Small Acts of Resistance – A Users Guide

Is it time?

Peaceful protest suppressed.

Brutal policing encouraged.

A divisive Home Secretary.

A deceitful PM.

An increasingly sham democracy.

Tell me, is it time to rebel?

A Resistance Library

Here are 67 small acts of resistance from @EthicalRenewal on Twitter, documented by the Ethical Renewal collective alongside followers and friends. Any selection may be suitable to your personal circumstances, or none at all. @EthicalRenewal are anti-authoritarian pacifists, so none of these actions should be attempted if they may cause you or others harm.

BUT…. there is one opponent we must attack: the malign corporate and ultra-capitalist narrative that is dominating our world. These acts may be a small step towards achieving that.

Please share, copy, re-use, re-post, apply, enact, proclaim, distribute, disseminate and broadcast as best you can.

#1 small ACTS of resistance #1

help someone

empathy is the powerhouse of ethical change….

#smallactsofresistance

#2 small ACTS of resistance #2

buy less, buy local or don’t buy at all…

reducing consumption is a revolutionary act

#smallactsofresistance

#3 small ACTS of resistance #3

think

this small act is actually pretty big… Question everything said by the powerful; they’d rather you didn’t

#smallactsofresistance

#4 small ACTS of resistance #4

learn

learn as much as you can about as much as you can: knowledge is power

#smallactsofresistance

#5 small ACTS of resistance #5

mock the powerful

authoritarians and bullies hate your insight and laughter

#smallactsofresistance

#6 small ACTS of resistance #6

expose

share as widely as you can the history & actions of authoritarian politicians or eco-destructive corporations; they hate it: it shows them for what they are

#smallactsofresistance

#7 small ACTS of resistance #7

subvertise

hijack adverts to deliver a radical message

#smallactsofresistance

#8 small ACTS of resistance #8

use asymmetrical messaging: spray can, leaflet, poster, voice

they have the media & the money; we’ve got the many

#smallactsofresistance

#9 small ACTS of resistance #9

Communicate creatively: reframe, reposition, refute

they’ve got the cash & the media: we’ve got our imagination and us

#smallactsofresistance

#10 small ACTS of resistance #10

challenge lies and propaganda whenever you hear or see them

be quick to respond; don’t let the lies gain traction; use RAPID: Recognise (it’s propaganda); Analyse (it’s intent); Publicise (the fact it’s propaganda); Identify (its sources and their motives); Demolish (with mockery, logic and facts)

#smallactsofresistance

#11 small ACTS of resistance #11

challenge authorities at every given opportunity when there are obvious shortcomings

they’re expecting passive acceptance because generally that’s how people can be; disabuse them….

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @toubuya

#12 small ACTS of resistance #12

tell anyone/everyone about the promise of a better world

why should autocrats and billionaires define what’s possible? Offer the alternative

#smallactsofresistance

#13 small ACTS of resistance #13

right-wing mags, leaflets, newspapers? You know what to do….

bung them in recycling, turn them face down on their stands, put better publications on top

#smallactsofresistance

#14 small ACTS of resistance #14

in libraries or shops put mocking magazines or books over/next to the images of authoritarians

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @DocMcfly

#15 small ACTS of resistance #15

hit back at the biased media

refute, mute, boycott & block the billionaire news media, e.g. the Liverpool boycott or Twitter’s #IBlockedTheSun

#smallactsofresistance

#16 small ACTS of resistance #16

at election times buy the gutter press to bin/recycle it

clear out a small newsagent of The S*n or Mail for a day or two….

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @stylophobia

#17 small ACTS of resistance #17

switch off TV when mainstream news incoming

corporate propagandists hate losing viewers

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @BStott9

#18 small ACTS of resistance #18

switch to Ecosia instead of Google

save it as a default on your devices and browsers. They plant trees with searches

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @DSAMontenegro

#19 small ACTS of resistance #19

before you back a politician check their record: Do they have integrity? Are they consistent? Are they honest?

UK MP’s voting records can be checked here: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/

#smallactsofresistance

#20 small ACTS of resistance #20

msg/email/write to a politician every day, asking what they’re doing to tackle climate change

corporations, shareholders & the rich profit from an extractive economy; it’s time this changed

#smallactsofresistance

#21 small ACTS of resistance #21

1. Cancel your TV licence
2. Stop buying newspapers
3. Don’t be reactive, be proactive
4. Be honest
5. Share your knowledge

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @societyatpeace

#22 small ACTS of resistance #22

email your Tory MP and flood their inboxes; jam the switchboard at No10.; get creative!

little things like this can all add up….

