Citizens In Want of Stamina
This is the age of hopeful citizens where in almost every part of the globe citizens are mobilizing, marching and, often successfully, pushing for change. But this is also the age of increasingly frustrated citizens. In some cases, the frustration is occasioned by the failure to achieve changes in regimes even after an astonishing sequence of heroic efforts and sacrifices by citizens. In other cases, the efforts originally appeared successful. Long-entrenched dictators fell and citizens were ecstatic, believing glorious days were imminent. Yet, in many of these cases, one disappointment is jumping on top of another. Change is proving far more difficult to achieve; it is even proving elusive.
- Tags:
- The World Region
- Governance
- Sustained Social Movements
- Sustained Citizen Action
- Stamina of Citizens
- Social Movement
- Social Mobilization
- social change
- Public Opinion
- Public Narrative
- Public Activism
- Public Action
- protest
- Power Structures
- Power and Elites
- Poor Governance
- Political Participation
- Political Opportunities
- Political Movement
- Political Change
- Persistence of Citizen Movements
- Mobilization
- Iron Law of Oligarchy
- Inertia
- Hope
- Fear
- Dictatorship
- Democracy
- Collective Action
- Cognitive Liberation
- Civil Protest
- Citizen Movements
- Citizen Engagement
- Accountable Governance
In development practices, the process of information gathering and dissemination has remained in the domain of social development. While the process itself contributes to social development through knowledge transmission and critical consciousness (topic for another blog post), the tools and techniques required for effective use and dissemination of information comes from the communication school. Yet, rarely do we find social development experts with communication training and vice-versa. My recent exposure to