*As part of an ongoing series, I interview various Canadian activists from many walks of life to discuss their politics in a short debate-style format. This time on The Revolution will be Improvised, I talk with Canadian author and peace activist Kevin Vowles about his new book, Twenty-first century Hippies: Activists in pursuit of peace and social justice (Hip-E Books, 2008). In his book, Kevin examines the techniques of the '60s peace movement and their relevance in contemporary approaches to human rights, war, poverty, the environment and HIV/AIDS.David Zeglen: What are the most important points you are trying to express in your book?
Kevin Vowles: My book
DZ: Was your book an attempt at putting together a response for people who feel like there are so many problems in the world, but no concrete way of going about it?
KV:
DZ: Tell me more about how you got interested in activism. Was there a defining moment or social issue that drew you into the fold? Can you define for me what activism meant to you then, and what it means for you now?
KV: I got interested in activism, specifically human rights when I read the Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela. I was quite young at the time---in high school. It was a pivotal moment in my life. I began to realize that life is not so good for the majority of people in the world. At that time activism was a very vague concept to me.
On my tour I went into a Grade 8 classroom and spoke to budding activists about the issues that interested them and the activism they were pursuing. It's very inspiring to see education being used to get things done in the world---making the world a better place. Teachers have a great opportunity to teach and initiate change with students, at the same time creating leaders of tomorrow. For me, activism didn't really begin to crystallize until I joined Amnesty International while at McGill University. At that point activism meant protest, and raising awareness. The definition of activism for me has evolved significantly. I believe it's a fundamental method to bring about change in the world. I define it fairly simply in my book:
"Activism refers to action meant to bring about change. This can range from writing letters, blogging, fundraising, writing books, articles, poetry and songs, raising awareness, speeches, protests, demonstrations, rallies, sit-ins or strikes."
As time progresses, issues and technology evolve and change. So too will activism, and I hope more people will become inspired to get involved and raise awareness to bring about change.
DZ: In your book, you cite the 1960s as an inspirational model for contemporary protest. However, the counter-cultural techniques of that period have been effectively co-opted by many groups on the political spectrum. Beginning with the 1980s North American right-wing campus movement, figures like the young Jack Ambrahoff created a 'conservatism as revolution' college frenzy, effectively sweeping Reagan, and consequently Mulroney, into power. How can would-be activists know they are joining an authentic campaigns for positive social change when so many divergent groups claim they are the true inheritors of the Left?
Yes you are right, my definition of activism is fairly non-partisan. I believe people will know that they are joining 'authentic' efforts by asking themselves the question, "Is this activism attempting to improve the human condition? Or, am I helping the Earth?" I certainly believe that in many cases corporations have co-opted environmentalism, and human rights to turn a profit. One of the clearest examples of this is Walmart and Starbucks and Fair Trade campaigns. I think we need to be very wary of corporations that have had a history of exploitation. They are certainly not agents of change.
DZ: Chapter eight of your book briefly names Afghanistan as one of many countries currently undergoing a military operation, a subject that resonates deeply with the Canadian public. Unlike Iraq, which you discuss at length in that chapter, the mission in Afghanistan is a multilateral UN sanctioned operation which was also invited to the country on behalf of the Afghan government. Several opinion polls taken from local Afghans almost unanimously support a foreign presence there, and yet several major Canadian protest groups like the Vancouver based StopWar Coalition, PeaceNow and the Canadian Peace Alliance have sponsored rallies in the past year calling for Canadian withdrawal from Afghanistan. Some protestors have even gone so far as to dub the Taleban as freedom fighters resisting imperalist powers. However your book also outlines an important need to protect human rights, which poses a paradox to these peace activists. The Taliban, a neo-fascist paramilitary group that oppresses women, destroys trade unions and kills political rivals will essentially wreck havoc across the country if withdrawal at this stage actually occurs. Meanwhile, peace protests in Canada have aligned themselves with these fascists, united by the righteousness of their cause. How does a well-meaning activist sift through and reconcile these contradictions without succumbing to a partisanship that you admonish?
KV: Personally, I am not a fan of labels. This may sound contrary given the title of my book. I used the term 'Hippies' in my book as a way to creatively draw people into activism---hoping that many people were already identifying as Hippies. I believe that Hippies were pursuing an improvement in the human condition---this was the basis of the peace movement and transferred well into the environmental movements which arose out of the 1960s---which saw corporate endeavours harming our planet in numerous ways.
