The following essay serves as a primer on the emerging field of Holistic Activism. More specifically, the essay introduces the concepts behind Holistic Anarchism.
For those who don't really like to read, you can also find some of this in my presentation from the 2017 Anarchapulco Conference
Holistic Anarchy
The term holistic is related to the theory known as Holism. According to Webster’s Dictionary, Holism is:
1: a theory that the universe and especially living nature is correctly seen in terms of interacting wholes (as of living organisms) that are more than the mere sum of elementary particles
2: a study or method of treatment that is concerned with wholes or with complete systems :a holistic study or method of treatment
Holistic can be defined as “relating to or concerned with wholes or with complete systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection into parts.” For example, holistic medicine typically treats the entire body and mind in an attempt to address the root of an illness as opposed to only focusing on treating symptoms. The field of Holistic ecology examines humanity and the environment as a single system. When examining whole systems rather than the individual pieces of a particular problem, you are likely to come away with a completely different perspective and thus, a different solution than you would find when studying the individual components.
The process of becoming an activist typically begins when an individual is made aware of an injustice that strikes them to the core and moves them to act in some fashion. Once a problem has been identified, some individuals will expend further energy to identify the people and institutions they hold responsible. The individual’s knowledge is expanded in a particular area, they experience discomfort from their new found awareness, and finally, they decide to find a meaningful way to address the issue. This may take the form of holding signs in the street, writing letters, organizing email and phone blast campaigns, pursuing blogging and journalism, confronting those responsible for the problems, or taking more extreme forms of confronting power.
When applying the holistic perspective to activism, the goal is to move beyond simply identifying the problems we see in the world into a mode of action oriented around understanding how our individual actions and habits are contributing to the crises we see. It is a fairly simple task to point fingers at the atrocious and immoral actions unfolding around the world. A more rewarding perspective is gained by examining our own individual actions. By holding ourselves accountable and asking, “How am I contributing to X?” we can make strides in aligning our thoughts and words with our actions.
In order to do this, one must consciously choose to go beyond the surface-level interpretations of political crimes, environmental destruction, rampant surveillance, the loss of civil liberties, mass extinctions, and a host of other activist concerns. A Holistic Activist identifies the injustice and begins to look for clues — much like a crime scene investigator — that contribute to a fuller understanding of the crime at hand. The Holistic Activist pays particular attention to any evidence that leads back to their own behaviors and habits. Rather than ending the effort to bring justice and morality to the world once the problem has been identified, the Holistic Activist does not stop until they can clearly see their own role in creating or contributing to the issue. Let’s take a look at two particular activist movements and examine them through the Holistic Activist lens.
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I am an investigative journalist and liberty activist; a Lead Investigative Reporter for ActivistPost.com and the founder of the TheConsciousResistance.com & The Houston Free Thinkers. I have also co-authored three books: The Conscious Resistance: Reflections on Anarchy and Spirituality and Finding Freedom in an Age of Confusion, Vol. 1 and Finding Freedom in an Age of Confusion, Vol. 2
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