How to be a human rights activist?

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To everyone who has an interest in what is happening around the world and wants to become a human rights activist, this blog is for you. It is completely normal if you do not know where or how to start your journey of becoming a human rights activist. I am here to guide you by highlighting different sets of skills and requirements needed to become a human rights activist. However, before learning how to become a human rights activist, we all must have a good understanding of what “human rights activist “means.

What is a human rights activist?

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Human rights activist is a person who individually or with a group of people promotes or protects human rights. To better understand that term we need to understand the notion of “human rights”. Human rights are the rights that every human has just because they exist as human beings. These rights are not given by any kind of state. For example, every human has a universal right. So, no matter one’s nationality, every human being have the rights to life which includes the right to believe in his religion, the rights to have food, the right to have education, the rights to work, the rights to have good health, the rights of liberty and many more. Any person or group who is taking their time to promote that every human being has a set of human rights that is not given by the state is a human rights activist.    

Who can be a human rights activist?

Anyone from any field of study can become a human rights activist. For example, a journalist, an actor, a doctor, a writer, a teacher, a lawyer, and many more. You can just be home alone and supporting a cause that promotes human rights and you can call yourself a human rights activist. For example, you can use your social media platform and write a blog about social problems that are denying many individuals of their human rights. Creating awareness of a cause and promoting human rights just by using your phone is a form of human rights activism. Even though anyone can be a human rights activist, it is only a few people who can keep the title of being a human rights activist. It is not a simple task, and it is a long-term commitment.

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Here are a few tips on how to become a human rights activist:

#1 Gain knowledge on issues 

You should do a lot of research on the issue that violates human rights. You should use reliable sources to know what is happening all around the world. There are so many types of injustice and there are so many human rights violations that are happening daily. The only way you can know which cause you want to fight for and stand up against is by having good knowledge about the issue and what can be the possible solution to the problem. Keeping up with various news channels is a great way to gain knowledge on different social issues. Learning about various types of human rights violations can make you stand strong and give you the confidence needed to stand up against these awful acts.

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#2. Start small. 

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After learning and gaining knowledge about the different social issues that violate human rights we need to take action even if it is as small as sharing a tweet or an Instagram post. To start your human rights activists you can start with small actions such as donating money to different organizations that promote the same values and beliefs as you. You can also write letters to the ones who have enough political power. You can also sign petitions that are fighting for the same cause as you. The main point here is that after knowing about the injustices in the world we should do something about it even if it is a small action and we should commit to it for the long run.

#3. Join non-profit organizations.

Joining different non-profit organizations is a great way to get experienced in becoming a human rights activist. Not only will it give you experience and teach you about various sustainable ways to fight against policy and groups of people who are violating human rights, but it will also allow you to build a support network. The support network will allow you to acquire your various skills and will be there for you when you feel overwhelmed and burnout from activism burnout. The benefit of joining a non -profit organization is that it will teach you all the skills necessary to be an independent human rights activist. It will allow you to learn and deal with different situations that human rights activists often face.

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#4 stand up to any form of human rights violations, injustice, racism, and discrimination when you see it.

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 Speak up and stand up against any form of human rights violation is important when you are a human rights activist. Everyone sees on a daily basis different forms of discrimination, racism but many people stay silent. As a human rights activist, try to speak up and the oppressor knows that they are wrong. Doing this would show others how things should be done, and it will encourage others to speak up when they see any kind of oppression in our society.

Final thoughts

Becoming a human rights activist takes a lot of patience and hard work. There are so many types of human rights violations happening all around us. I do not want you to feel as if your work is useless or as if there is not anything we can do about it because there is. I hope this blog encourages you to continue your journey in becoming a human rights activist and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do.

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Systemic Racism does exist in Quebec!

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Dear Legault,

I am writing this letter to point out that you do have a big influence on society because of your political position and power. Your words and actions matter. Therefore, you must think twice and look at data before saying that “systemic racism does not exist in Quebec”.