Yes you are right, my definition of activism is fairly non-partisan. I believe people will know that they are joining 'authentic' efforts by asking themselves the question, "Is this activism attempting to improve the human condition? Or, am I helping the Earth?" I certainly believe that in many cases corporations have co-opted environmentalism, and human rights to turn a profit. One of the clearest examples of this is Walmart and Starbucks and Fair Trade campaigns. I think we need to be very wary of corporations that have had a history of exploitation. They are certainly not agents of change.
Honest, sincere efforts for change have always been just that: honest and sincere.
DZ: Chapter eight of your book briefly names Afghanistan as one of many countries currently undergoing a military operation, a subject that resonates deeply with the Canadian public. Unlike Iraq, which you discuss at length in that chapter, the mission in Afghanistan is a multilateral UN sanctioned operation which was also invited to the country on behalf of the Afghan government. Several opinion polls taken from local Afghans almost unanimously support a foreign presence there, and yet several major Canadian protest groups like the Vancouver based StopWar Coalition, PeaceNow and the Canadian Peace Alliance have sponsored rallies in the past year calling for Canadian withdrawal from Afghanistan. Some protestors have even gone so far as to dub the Taleban as freedom fighters resisting imperalist powers. However your book also outlines an important need to protect human rights, which poses a paradox to these peace activists. The Taliban, a neo-fascist paramilitary group that oppresses women, destroys trade unions and kills political rivals will essentially wreck havoc across the country if withdrawal at this stage actually occurs. Meanwhile, peace protests in Canada have aligned themselves with these fascists, united by the righteousness of their cause. How does a well-meaning activist sift through and reconcile these contradictions without succumbing to a partisanship that you admonish?
KV: When I opened my book tour, I invited a man from Kingston who I knew when I was growing up. He is the principal of the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario--my home town. When I argued that we need to look to peace in the face of Afghanistan and Iraq, he argued that sometimes you need wars to gain peace. He was especially critical of my profiling Hibakushas in my book-telling the stories of some of the first survivors of the first detonation of a nuclear weapon on civilians in 1945 in Japan-noting that the Japanese committed numerous attrocities themselves (including taking thousands of Korean women as sex slaves), and that the bomb ended the war. At the time I will readily admit I was at a loss for words. Later I better came to understand the arguments he was making, and thus more clearly understood my point. People need to advocate for peace, for a more peaceful world, and this is what I have been doing for quite some time now. Many people affected by western led wars of aggression might argue that dropping nuclear bombs on Washington and Ottawa would be justified if it ended wars of aggression and prevented possible future conflicts in countries like Iran. Of course this would be extremely tragic, anti-peace, and possibly signal an end a chance for world peace.
The war in Afghanistan has been tragic and despite being a multilateral UN sanctioned operation (and NATO), it is very much a war started at the behest of the USA, and infact is also a war about energy as much as anything. There are various energy motivations at play, including natural gas, oil and the security of these commodities. One need only look to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives paper A Pipeline Through a Troubled Land: Afghanistan, Canada, and the New Great Energy Game by John Foster. My 90 year old Grandmother actually gave me this article...Yes, she's a raging Granny! Politicians point to the 6 million children now able to go to school as progress. Everyday in my career as an educator I advocate for human rights of all varities-food, water, education, safety, security, and a chance for a better future---for people from all walks of life.
Currently I teach on a First Nations Reserve on Vancouver Island. We have a school here. Just because there is a school though does not mean human rights are respected and upheld, even here in Canada. Progress, justice, human rights and an improvement in the human condition cannot be imposed as has been done in Afghanistan. Real change takes time and must come from within. It must come from the people.
That being said, my belief is the Taliban is not for these things either, leaving a glaring contradiction on the Canadian anti-war scene currently. My other impression is that we are not nearly pro-peace enough, and I do not know how anyone could possibly believe the Taliban are pro-peace---they might be fighting an occupation of their country (and just become something is legal does not make it right---need we look further than the continual sale of tobacco in Canada which kills 45,000 Canadians annually?), but they do not stand for equality or peace; that much is clear and I would not walk with activists who stood by the Taliban. I believe that if we take the road of peace and nonviolence as Ghandhi did in the movement to independence from the British in India, we will be clear, peaceful and right in our stance and efforts to improve the human condition.
