No is Not Enough

No. Two letters, one syllable. Yet this tiny little word can possess immense power – historic events can follow in its wake when the people decide it is time to shout it out. Its appearance can jolt society out of the status quo, cause it to fracture, incite cataclysmic fury. But as Naomi Klein wrote in her book - a critique of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and ultimate election – ‘no’ is not enough. As the book's title suggests, Klein wants people to move from refusal to resistance, from a passive stance of opposition to active engagement. No identifies the problem but does not address it. No is rejection, No is defiance, No is destruction.

But ‘Yes’ - Yes is affirmation, Yes is positive action, Yes is creation.

Throughout history, huge social change has been affected by rejecting the past and moving on to a fairer future. Emmeline Pankhurst, the leader of the British suffragette movement, spoke of ‘Deeds not words’, urgently calling on members to shock the government into securing equal voting rights for women, however dangerous their methods were. After half a century of peaceful protesting, they decided to use more militant approaches where necessary. Buildings were set on fire, windows smashed, letterboxes blown up, valuable paintings slashed, politicians attacked and golf courses burnt. After being arrested and put into prison, many would go on hunger strike, starving themselves for days until eventually doctors had to force-feed them. Emily Wilding Davison even died when she jumped in front of the King’s horse at the Derby Races, a suffragette flag in her hand, thus becoming the first suffragette martyr to die for the cause. Eventually the culmination of all the violent campaigns put too much pressure on Parliament, so in 1918 women were finally granted the meaningful vote, and ten years later complete equality was achieved.

More recently, as people condemn man's destructive effect on the planet, huge opposition has been directed towards authorities and multinational corporations around the world in the form of school strikes, influenced massively by sixteen-year-old Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg. Millions of students have taken to the streets to passionately protest for what they believe. Extinction Rebellion closes off large parts of cities in efforts to prompt governments and huge companies into action. In the words of the American university professor Howard Zinn: “Small acts, multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.”

In a similar way, after the many school massacres in America, brave shooting survivor Emma Gonzalez protested tirelessly, forming the March for Our Lives and advocating for gun control, triggering a change in gun law. Each of these movements started off as a rejection of an unfair idea or a social ill, but actions were needed to move forward and make change happen. Yes or no. Remain or Leave. Green energy or fossil fuels. Peace or war. Science or scepticism. Questions seem to abound and to cloud modern day judgement. It can feel like an age of uncertainty but we need a definitive and inspiring ‘yes’ to set us on a bold course for dramatic change.

As the last embers of British colonial rule died out, Mahatma Gandhi became a beacon of hope teaching future generations to practise non-violence and harmony between people of all faiths. As he expressed No to the colonial rulers, his peaceful marches and fasts shone a light on the injustices of the colonial system and reflected his peaceful ethos.

History has shown that it is crucial to stand up for what we believe, to challenge the big guys, to fight in the name of justice. It’s in this way that we’ll reclaim our fundamental human rights; the bountiful planet we both want and need; and a fairer future for mankind.

No is the start of change - but answers need to be offered before all of us, or at least a majority, can cry out: Yes.