Systemic racism is the belief that white people are superior to people of other races and it is reflected in the system of a society. It is when racism is present in the different parts of society rather than just an individual bias and behavior. Therefore, systemic racism is when a different institution like the education system, healthcare system, judicial system, criminal justice system, policy system, and many more are based on a principle that is discriminatory and racist.

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There are so many cases and injustice that happens every day toward minorities based on their skin color. Saying that there is no systemic racism in Quebec is very ignorant and it would mean that you are completely denying the harmful acts and deaths that have already occurred to innocent individuals just because of their ethnicity and race.

A good example would be the systemic racism toward the indigenous people in Quebec. Joyce Echaquan , An Atikamekw woman and a mother of seven , is  only of many indigenous who have been neglected of proper care at the hospital because of her identity . Joyce Echaquan is lucky compared to many others because she was able to show Quebec that there is injustice in its healthcare system as she livestreamed her final moments before her death  at Joliette Hospital. No one deserves to be insulted by the nurses who are supposed to be taking care of them. No one should have to be recording their final moment in life to prove a point, which is that our society is corrupted and that there is clearly a big problem that needs to be solved in our healthcare system . There is clearly systemic racism in Quebec that cannot go neglected any longer. 

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Systemic racism does not just happen to indigenous people in Quebec but it also happens to black people. Racial profiling is a systemic problem that is present in Quebec. There are too many cases of racial profiling black man by the police. For example , A resident of Repentigny got pulled over and questioned by police because he was blowing up an inflatable children’s toy. Similarly , a man in Terrebonne was being pulled over by two police officers even though he did not violate any traffic laws. These kind of racial profiling happens way too often in our community. It is the responsibility of the policies in Quebec to protect and keep its citizens feel safe. However , they are making the minorities in our society feel unsafe. 

“The Montreal consultation concluded there was system racism and discrimination in the city, affecting racialized minorities, and that the Montreal police practiced racial profiling” –Quebec Human Rights Commission 

 I just mentioned a few examples  of many cases of systemic racism that happen in Quebec but are hidden or not reported by the media. If you think that Quebec does not have a problem of systemic racism then i think that you should get to know the different minority groups in Quebec personally and see what they have to say about it . 

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Here are some of the comments I have received from individuals about your statement:

“Legault who never experienced systemic racism states that it does not exist makes no sense to me personally. Stating that it does not exist is like he is invalidating the experiences of other people who experienced systemic racism and died because of it. Legault is a privileged man who will never experience this. “  

-Jamie Anne Gilbert

“I saw someone who has a government job saying that Quebec is not like the United States when it comes to racism. Quebec may not be as bad as the United States, but it also is not perfect. There is systemic racism here for sure even if Legault says that there is not any. There is systemic racism, but everyone is trying to hide it.”

–Ashley Dunn

The first step in creating a better society is by acknowledging that there is a problem. In this case, it is important to acknowledge that there is systemic racism in our province.It is important that the leaders of every province in canada acknowledges that there is systemic racism which includes you.  

After recognizing that there is a problem, we need to find ways that will decrease and stop systemic racism in Quebec. One of the main ways you can decrease systemic racism in Quebec is by  creating greater diversity in every area of our society. Currently there is a lack of diversity at the police force. This promotes systemic racism. Therefore , we should increase the diversity at the work force of not only police but hospitals, schools and many more. This would create a society that is more diverse and inclusive which will slowly eliminate systemic racism as everyone will learn to appreciate the differences from individual to another . 

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The only way we can bring this change is by the influence of the people in power which includes you . With your words , power and influence we can change our society for the better .We can create a place that does not have systemic racism . I am sure you would take into account our concern and the importance of your influence in society.

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How can you prevent activism burnout?

