#QueryTheWorld: High-Risk Actions
Questions I'm asking myself this week about my life and the larger movement that I feel and think are important for our sustainability and long-term vision:
-If risk-taking behavior is a sign of depression, how do organizations and activists make sure that we are not exploiting our community's mental health when asking/accepting high-risk action?
-How do we build a framework of communication, education, and community organizing that inspires critical thinking, and allows decisions to come from a place of power, not desperation?
-How can I assess my own mental health before committing to a high-risk action?
-What boundaries do I need to set with myself and the movement based on the level of education and consciousness I have in order to feel that my decision comes from a place of power and not pressure?
I believe that direct action is critical to transforming our world, that civil disobedience is a necessary tactic in our current socio-political context, and I recognize these questions are asked from a place of privilege and a particular experience. However, I think they are important exactly because of that. I fear that if we aren't asking these questions, we will end up dangerously close to exerting the same power over our communities that we are trying to liberate us from.