There is no doubt about people having misconceptions about activism. Cast your mind not too far. Can we imagine where Ghana and its nationals would be without some visionaries like Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, William Ofori Atta, J.B. Danquah and others standing up to defend our motherland from colonialism? You and I undoubtedly would be victims of slavery, without any hope for ourselves and the generation to come. Who would have believed many decades back that a black man would rise up the political ladder to be president of the United States of America? Many without a second thought would have asked you to stop building castles in the air and wake up to reality. Nevertheless, the impossible was made possible because some people stood their grounds and refused to remain silent on a somewhat bias status quo. Today, through women activism, women are given a voice in decision making in social and economic issues, politics and even in the family system. Youth activism has given the youth that understanding of independence, trust in their potentials, team work and building their network.
One moment which gave me a deeper understanding of my own abilities and sense of judgment was being involved in a move which called for a change in the grade point system, which was a struggle for many of the students in the university I am in. We believed since the Ghanaian job recruitment system gave priority to the class an individual obtained rather than the grade point average, our competence as compared to students from other universities was put on the line. Though I did not spearhead the action whatsoever, the need to append my signature to make this action plausible was quite encouraging. Some students shied away from appending their signature in response to their fear of being queried in the future, putting their education on the line. With persistence and determination, that one voice was heard and the necessary changes made. This nonetheless served as a platform for me to pursue what I believed in together with others, no matter the cost.
Activism is all about bringing a vision into fruition with that firm small voice which carries enough power to make the majority reorganize their ideas.
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