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To all the social activists and leaders that are fighting or standing up for a cause, your voice is powerful. Your posts are powerful. Boycotting is powerful. Using hashtags is powerful. Going to that protest is powerful. Your work is so important. However, I know you may feel helpless, but your work is not in vain.

I know that as an activist, we may often feel overwhelmed, hopeless, and exhausted from the stress of standing up for a cause or a norm. We need to work all together and find ways to prevent activism burnout.

What is activism burnout?

Activism burnout is when an individual or a group of people who stands up for change in society feels as if their work is not useful. They feel as if their work is leading to no change or achievement toward a better society. Social activists who stand up for a cause and wants to change social norms must face many critics, opposition, and disagreement. This can often have a big impact on their mental health and physical health. The change in mental and physical health that disrupts the daily activity of a social activists is symptoms and signs of activism burnout.

What are symptoms of activism burnout?

Activism burnout may look different for each person.

Here are a few main physical symptoms of activism burnout:

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• A fast weight loss /gain
• Feeling physically trained
• Not being as active as previously
• Being lazy and no motivation in moving

Here are a few main mental symptoms of activism burnout:

• Feeling stressed
• Feeling constantly tired
• Having no energy
• Feeling hopeless and anxious

Activism burnout is something that you should try to prevent because once we fall in the trap of social activism burnout it is very difficult to come out of it Activism burnout become a vicious cycle of negative mental health impact and negative physical impact. Therefore, it is important that everyone is aware of various ways to prevent activism burnout.

Ways to prevent activism burnout:

Here are few ways that can help you from not burning out while fighting for change in society:

1.   Self-care.

As a social activist, I know that we often feel as if we do not deserve what we have and enjoy because many other people are denied from having the basic daily needs. We often feel guilty and change our self-care routine without even realizing it. I also saw my self-care routine decrease when I felt stressed from social activism. My eating habits have changed and I was always feeling unmotivated to do activities I used to enjoy doing.

However, self-care is the most important factor that prevents us  from  having activism burnout. We need to take care of ourselves to be able to take care of others. So, please remember to eat, drink water, and sleep. Do not abandon or neglect yourself.

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Here are other self-care ideas that you can do when you feel overwhelmed:

• Write in a journal about your accomplishments, and things you are grateful about
• Meditate /yoga / breathing exercises.
• Stick to a schedule that is not too stressful.
• Take a relaxing bath / bubble bath.
• Go for a walk.
• Be physically more active.
• Most importantly do what you enjoy doing during the day for at least one time

“By virtue of us caring for ourselves , that puts us in an even better position to also care for our community” – McKensie Mack

2.   Take a break.

Knowing when you are feeling overwhelmed and when to take a break is very important. It is important to know and identify the symptoms of a burnout which will indicate to you that you need a break. I know that we want everyone to see our goal and purpose in advocating for human rights, but it can often be very traumatizing and triggering.

 Therefore, you do not need to know every detail, watch every single video, or read every single post. Constantly traumatizing and triggering yourself and others is not a prerequisite for advocacy and activism. That can make you and others feel more hopeless.  Whenever we feel overwhelmed or traumatized, we should try to take a break and just disconnect from everything related to the work we are fighting for. Sometimes it is better to just turn off the phone, not watch the news and just do what brings us joy.

Sometimes we need to stop saving the world and think about ourselves. This does not mean that you are being selfish. It means you are being self-center. It is important to be self-centered because if you continue doing this intensive work then you can damage your mental and physical health in the long term. Do as much as you can but make sure to always put yourself first. Take a break if you need.

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3.   Celebrate the small achievement.

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Social activism is a long-term process. We need to have a lot of patience. We can often feel as if what we are working on does not have an impact or change in society. Therefore, we need to take the smallest accomplishment and celebrate as if it is a big one. This will motivate us to continue to do our work and it can also encourage others to join us and fight for what we believe is right.

Celebrating achievements will not make you feel as if your hard work had no impact. This will prevent us from feeling hopeless and it will encourage us to do more because that is when we will recognize the amount of power we can have as a group of individuals who are fighting for the same cause.

