Success stories - Brief Article - Editorial

New Internationalist, Dec, 2002

HOPE can be a powerful tool for change. Surprising then that after 20 years of activism, I only made this discovery in March this year. It was at the Brisbane Social Forum in Australia, On a hot Saturday morning all colours and voices within the political Left gathered under the trees and put aside their differences to explore their common ground. Sitting in a circle, 350 of us listened as, one by one, people rose to tell us about the workshops they would run -- 80 in total -- on everything from alternative economy to leadership in anarchism. Then Bridie got up with her workshop idea.

Bridie's 16-year-old sister was deeply depressed. She wouldn't go out. She didn't see the point. She believed that the world would end within her own lifetime. Bridie stood in the open space created by a circle of strangers and told us how her previous efforts to talk to her sister about this had failed. She wanted to talk about how she could give her sister hope.

The 'Hope' workshop was held later that afternoon. Its starting point was clear: if we continue to pile up the world's problems in front of the public -- young people in particular -- they will eventually give up, both in their heads and their hearts. But if we offer alternative visions, that excite ideas for a realistic and achievable future, we could arouse and energize quests for change. The stories you are about to read have been selected with this in mind, They are for Bridie, her sister... and for all of us looking for a touch of inspiration.

Chris Richards

for the New Internationalist Co-operative