Activism That Works

How can we understand “success” in relation to social justice and environmental activism? How do activists themselves determine or define their effectiveness? Activism That Works shares the stories of eight diverse social justice movements, from Oxfam Canada, to the Calgary Raging Grannies, to the Youth Project of Halifax, as they contemplate their own successes. What we discover is that success is not measured only in large-scale social reform but is also found in moments of connection – in building relationships and raising awareness. Taking the lead from these stories, the authors contextualize and analyze success within social justice activism in Canada. Understanding their work as a contribution to the movements challenging the domination of free market ideology, the authors hope this book will offer a space for reflecting on the contributions and impacts of activist groups – and provide meaningful insights into what success means in the struggle against neoliberal capitalism.