Final Thoughts

When we feel strongly about a cause we try to get all the resources to make a change in a system that is in power and wants us to burnout from the actions we take for social change. The ones who are in power wants us to burnout because it is easier for them when there is no one who questions their actions and contradicts them. Social activism is long-term and ongoing, burning out benefits the oppressors.

We must take time to care for ourselves, we need to know when to stop and take a break from our activist work. We need to take time to celebrate our accomplishments which will allow us to bring change that will create a society that is egalitarian and inclusive .

 So, I hope this blog helps you guys find a way to prevent activism burnout and do not let the oppressors win.

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Systemic racism exists in Quebec

Dear Legault,

I am writing this letter to point out that you do have a big influence on society because of your political position and power. Therefore, you must think twice and look at data before saying that “systemic racism does not exist in Quebec”.

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Systemic racism is the belief that white people are superior to people of other races and it is reflected in the system of a society. It is when racism is present in the different parts of society rather than just an individual bias and behavior. Therefore, systemic racism is when a different institution like the education system, healthcare system, judicial system, criminal justice system, policy system, and many more are based on a principle that is discriminatory and racist.

There are so many cases and injustice that happens every day toward minorities based on their skin color. Saying that there is no systemic racism in Quebec is very ignorant and it would mean that you are completely denying the harmful acts and deaths that have already occurred to innocent individuals just because of their ethnicity and race.

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A good example would be the systemic racism toward the indigenous people in Quebec. Joyce Echaquan is the only of many individuals who have been neglected of proper care at the hospital because of who she is. Joyce Echaquan is lucky compared to many other because she was able to show Quebec that there is injustice in its healthcare system. Everyone is not treated and taken care of equally. I just mentioned one example of many cases of systemic racism that happen in Quebec but are hidden or not reported by the media.

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Here are some of the comments I have received from individuals about your statement:

“Legault who never experienced systemic racism state that it does not exist makes no sense to me personally. Stating that it does not exist is like he is invalidating the experiences of other people who experienced systemic racism and died because of it. Legault is a privileged man who will never experience this. “  

-Jamie Anne Gilbert

“I saw someone who has a government job saying that Quebec is not like United states when it comes to racism. Quebec may not be as bad as the United States, but it also is not perfect. There is systemic racism here for sure even if Legault says that there is not any. There is systemic racism, but everyone is trying to hide it.”

-Ashley Dunn

The first step in creating a better society is by acknowledging that there is a problem. In this case, it is important to acknowledge that there is systemic racism. After recognizing this we need to find ways that will decrease and stop systemic racism in Quebec. This can include the representation of people of a different race in politics, a class that teaches individuals the history and the lessons about systemic racism, and many more.

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I am sure you would take into account our concern and the importance of your influence in society.

The start of the movement #blacklivesmatter

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In recent years, there is a huge rise in the usage of social platforms like Twitter and Instagram to raise awareness about social problems. Hashtags are now one of the main ways that social activists get their voices heard. Those hashtags go viral and lead to change in society. A good example of this phenomenon is the #blacklivesmatter movement. 

The start of the movement #blacklivesmatter 

The first time that the #the BlackLivesMatter hashtag was slowly getting attention on social platforms was when George Zimmerman killed a black teenager back in 2012. After that event, there were times when that hashtag was viral at its peak and then there were other times where that hashtag was as if it never existed. Similarly, to any social activism, the popularity of the cause varied from one time to another.

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The hashtag Black Lives Matter went viral multiple times as seen in the image above. This hashtag is now one of the most used and most important hashtags on Twitter more than any other social platform. It is a hashtag that is still very present in our lives and social platforms especially after the murder of George Floyd by police brutality.