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @Surailian

#23 small ACTS of resistance #23

visit the timelines or conversations of known populists and bigots; set the record straight

they’ve got a platform…. but so have we

#smallactsofresistance

#24 small ACTS of resistance #24

mute, block, act contrarily to or deliberately ignore advertising

we don’t need more sh**…. and if they’re paying to spread that muck it’s probably bad for the planet

#smallactsofresistance

#25 small ACTS of resistance #25

radicalise yourself

read everything you can about humanism, environmentalism, socialism and ethics; they are vaccines against selfishness

#smallactsofresistance

#26 small ACTS of resistance #26

promote ethics and human rights

educate yourself & others re online psychological profiling, data security, voting manipulation and psych ops. Learn from Finland’s educational programme…

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @Jojo67460456

#27 small ACTS of resistance #27

add the cognitive weapons from Luke Andreski’s Short Conversations to your weekly routine

• • Mon: The Socrates Bomb
  • Tues: Chaplin’s Stiletto
  • Wed: Kate’s Garrotte
  • Thurs: The Truth Grenade
  • Fri: The Alternatives Ambush

…and on Saturdays and Sundays? Hunker down with your shield of values, your wall of truth…

#smallactsofresistance

#28 small ACTS of resistance #28

challenge aggression, both in yourself and others

aggression atomises and divides us; empathy and cooperation bring us together and make us stronger

#smallactsofresistance

#29 small ACTS of resistance #29

put your emotional distress into positive creative action

focus on one thing, no matter how modest or how wild; just do it….

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @Jojo67460456

#30 small ACTS of resistance #30

work-to-rule if your job is demeaning or eco-destructive

why ease the way of the establishment or line the pockets of the rich? When you can, move to more moral work

#smallactsofresistance

#31 small ACTS of resistance #31

join a union

authoritarian governments and greedy corporations hate it when we unite

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @Jojo67460456

#32 small ACTS of resistance #32

join a campaign/protest group/mutual aid group; get involved

the biggest threat to the powerful are people acting in solidarity (there’s more of us than them)

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @ValueSurplus

#33 small ACTS of resistance #33

speak to strangers, speak to your neighbours

loneliness and division are a weapon against us

#smallactsofresistance

#34 small ACTS of resistance #34

try to give something away each day: a little of your time, food, possessions, money…

in a society infected by ‘Take-Don’t-Give’, giving is an act of resistance

#smallactsofresistance

#35 small ACTS of resistance #35

if someone disagrees with you on social media, don’t insult or block them unless they’re clearly bots or trolls

engage; act the way you want the world to be

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @guyinaredtie1

#36 small ACTS of resistance #36

social media is designed to earn profits and enrage; don’t get enraged

watch out for clickbait and provocation; just respond with a better message

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @hexam4pa

#37 small ACTS of resistance #37

go green

for ideas for small steps you can personally take see https://lukeandreski.wordpress.com/2020/02/17/a-short-conversation-about-taking-climate-change-personally/

#smallactsofresistance

#38 small ACTS of resistance #38

try to find a moment each day to admire and feel love for the biological world

our profit-seeking, hyper-consuming society despises the natural world. Resist that

#smallactsofresistance

#39 small ACTS of resistance #39

grow stuff

any green growth uses up CO₂

#smallactsofresistance

#40 small ACTS of resistance #40

Grow (some of) your own food

Just one crop (even in a pot) gives you more control over what you eat and how it’s grown

#smallactsofresistance

Thank you, @sophiejayhudson

#41 small ACTS of resistance #41

plant a tree

guerrilla planting; roadside planting; garden planting…. why wait for the state to act?

#smallactsofresistance

#42 small ACTS of resistance #42

join or set up a seed co-op

try for acclimatised local seeds from local allotments, organic gardens and farms, but any non-geneered/non-patented seeds are good

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @AllanMAL4MD

#43 small ACTS of resistance #43

become vegan or as close to vegan as you can manage

intensive animal farming is not only disastrous for the planet, it’s also horribly cruel

#smallactsofresistance

#44 small ACTS of resistance #44

travel less

travelling has become an act of consumption; staying local becomes an act of rebellion

#smallactsofresistance

#45 small ACTS of resistance #45

work from home if you can

save money, protect the planet, stay safe

#smallactsofresistance

#46 small ACTS of resistance #46

buy local produce and goods

keep food and product miles to a minimum and help local communities become sustainable

