the centre.

Simply operating cut off in the margins will not lead to change.

In the case of civil disobedience, unless handled properly it can invite stereotyping and alienation by the established order. This lets the established order demean such movements, treating them as threats to public order that can be dealt with via the criminal justice system.

Similarly operating in the centre without a wider movement in support invites isolation and frustration at not being able to attain the said goals.

The only way to progress on issues of social/climate justice is with a broad connected alliance reaching from the margins to the centre. All successful campaigns operate in this way.

In the case of climate, we are in a unique position today, given the growing intergenerational groundswell calling for change. 

The enemies of sustainable living will seek to discredit and seperate different parts of the alliance, from Extinction Rebellion to outspoken activists like Chris Packham. This must not be allowed to happen. 

If the links between the margins and the centre ground can be maintained, then an ever stronger alliance can be built and real change attained. Then in the case of the climate we might just save the world.

 

published in Morning Star - 7/8/2019
Wanstead and Woodford Guardian - 15 & 17/8/2019