The Power of Human Agency

I have to admit that I haven't always been an active American citizen. In fact, I haven't always been an active world citizen. Before reading Half the Sky, I had little concept of what was going on in the world, and if I did, I felt that I had too little knowledge to contribute to any conversation meaningfully. So in turn, I remained silent, and I put all my trust in world leaders that they would lead my life accordingly.

I distinctly remember the time I stood in the back of a small crowd of university students fighting for lower tuition in front of our campus library. I stumbled upon the procession and listened to a student speak about the calamity of high tuition. I lingered in the back watching the scene. Coming from a privileged family, I never worried about my tuition. I didn't track how money for books or classes were increasing each year because I deferred that responsibility to my parents who were always there with financial support. I was uninformed and felt like a phony in the gathering of people. The crowd began to chant a demand for lower tuition, and I slowly shrunk away and returned home, too embarrassed to join in.

I never followed up with the movement for lower tuition on my campus, mostly because I didn't imagine anything would come from it.

Until I had spent a good four-and-a-half months in South Africa did I come to realize civil society's place in the world. I learned more about the drive for human agency and the ability of a unified movement to bring about change.

South Africa spent decades under an apartheid regime, which divided the country based on race. The white minority ruled over Coloureds, Africans, and Indians. People of "inferior" races were forcibly removed from their homes, forced to carry passes around detailing their identity; they were pushed to the outskirts of society and denied their basic human rights. Nelson Mandela became an international hero as he brought worldwide attention to the injustices of the apartheid regime and organized a non-violent movement for justice among Africans, Indians and Coloureds. He became the first black president of the country and stepped down after one term to give others the chance to lead and follow in his footsteps.

Unfortunately, South Africa's government today, in certain parts of the country, remains corrupt, and the nation is left with many problems. The government-promised houses for shack dwellers in townships have taken years to manifest. One girl I met seemed hopeful despite the 16-year-period her family has been waiting for a house. In other parts of the country, the environment has felt the brunt of mining development in regions rich with indigenous vegetation and wildlife. However, South Africans understand the importance of human agency, considering it was only a few decades ago when community action successfully ousted the oppressive apartheid regime. South Africans strike for higher wages, organize to protect the environment and challenge legislation to bring about positive change.

A South African friend of mine's little sister was singing the South African National Anthem at home when she got to the line "let us live and strive for freedom". In her ten-year-old naivety, Michal sang out "let us live and STRIKE for freedom". We all laughed, though her South African parents laughed the most because they knew it was true. Striking, as a tool for justice, was and remains a part of South African culture. My last three weeks of volunteering in Cape Town were cancelled due to bus strikes. Although, I was upset to no longer be volunteering in the townships, bus drivers' wages increased, and I saw firsthand the power of collective human agency.

Upon returning home to America, I realized how naive I was to be absent from the decision-making processes in my home country. I realized how irresponsible it is to believe my country would always act in my best interest and that of humanity's. I began to see the danger of ignorance and how by remaining silent, I could potentially be supporting an oppressive regime.

As I read more and learn more, I have discovered how unified action to fight for civil rights, women rights, LGBT rights, and even action to reduce school tuition or increase wages can change our world. Without human agency, segregation could still exist, people with disabilities could still be ostracized, women could still be excluded from politics (not to say these issues have been perfectly fixed either).

Recently, a hospital in Zimbabwe decided to charge women five dollars for every time they screamed during labor. Why? Because their scream signaled a "false alarm". This decision enraged me, disgusted me, but I left it for what it was. Thankfully, others didn't. Transparency International, a non-profit fighting against corruption in governments around the world, talked with Zimbabwe's National Health Industry. About a week after I heard about the five dollar charge, I learned of its removal from hospital policy. This unfair charge seemed easily overturned and I realized I could potentially have done exactly what Transparency International had succeeded to do. This small success made towards justice strengthens my conviction that I have the ability to provoke change as well.

From protests on campus to strikes in South Africa to international intervention in Zimbabwe, I have seen how speaking up and standing up can make an impact. I see that we all have power as human beings to bring about change. Yet, we forfeit that power when we forfeit our belief that, as an individual, we matter. It is imperative we realize our worth; there is no time for so much human potential to go untapped.