DZ: The report you cite mentions how beneficial the pipeline would be for 33 million Afghans, providing jobs and a national infrastructure. If Afghanistan wanted to build a pipeline in negotiations with other neighboring countries, this seems to be at the prerogative of the Afghan government. Activists wishing to stop this process sounds, well... a lot like imperialism. Claiming the U.S. impetus for invasion was energy gains support because it sounds sensational and unfortunately detracts from more complex issues at hand. I'm deeply concerned about a rabid anti-Americanism ingrained into the Canadian Left's activism, which is just the opposite side of the same coin that believes in an American manifest destiny. Both sides fail to assume the responsibilities of citizenship that fairly assesses and criticizes foreign policies rather than maintaining partisanship regardless of a particular side's lunatic positions. If the United States does anything, then it simply must be protested against or a conspiracy theory must be invented to "justify" protest. But international conflicts aren't as simple as having an X factor. Don't you think that your book might encourage Canadians to adopt the 'trendiness' of activism by generalizing peace issues to hippydom, without demanding the more solitary and unglamorous work of committing to a single cause and spending a lifetime of work understanding its nuances? If we want to be meaningful activists in pursuit of peace and social change, doesn't this mean we have to criticize both the Left and Right's positions to determine positive change regardless of popularity?
KV:I think that many Hippies from the 1960s believed that they would be Hippies forever; advocating for peace in the style and mode of their counterparts. Many splintered and formed the radical and violent left Weatherman Underground, a group of radical activists who bombed many targets around the US in retaliation for the Vietnam War---they believed that the inaction of the American public was complicity with the devastation of the war. I believe they are right. This is true today. By not taking action, paying taxes which pays for the war, people are complicit. Many true pacifists believed violence to be too 'sensational' and not in keeping with the roots of the struggle for peace. I believe they were right then and now.
I sincerely hope my book does not spur trendiness, but rather a genuine commitment to activism, as is exhibited in many Hippies I have met in my travels---people committed broadly to social justice and specifically to other issues as they see fit. The thing we have to remember is that Hippie is a label, and for a time I considered dramatically restructuring my book to avoid this idea. I decided not to in the end because Hippies inspired in me a life committed to something greater than me; greater than the pursuit of personal wealth. They inspired personal liberty, peace, change, belonging, freedom and power. I believe it can take a very long time for people to find their niche in activism.
As I clearly state in my book, change can take a lifetime. I am personally beginning to take an interest and pursue involvement in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament---a campaign for a more peaceful Earth, now more than 50 years old. We all have to look deep within ourselves to find peace, ignite the flames of passion (forgive the cliche), as the 1960s Hippies did. For many activists today, this is the war in Afghanistan, and Iraq. A recent article in Adbusters stated that the Bush era ushered in an era of stupidity for activists...making us struggle for the stupidest things. For others, it ignited the flames of activism and involvement in a cause. Many people became Hippies as did people in the 1960s.
DZ: It seems to me that pacifism has become a convenient ideology that Westerners have adopted that doesn't demand much from them in a democracy, nor does it make for much of a foreign policy in the real world, where a flower for a fascist earns you a bullet in the head. You quote Ghandi several times in your book, but aren't there circumstances that require a popular uprising (or support of one) that may use violence as one of many tools to overthrow oppressors to achieve peace?
KV: Great question. In fact I think that I like this question the best out of all of our dialogue.
I believe true pacifism requires restraint. Much of human kind's instinct suggests the need for violence (hence all the wars), and the need for violence, war, intervention to bring peace. Ghandhi believed that peaceful action was more powerful than any soldier's weapons or bombs. Furthermore, use of violence is usually only met with more violence and repression.
The best example of the lack of effectiveness in violence is that of the Weatherman Underground---the violent faction that broke off from the Student's for Democratic Society. They believed violence was needed, destroyed property, blew things up and created an uprising across America, in the response to the Vietnam War. Eventually they lost the struggle and fell apart after a bomb they were making exploded, destroying a town house.
One really effective means of activism is not paying taxes. I am personally contemplating this notion, the implications for on my teaching job (I teach Grade 7-8 in an aboriginal village), possible jail time, and other legal ramifications. I want to take this action because I do not support the war in Afghanistan, and believe that it could garner the cause of peace a lot of attention. I believe that Harper's proposed bolstering of spending on military is wrong and needs to be stopped.
In short, I think that pacifism and non-violent struggle as so many have advocated for, demands a great deal, the question is, can we and are we ready to meet the challenges?
Explain how not paying your taxes is an effective form of protesting the war in Afghanistan, which sounds like you advocate for withdrawal, which ordinary Afghans shudder at the prospect of. What are your solutions to solving the brutality of the Taliban? Instead of fighting fascism with violence, Pakistan has recently 'negotiated' an agreement with the Taliban, handing them the Swat Valley, giving extremists a chance to rule over property, close down schools for women, and institute a brutal law system, without having ever been elected!