The impact of the #blacklivesmatter

This hashtag has a very big significance as part of social activism on Twitter, in other social platforms, and our daily lives. This hashtag raised awareness and made people reflect more about the current social problem of racism and police brutality. These hashtags allow people to reflect on issues that are present but are often too discreet or hidden by the news reports.

Not only did this hashtag raise more awareness but it also led to a huge protest in America in 2020. There were so many people at the BlackLivesMatter protest that it broke the record and is now known as the largest movement in America’s history. This hashtag brought many people together and united them for social change.

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From #blacklivesmatter to #allivesmatter  

Like every social movement, there is always a group of individuals who agrees with the cause and others who do not agree with it. For example, people who opposed the BlackLivesMatter movement would often use #alllivesmatter. This hashtag was used by individuals who are completely ignorant and believe that there is not any racism in America. This shows the impact of the usage of hashtags and the different powerful ideology they hold.

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The influence of #blacklivesmatter on other social issues

The hashtag BlackLivesMatter gave many social activists a sense of accomplishment. It made many individuals believe that if we work hard enough, we can make our voices heard by the public and bring change. Therefore, this hashtag demonstrated the power of social media and influence other countries and other social activists to create their hashtags such as the #metoo or #freepalestine.

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Algorithmic Biases of the Term “Unemployment”

When we google image the word “ unemployment “ most of the images that show up are of Caucasian men that are fully dressed and look like they have the resources needed to get employed but for some reason, they are still unemployed.

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However, this google search does not represent the rest of the population who are unemployed. Caucasian men are the least unemployed compared to other groups in society such as being of another ethnicity or another gender.

 As Statista shows, Caucasian were the least unemployed in 2020 ( during the pandemic) whereas all the other ethnicities have a higher unemployment rate. What is the most interesting factor is that the Caucasian have a smaller unemployment rate than a U.S average but they are the ones who are represented the most when we search for the term “unemployment”.

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Gender is also not represented when we search for the word unemployment. Women are in most cases have a higher unemployment rate but men are the ones who are more represented than females when searching the term unemployment in google.

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A Thousand Splendid Suns Review

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Title : A Thousand Splendid Suns

Author : Khaled Hosseini

Review: 4.5 /5

Brief Summary:

A Thousand Splendid suns is one of the popular fictional books and a New York Times  Bestseller  written by Khaled Hosseini. It highlights the various difficulties that women have to face in Afghanistan. The most remarkable aspect of this book is that it does not show the difficulties of just one generation, but it shows the evolution and the difference in hardship of women in Afghanistan between the years of 1960 – 2005.

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The descriptions of the characters:

Females character:

The author did a very good job of describing the characters in the book. It especially did an incredible job at describing the females in the book. The author described the main character ( Mariam) from the time she was only a kid to her adulthood. This allowed me to relate and understand better the different decisions Mariam decided to take. It especially made me feel more connected to Mariam and it allowed me to put myself in her shoes.

Male character:

The author was also very good at describing the male figures in the book. I love that the author wanted to focus more on the females because his goal was to show the hardship that females had to go through in that country. Even though Hosseini did not describe the male characters in detail,  he was able to give me a good idea of what type of characters they were just by how those men treated the females in the book.

Overall:

The way the author described the characters in the book and gives each character a very strong and different personality is something that stands out from other books.

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The description of events:

The author did an excellent job of describing the events in the book.

Timeline:

It is very challenging to write books that are intergenerational because it confuses  the readers. The timeline of the story becomes very difficult to understand when the story changes from the past to the future many times. However, Hosseini found a way to tell this story in a way that does not confuse the readers. I am not a good reader which is why I often avoid books that change their timeline from the past to the future multiple time, but this book was very organized, and it did not overwhelm me.

Fiction to reality:

A thousand splendid suns is a fictional story but the way the author described different events made the readers feel as if the story is based on a true story. It is very creative of the author to use real historic events of a set of years in Afghanistan. I loved the author’s goals to make this fictional story into feeling as if it is a real story because it makes the readers realize that maybe there is a woman in Afghanistan that is living the same or similar life as the characters in the book.