#smallactsofresistance

#47 small ACTS of resistance #47

when you receive your takeaway at the drive-through unpack & return the excess packaging before you move on

don’t indulge their waste

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @JohnFos00105853

#48 small ACTS of resistance #48

use your local pubs, cafés & restaurants when you go out for drinks or meals

boycott the mega-chains; give the finger to their greedy owners

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @vikingowl

#49 small ACTS of resistance #49

don’t burn stuff or use transport that burns stuff

gas, petrol, wood, coal, bio-fuels – they all generate greenhouse gases; and hydrogen is not yet a green alternative as CO₂ is frequently generated while producing it

#smallactsofresistance

#50 small ACTS of resistance #50

green activism can start small…..

https://colour-of-money.co.uk/articles/2020/eight-ways-to-save-the-world-in-2021%E2%80%A6-without-leaving-your-sofa

you may not have the time or health to join the big campaigns – but change is a numbers game, so add yourself to the numbers

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @triodosuk / @friends_earth

#51 small ACTS of resistance #51

avoid any products containing unsustainable palm oil

demand #DeforestationFree #PalmOil and #ChooseSustainable #PalmOil #SaveOrangutans

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @orangulandtrust

#52 small ACTS of resistance #52

individual ways to tackle ‘the system’

– #GoVegan

– move you pension to #Green investments

– refuse to be consumer!

– boycott unethical businesses

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @VoidThatBinds

#53 small ACTS of resistance #53

avoid/switch off GMB/Lorraine type ‘sales tv’ programmes

they’re pure avenues for advertising, encouraging throwaway fashion; don’t buy anything they promote

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @AOnewith

#54 small ACTS of resistance #54

many Amazon sellers have their own websites; search on Amazon then simply buy direct

time for Amazon to pay their taxes, pay their staff and improve their job security and working conditions

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @vespalien

#55 small ACTS of resistance #55

uninvited pre-paid envelopes for credit cards etc – post them right back

whichever company’s trying to scam you pays the postage; maybe they’ll learn?

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @EthicalUprising

#56 small ACTS of resistance #56

avoid Cruelty TV

Jeremy Kyle was accused of causing a suicide; I’m A Celebrity was accused of animal cruelty; don’t collude with cruelty

#smallactsofresistance

#57 small ACTS of resistance #57

bear witness to police action whenever you can; use your phone or camera to record

police are sometimes necessary and often decent/well-meaning, but they easily fall prey to establishment values, no matter how anachronistic or outdated

#smallactsofresistance

#58 small ACTS of resistance #58

give up or cut down on a costly bad habit

drugs, smoking/vaping, alcohol all make you poorer and less healthy & the dealer/distributor richer and nastier

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @PeterG4NES2019

#59 small ACTS of resistance #59

donate what you’d spend on a film/theatre/lottery ticket to alternative journalism, community support orgs, ethical-tech replacement coops etc

our small contributions will help bring about the change we need

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @Jojo67460456

#60 small ACTS of resistance #60

make it plain what you think of drivers of big cars

small is beautiful; so is electric; bikes and public transport are better

#smallactsofresistance

#61 small ACTS of resistance #61

share a simple morality

• • nurture those around you
  • nurture humanity
  • nurture and protect the biological world

simplicity is strength

#smallactsofresistance

#62 small ACTS of resistance #62

love and protect ALL animals

in today’s selfish world love and protection are acts of resistance…

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @tandoreo

#63 small ACTS of resistance #63

teach yourself and others how to see through the propaganda and lies….

digital literacy and a clear ethical focus are essential in our propagandised world

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @Jojo67460456

#64 small ACTS of resistance #64

Want to help the poor?

Local Credit Unions provide cheap loans, keeping the vulnerable away from loan sharks and banks. Unused cash? Open an account – instant access and fully protected. See: https://www.findyourcreditunion.co.uk/about-credit-unions/

#smallactsofresistance

#65 small ACTS of resistance #65

use cash not card whenever possible

why make life easier for the banks?

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @PaulStr67981729

#66 small ACTS of resistance #66

be hopeful

hope inspires; hope empowers; hope is an act of defiance

#smallactsofresistance

….and lastly, and perhaps most importantly of all….

#67 small ACTS of resistance #67

be kind

kindness is the enemy of power-hunger, selfishness and greed

#smallactsofresistance

Thanks, @AnneDel81230567

Ethical Renewal and Dangerous Globe are believers in cognitive autonomy (think first)… so please only undertake any of these actions as a result of your own measured decision-making and not if they may cause you legal, physical or psychological harm….

On the topic of thinking first, you may also like this free ebook from Luke Andreski: Our Society is Sick but Here’s the Cure

For more detail about this book, see here.

With thanks to Chetvorno via Wikimedia Commons – Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication for the Resistance image.

Another great site by the Dangerous Globe