KV: I don't believe I ever advocated that we walk out of Afghanistan. I don't think we should have ever walked in is what I believe I said, despite the fact that it is a NATO sanctioned mission. Withdrawing now would be foolish and irresponsible. Afghanistan is most unfortunately similar to many other countries engulfed in human rights violations (Zimbabwe, the DRC, Burma, China, North Korea are other examples of countries where human rights violations are rampant). Do we invade these countries too? We didn't go there to Afghanistan to liberate people. We went there because the US had 'information' that al-Qaida was there, and wanted us to go.
Now there are times when violence is needed to end violence---that's the essence of pacifism as I understand it. Peaceful action except to save lives and prevent human rights violations. Let's stop kidding ourselves though, we didn't go to Afghanistan or Iraq to do these things, and those who do believe we did should endure the reality check that we have made a mess of both countries.
Not paying taxes is a great form of non-violent action. At the heart of the most effective non-violence is action which raises awareness about issues. For me, I realize that the people I work for are not going to be very supportive, because if I get arrested, there won't be anyone to teach the children in their community. Getting teachers into first nations communities, and stay, is a difficult task.
Those who are protesting in the streets for withdrawal though are on a larger scale protesting for peace and are raising awareness which will hopefully prevent future conflicts and the further militarization of Canada.
KV: I believe there are two key issues for Canadians to get involved in.
The first is nuclear disarmament. Not only do we have more nukes than ever floating around the world, but we have nuclear subs nearly colliding below the waves of the ocean off the shores of England. Despite a sordid and troubled history around the colonization of Canada and the segregation of first nations people, Canada has in the past claimed a great role as a peacekeeper in the world. Activists can help reclaim this role by becoming involved in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (www.cnduk.org). Not only does campaigning for a nuclear free future take steps towards it, but they begin clearing the road for a more likely, real and much needed peaceful future without conflict. Hey, a guy can dream can't he. That's my dream. It's a world without war. I believe we not only can get there, but we must get there. The alternative ain't pretty (see my book or the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament), and Canadians can all help lead the way towards a more peaceful future for the children who come after us.
The second issue which I think warrants action by all people is climate change. Canada unfortunately has a dismal record on climate change, not that far behind the US. Many scientists are now saying climate change is now irreversible, but I believe we must still try. To do otherwise is to act in collusion in the destruction of our world. While many consequences may already be irreversible and catostrophic (rising sea levels), it is not too late to engage in positive change. Everyone can take small to large scale action to affect change. The A Million Acts of Green initiative by George Stroumboulopoulos from the Canadian television series The Hour, is a great place to start, and will give you 1 million different things to do to stop climate change ranging from using less electricity to taking public transport (thus far it is estimated 78 million kg of greenhouse gas have been saved). Every act of kindness, compassion and caring matters.
On a final note, I would like to wish all those who are steering their energies into positive social change, well. If people didn't care and try, things just wouldn't get better.
Related Links
Kevin Vowles' official website: 21st century hippies: activists in pursuit of social change
Website for the Canada-Afghanistan Solidarity Committee
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives: Pipeline Through a Troubled Land: Afghanistan, Canada, and the New Great Game by John Foster
Slate Article: "Is The Afghan War about an Oil Pipeline" by Seth Stevenson
Guardian Column: "Pipe Dreamers" by Colin Foley
KV:
I sincerely hope my book does not spur trendiness, but rather a genuine commitment to activism, as is exhibited in many Hippies I have met in my travels---people committed broadly to social justice and specifically to other issues as they see fit. The thing we have to remember is that Hippie is a label, and for a time I considered dramatically restructuring my book to avoid this idea. I decided not to in the end because Hippies inspired in me a life committed to something greater than me; greater than the pursuit of personal wealth. They inspired personal liberty, peace, change, belonging, freedom and power. I believe it can take a very long time for people to find their niche in activism.
As I clearly state in my book, change can take a lifetime. I am personally beginning to take an interest and pursue involvement in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament---a campaign for a more peaceful Earth, now more than 50 years old. We all have to look deep within ourselves to find peace, ignite the flames of passion (forgive the cliche), as the 1960s Hippies did. For many activists today, this is the war in Afghanistan, and Iraq. A recent article in Adbusters stated that the Bush era ushered in an era of stupidity for activists...making us struggle for the stupidest things. For others, it ignited the flames of activism and involvement in a cause. Many people became Hippies as did people in the 1960s.
KV: Great question. In fact I think that I like this question the best out of all of our dialogue.
I believe true pacifism requires restraint. Much of human kind's instinct suggests the need for violence (hence all the wars), and the need for violence, war, intervention to bring peace. Ghandhi believed that peaceful action was more powerful than any soldier's weapons or bombs. Furthermore, use of violence is usually only met with more violence and repression.
