“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
Bureaucracies are frustrating. Once a bureaucracy gets moving in a certain direction it can be quite effective. Numerous roadblocks often appear when one tries to change its direction, usually centered around secrecy and power. In light of the growing debate about the National Security Agency’s (NSA) surveillance practices and the changing perception of privacy, making community change on the local level similarly involves publishing data and analyses that will make some people uncomfortable. In making communities more sustainable, what should Margaret Mead’s “small group of thoughtful, committed citizens” do when they confront a roadblock?
In moving a community towards environmental justice and equitable development, established interests, comfortable politicians, powerful bureaucrats, and communities benefitting from the status quo may act as roadblocks. Data that tells a different story can be withheld, reputations can be threatened, or even ignorance can be feigned by power holders so as to limit one’s ability to influence other parties and decision makers. It is easy to be discouraged by a roadblock in a bureaucracy. The thing about roadblocks is that they are not dead ends; there is usually another way to go.
Internationally, exciting movements are cropping up to push back against the NSA and surveillance, reclaiming privacy as a lever of power. Riseup.net provides private and secure online communications for people working for social change. Similarly, those looking to make local community change, whether inside or outside a bureaucracy, need to find people with similar interests and work with them. Informal groups like Greater Greater Washington can help circumvent roadblocks by highlighting underrepresented stories and analyzing data from different perspectives.
Hopefully Margaret Mead was right.
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