BOB HAISMAN, THE POLITICAL ACTIVIST

Political Activism is the act of raising awareness to other people, and impeding against certain governmental issues, and promoting rights against discrimination and social injustice. There are notable people locally and across the world who spent much of their lives on such matters. One of them is Bob Haisman.

At an early age, Haisman opened his mind on the idea of activism and social justice after being influenced by his parents who took part in Dorothy Day’s Catholic Workers’ movement. He joined several campaigns with his mother including a campaign for John Kennedy in the year 1960. With his humble beginning in 1960, Haisman decided to continue what his parents started and decided to serve for Democratic presidential campaign over the years. He has traveled across other states and localities to recruit members of the Democratic Party of Oak Park and participated in civic welfare events as a volunteer. His advocacy for peace and justice remained alive passionately for about fifty years even he was captured and arrested on some instances.

Haisman, for about thirty years, spent much of his time in teaching students of Hinsdale South High School about the subjects of his forte; history and humanities. While doing this service, he continued his activism by participating in teacher’s union until eventually became a president. Years later, he was also voted to be the president of Illinois Education Association and retired by the year 2000. One of the best moments Haisman did in his life was working for the current U.S president Barack Obama.

Over his political activism, Bob experienced a lot of disappointments and challenges on his way. However, he did not ceased to fight for his belief—about democracy, and the equal rights of individual. He has inspired and raised awareness about Democrats and the solutions for cynicism, especially on his students. He only hopes to see more young people stand to make the society a better place.

STEVE BIKO, THE POLITICAL ACTIVIST

The life of Stephen Biko remains the epitome of martyrdom for South Africans. His movements against racial discrimination of the black urban population raised awareness of other people against the injustice of the apartheid government. Stephen, since the beginning of his political activism, never lost the hope of fighting for the black citizen rights until the day of his unfortunate death.

At a very young age, Biko opened his mind to the political injustice of the government that soon led to a burning passion of standing for their rights. His political activeness began by involving himself in National Union of South African Students. Soon, after being expelled from high school, Biko started his efforts in promoting the black citizen’s rights and impede the continuous discrimination of their race. Along with other black students, they founded the South African Students’ Organization in 1968 to raise black consciousness among other students across the nation. He then became the first president of the movement and years later, founded another organization known as Black People’s Convention. Due to his active participation on the anti-apartheid movement, he was banned and restricted by the government and took his freedom to speak and write about the issue with the media and the public.

Political activism as defined is an act where citizens appeal to the government through series of promotions, rallies, and other public awareness acts to fight against political issues such as injustice and savagery. Not all have the spirit to stand and engage in this fight, but some people like Biko have the unique desire to stand for the oppressed.

However, political activism imposes threats to lives of those who involve in such movements. Biko, as one of the anti-apartheid leaders in his time, remained defiant even being banned and restricted to some properties and rights. Later, Biko was captured and beaten to death until a brain hemorrhage took his life. Today, the martyrdom of Biko is widely renowned in the world and was even voted among the SABC3’s Great South Africans.

SEAN PENN: THE ACTIVE POLITICIAN OF HOLLYWOOD

Sean Penn has been the most outstanding face of politics in Hollywood. He has been active within the subject since his early days and has never taken a short or hidden approach. He believes in his political views as well as his inclination.

The actor is such an active participant that he has spent $56,000 to get his open letter to President George W Bush published. He did not care to hide his words, even though they eventually lead him into several controversies. Despite the issues, his letter actually urged the President to ease up United State’s involvement in the matters concerning the Middle East. The Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez was so attracted towards Penn’s open letter that he did not spare the chance of pinning Bush with the reference of this particular letter.

There have been several situations where Penn had backlashed for being so open about his political inclinations, but the actor hardly cared to change his attitude or views. His view is that it will be harder for him to keep going on the track of fame and limelight (like most actors) as compared to keeping his humanitarian views about the country under cover.

Penn always appears to be the first one in Hollywood to act on a particular issue. Though most of his critics feel as though he speaks simply to highlight his stardom, but it is the fact that he was among the few popular faces to dive into real action while hurricane Katrina hit the country. He was not shy to comment one the United States and how the government cannot be happy about winning the war in the Middle East “winning a war” is simply fictitious in the present world. Regarding his friendship with the Venezuelan President, Penn is active enough to declare his visit to Venezuela from the perspective of a journalist.

Burma’s Political Activism for Democracy

The Burmese movement strives hard to sway reorganization and reforms across the entire country from afar. There are various elements that pushed the country to the violation of multiple-fold crisis in Burma and the movement that took place. The people in camps actively expatriated refugees, leaders of the democracy diaspora along the borderlines of Burma, migrant worker, professional activists and asylum seekers who were under the influence of the international regions. As different communities built strategies of their own, the entire Burma movement used various policies for democracy.

The leadership skills that were successfully chanted across the borders helped people to lead movements for democracy outside the country and inside the country as well. The leaders tried to foyer the foreign governments and the United Nations. However, the variety in strategies often came to fights and conflicts as each one of them catered different schemes and policies. The leaders fighting for democracy across the borders were responsible to lead the followers inside the country and the activists outside the country made sure to change the inception of people in international communities. That made it critical for the Burmese government because the time when unity had to be persisted and contained, the movement saw being at loss for dealing with disunity. There was no unity in any of the groups of activists to lead on the movement for democracy.

Moreover, there has often been an imbalance between the elected officials, international, national and local framework of power and citizens. The legislation of foreign policy was passed by the state government without any reference of Washington. A number of national and constitutional questions arise on the policies that networked the pro-democracy movement. It also debased the international trade agreements between the foreign countries and federal government of the United States of America. To make it more worse, a federal legislation was signed by President Clinton in the year 1997 of April to ban the investors for spreading their approach in Burma.