Hope
I have a favourite phrase - Hope is defiant. It’s a phrase used by the amazing people at twloha, and used by me - in my head - often.
I think of it as the basis for change.
It is not passive. It is not simply stating that things will change if you wait around long enough.
Hope.
It’s that feeling that something you desire, something you want to take place, can actually happen.
Defiance
defiance - noun - dɪˈfaɪ.əns - ‘behaviour in which you refuse to obey something or someone’
Defiant hope is active. It elevates in the face of despair, fear and adversity and it realises that things CAN and WILL change for the better. It acknowledges the challenges ahead and understands the work required to make a difference - and it does this with attitude - refusing to give in, refusing to capitulate to the oppressor, whoever or whatever that may be.
For me, defiant hope is the basis of change. The changes that I want to see in the world around me, well they include:
companies putting people before profit
real action on climate change
less people in prisons, and less prisons
housing that is affordable, lasting and functional
complete gender equality
a society where LGBTQI+ are safe to be who they are
a world where masculinity is no longer expressed through violence, aggression, power and oppression
an Australia where First Nation’s People are permanently represented in federal parliament
an Australia without racism
an Australia that embraces, celebrates and learns from First Nations Culture
a world that comes together collectively to address war, famine, poverty and refugees
politics without corruption
an Australia where people living with a disability can live independent, meaningful lives
I could go on, but I think you get me?
Defiant hope doesn’t only drive societal change, it’s also the key ingredient for those changes that happen within, and in our individual lives. It’s the grit, deep down in your gut that pushes you forward towards your goals, your future, your better days. There’s no way that it gives up - it refuses to bend, no matter how tough or challenging things are.
So. Hope is defiant. Let that phrase drift through your head, like it does mine - and let’s work towards better days and better times for all of us.