The best example of the lack of effectiveness in violence is that of the Weatherman Underground---the violent faction that broke off from the Student's for Democratic Society. They believed violence was needed, destroyed property, blew things up and created an uprising across America, in the response to the Vietnam War. Eventually they lost the struggle and fell apart after a bomb they were making exploded, destroying a town house.
One really effective means of activism is not paying taxes. I am personally contemplating this notion, the implications for on my teaching job (I teach Grade 7-8 in an aboriginal village), possible jail time, and other legal ramifications. I want to take this action because I do not support the war in Afghanistan, and believe that it could garner the cause of peace a lot of attention. I believe that Harper's proposed bolstering of spending on military is wrong and needs to be stopped.
In short, I think that pacifism and non-violent struggle as so many have advocated for, demands a great deal, the question is, can we and are we ready to meet the challenges?
Explain how not paying your taxes is an effective form of protesting the war in Afghanistan, which sounds like you advocate for withdrawal, which ordinary Afghans shudder at the prospect of. What are your solutions to solving the brutality of the Taliban? Instead of fighting fascism with violence, Pakistan has recently 'negotiated' an agreement with the Taliban, handing them the Swat Valley, giving extremists a chance to rule over property, close down schools for women, and institute a brutal law system, without having ever been elected!
KV: I don't believe I ever advocated that we walk out of Afghanistan. I don't think we should have ever walked in is what I believe I said, despite the fact that it is a NATO sanctioned mission. Withdrawing now would be foolish and irresponsible. Afghanistan is most unfortunately similar to many other countries engulfed in human rights violations (Zimbabwe, the DRC, Burma, China, North Korea are other examples of countries where human rights violations are rampant). Do we invade these countries too? We didn't go there to Afghanistan to liberate people. We went there because the US had 'information' that al-Qaida was there, and wanted us to go.
Now there are times when violence is needed to end violence---that's the essence of pacifism as I understand it. Peaceful action except to save lives and prevent human rights violations. Let's stop kidding ourselves though, we didn't go to Afghanistan or Iraq to do these things, and those who do believe we did should endure the reality check that we have made a mess of both countries.
Not paying taxes is a great form of non-violent action. At the heart of the most effective non-violence is action which raises awareness about issues. For me, I realize that the people I work for are not going to be very supportive, because if I get arrested, there won't be anyone to teach the children in their community. Getting teachers into first nations communities, and stay, is a difficult task.
Those who are protesting in the streets for withdrawal though are on a larger scale protesting for peace and are raising awareness which will hopefully prevent future conflicts and the further militarization of Canada.
KV: I believe there are two key issues for Canadians to get involved in.
The first is nuclear disarmament. Not only do we have more nukes than ever floating around the world, but we have nuclear subs nearly colliding below the waves of the ocean off the shores of England. Despite a sordid and troubled history around the colonization of Canada and the segregation of first nations people, Canada has in the past claimed a great role as a peacekeeper in the world. Activists can help reclaim this role by becoming involved in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (www.cnduk.org). Not only does campaigning for a nuclear free future take steps towards it, but they begin clearing the road for a more likely, real and much needed peaceful future without conflict. Hey, a guy can dream can't he. That's my dream. It's a world without war. I believe we not only can get there, but we must get there. The alternative ain't pretty (see my book or the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament), and Canadians can all help lead the way towards a more peaceful future for the children who come after us.
The second issue which I think warrants action by all people is climate change. Canada unfortunately has a dismal record on climate change, not that far behind the US. Many scientists are now saying climate change is now irreversible, but I believe we must still try. To do otherwise is to act in collusion in the destruction of our world. While many consequences may already be irreversible and catostrophic (rising sea levels), it is not too late to engage in positive change. Everyone can take small to large scale action to affect change. The A Million Acts of Green initiative by George Stroumboulopoulos from the Canadian television series The Hour, is a great place to start, and will give you 1 million different things to do to stop climate change ranging from using less electricity to taking public transport (thus far it is estimated 78 million kg of greenhouse gas have been saved). Every act of kindness, compassion and caring matters.
On a final note, I would like to wish all those who are steering their energies into positive social change, well. If people didn't care and try, things just wouldn't get better.
Related Links
Kevin Vowles' official website: 21st century hippies: activists in pursuit of social change
Website for the Canada-Afghanistan Solidarity Committee
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives: Pipeline Through a Troubled Land: Afghanistan, Canada, and the New Great Game by John Foster
Slate Article: "Is The Afghan War about an Oil Pipeline" by Seth Stevenson
Guardian Column: "Pipe Dreamers" by Colin Foley
