This episode interrogates saviorism complexes within activism, particularly when it is organised or oriented towards middle-class standpoints.
When middle-class people engage in activism, it often stems from a revelation or realisation about how the world works, followed by a desire to change it, rather than from collective action born of an issue affecting a community. In this way, activists can see themselves as both separate from the issue at hand and tasked with "saving the world" from the problem by protesting and convincing others to come on board.
Many parts of climate activism have been dominated by and oriented towards the middle class, in the same way that environmental choices such as buying an EV, switching to solar power or shopping at an organic, refill shop are tailored towards those with the means, money and privilege to do so. While caring for the environment and nature transcends class, race and cultural boundaries, much of how climate activism presents itself today is dominated by the middle class, which is why it is important to interrogate how that influences the movement and our own capacity to build collective momentum.
Shae's guest, Anthea Lawson, has done a lot of thinking in this regard, interrogating her own and others' standpoints and the effects of those standpoints on their respective activism.
Anthea Lawson (she/her) is an author and campaigner. Her books How Not To Save The World and The Entangled Activist help people who want to change the world think about the psychological, spiritual and philosophical foundations of what they’re doing, what’s getting in the way, and how they can be more effective. After training as a journalist at The Times, she worked for campaign groups including Global Witness and Amnesty International. She has fought for many issues over three decades, including controls on the arms trade and an end to the financial secrecy offered by tax havens.
Climate Action Collective
