One
of the core debates within social change
groups is whether individual actions matter, given the size of the problems
we face in our world today. The question that most often comes up is – whether
we should focus on the big actors such as corporations, political parties,
large and able networks, and influencers to hold their actions accountable or
on individuals to make shifts in their choices, lifestyles, mindsets, savings and donation patterns and
volunteering capacities.
Given
the current pandemic and its effect on every life present on this Earth – it
has been clearly demonstrated that we need both. Today, we’d like to focus on
how our individual actions matter. Writer Mark Hanson
says, “Individual
action matters for a number of reasons: It stimulates and supports social
action. It is central to honoring our moral duties to respect life. And it can
be a force for social change in subtle or unexpectedly powerful ways.”
When enough
individuals make changes, it does equal social
change. And individual actions can have a ripple effect that cannot be
discounted. Our influence on the behaviors of those around us is highly likely - everything we do and the choice we
makes have the ability to inspire those around us to do better, and look at the
world from a different perspective. It is rightly said that, “collective action
doesn’t happen without individual action”. Social change begins with us.
Most times, individual
campaigning and making conscious choices – is just the morally right thing to
do. Mark Hanson is right that “Most people’s moral sensibilities tell them that we have an
obligation to do the right thing, even if nobody else does it or its impact is
small. And the right thing to do is to respect other life forms and not
waste resources, as you are able.” Ultimately, if you are not living by the
values you believe in, and being the change you wish to see – who else will?
Several
people often wonder whether their small acts ever matter. We truly believe in
the notion that every drop in the ocean matters. Our individual influence,
joined by those of others, has the potential to powerfully form our collective
voice and make way for transformative shifts in the world.
At MySocially, you could make
your action count. We run social impact
campaigns for several causes in India. For every item purchased from our
website, we donate a percentage to social
impact companies and organizations in India.