searching for ways to be politically active, but by collecting and
maintaining documents, interview records, rally banners, letters,
photos, pamphlets and books, archivists ensure there’s evidence of
the past. It’s much harder for people to argue that homosexuality
is a modern, millennial phenomenon, for instance, when there’s
a big stock of data that proves otherwise! If you don’t have time to
volunteer, there are other ways to contribute. At rallies or marches,
collect pamphlets, take photos of banners (with permission), and
find out if there’s an archive that will house them. If you know
someone who’s been actively involved in Australian activism, ask
if you can interview them and record their story. Even if there’s no
appropriate archive for your material right now, collecting stories
and protest materials can be a radical way to think about what we’ll
need in the future.
ATTEND A COUNCIL MEETING // You know when you watch
American movies and everyone’s at a ‘town meeting’, complaining
about potholes and stoplights? They exist in Australia, too! Showing
up at a local council gathering is a good way to get a handle on
what’s happening in your community, and to voice your thoughts on
district planning and council policy. As one of the most local forms
of government, councils tend to have some immediate control over
what happens in your city, like whether a historic meeting place
should be torn down and replaced by apartments, or a service for
people experiencing homelessness should be relocated away from
the city and into the suburbs. If you can’t get to meetings or you’re
unsure whether it’s worth attending, you can visit the council’s
website and look up records of their recent events. That way, you’ll
have an idea of what’s on the agenda and who’s making decisions.
If you’re interested in going but worried about looking out of place,
try dragging along a bunch of friends. Worst case scenario, you
meet a few people equally concerned about your neighbourhood
and get a free cup of tea.
CONSIDER YOUR STRENGTHS // The thought of being politically
active tends to conjure images of chanting, marching and organising
petitions, but if none of that sounds appealing or accessible for you,
and you still want to get involved, reflect on the skills you have right
now and look up ways to use them. Do you spend most nights knitting
on the couch? How about stitching up jumpers for penguins living
in areas affected by oil spills? (It’s a real thing that helps keep them
safe.) If you like to cook, then your services might be helpful in a soup
kitchen, a food van, or with an organisation like Meals on Wheels.
Designers can assist with logos, pamphlets and website layouts.
Groups like the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre sometimes need
volunteers to help with admin, stocktake or cleaning – vital tasks that
make it possible for them to run. If your timetable makes it tricky to
lend a hand in person, you can still put your talents to good use by
volunteering your services and working on your own time.BE A GOOD ALLY // An ‘ally’ is someone who actively supports
people from marginalised or minority communities – people of
colour, refugees, indigenous people, LGBTQ people, people with
disabilities – even when those individuals aren’t around. Being a
good ally can take a bunch of different forms, but always starts
with an understanding that you’re a supporter rather than a leader.
I might be a gay Ma-ori person, but that’s pretty irrelevant when
I’m being an ally to a recently arrived refugee. It’s less about being
part of a community and more about being able to stand up when
you see a group or person under any kind of attack. Sometimes it’s
as little as telling your friend to shut up when they call someone
a “homo”. Other times, it’s intervening on a bus when one of
Australia’s many toolburgers tells someone to “go back where
they came from”, or stepping in when someone’s being attacked
on social media. Allyship is really just listening to what people in
marginalised communities are asking for, then following through
to provide assistance.get involved