Politics is not just about voting for and electing officials. It makes up key aspects of practically every lived experience. Whether it is the cleanliness and quality of the air we breathe, or our chances of working in fulfilling roles that pay us what we deserve, or our children’s life chances, whether the bins get emptied or the NHS is in adequate condition to help us when we really need it. Politics exists in relationships connecting people as well and shapes our interactions with and power dynamics between one another, or lack of agency thereof.
At its core, for many, politics is about power: who holds it, how it is used, and who gets left behind. In a world where decisions made in distant chambers and opaque institutions affect lives in every neighbourhood, the need for active, informed participation has never been greater.
Apart from those handful of occasions, each often five years apart, to place our ‘X’ against a name, democracy for many has become less and less a part of their lives and more of a spectacle of a spectator sport circulated through media platforms, channels, adverts and clickbait.
For it to work properly, in yours and everyone else’s interests, for democracy to thrive, this only happens when citizens engage with issues, challenge authority, and organise to enact change, or at the very least to perpetuate the positives that can be gleaned from the status quo. It falters when voices go unheard and communities are left out of the conversation. And when people stop believing that they are part of the very process that could lead to real improvement in their lived experience, whatever their situation, it shrivels and is bent to the will of self-interested groups that certainly aren’t coy when it comes to improving their own lives, often at great expense to others.
The Courage to Stand is here for those who believe that politics should be people-powered whether through the influence of one or many. It is a space for organizers, activists and everyday citizens to come together, to share ideas and expertise, to build and influence movements and to nurture collective action. Whether you are mobilizing for local change or shaping the national discourse, this platform is your alliance in the struggle for the achievement of progress towards a more just, safe, benevolent and bountiful future.
Our Mission – ORGANISE
To empower individuals and communities to stand up, speak out, and organise for transformative life enhancement through political change using democratic participation and strategic action.
The Courage To Stand