Recommendations:

I absolutely  recommend this book to everyone. Even the ones who do not like reading. I used to not read books but “A Thousand Splendid Suns” is the book that sparked my interest in reading more books. I hope it does the same for you! If you do like this book by Khaled Hosseini I recommend you to read his other books like the kite runners.

google review of the metro Plamondon

I chose to rate the metro Plamondon because it is the metro I use the most. 

This Metro is situated in an underprivileged neighborhood of Montreal.

 As many other reviews mentioned, the metro Plamondon is not maintained well, not clean, and the escalators do not often work.

I decided to look and reflect more in-depth and this is what I found:  

• there is never a staff to make STM tickets.
•  The STM machine at that metro often does not function. 
• There are more STM officers in this metro than any other.

I give this metro a review of 4 /10because it is not clean, the machines do not work and there is never any staff there. It is not fair that the STM officers are targeting these unprivileged neighbourhood and giving them fines for not buying their metro tickets before getting inside while the machine does not work and there is no staff to help.

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here is the link to my google review : https://goo.gl/maps/MB3VrSQ2rG6UXu827

Your screen is hurting you!

Recently there is a huge increase in the usage of smartphones and laptops.

As we can see in the picture above, 56 .8% of the 44 people who participated in a survey spend around 6 to 10 hours per day looking at a digital screen.

Something must be done about this problem because as we all know that the more, we spend time staring at a digital screen the worst it is for our mental and physical health. For example, increased time spent looking at a digital screen reduces physical activity which can lead to obesity and risk of depression.

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How can social activists prevent activism burnout 

To all the social activists and leaders that are fighting or standing up for a cause , your voice is powerful. Your posts are powerful. Boycotting is powerful. Using hashtags is powerful. Going to that protest is powerful. Your work is so important. However, I know you may feel helpless, but your work is not in vain.

I know that as an activist, we may often feel overwhelmed, hopeless, and exhausted from the stress of standing up for a cause or a norm. We need to work all together and find ways to prevent activism burnout. Here are few ways that can help you from not burning out while fighting for change in society:

1.   Self-care.

As a social activist, I know that we often feel as if we do not deserve what we have and enjoy because many other people are denied from having the basic daily needs. We often feel guilty and change our self-care routine without even realizing it. I also saw my self-care routine decrease when I felt stressed from social activism.

However, self-care is the most important factor that helps us from not having activism burnout. We need to take care of ourselves to be able to take care of others. So, please remember to eat, drink water, and sleep. Do not abandon or neglect yourself.

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2.   Take a break.

Knowing when you are feeling overwhelmed and when to take a break is very important. It is important to know and identify the symptoms of a burnout which will indicate to you that you need a break. I know that we want everyone to see our goal and purpose in advocating for human rights, but it can often be very traumatizing and triggering.

 Therefore, you do not need to know every detail, watch every single video, or read every single post. Constantly traumatizing and triggering yourself and others is not a prerequisite for advocacy and activism. That can make you and others feel more hopeless.  Whenever we feel overwhelmed or traumatized we should try to take a break and just disconnect from everything related to the work we are fighting for. Sometimes it is better to just turn off the phone, not watch the news and just do what  brings us joy.

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3.   Celebrate the small achievement.

Social activism is a long-term process. We need to have a lot of patience. We can often feel as if what we are working on does not have an impact or change in society. Therefore we need to take the smallest accomplishment and celebrate as if it is a big one. This will motivate us to continue to do our work and it can also encourage others to join us and fight for what we believe is right.

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Final Thoughts

When we feel strongly about a cause we try to get all the resources to make a change in a system that is in power and wants us to burn out from the actions we take for social change. Social activism is long-term and ongoing, burning out benefits the oppressors. So, I hope this blog helps you guys find a way to prevent activism burnout and do not let the oppressors win.