Greetings Paul

Very interesting question. You know, I've taken time to think about it and a couple of thoughts come to mind.

As you have agreed with my opinion that the majority of people don't really care about other's perpetual experiences within society, it makes the task of "educating for change" all the more difficult.

But if we want to consider, for instance, this notion of "educating the masses for change", there are a couple of ideas that come to mind. Ayinde has mentioned efforts of mass media. I am reminded of an organization here in the States, who places very thought-provoking television commerical. I'm not sure of the name of the organization (something like "The Truth Council") But they have a commerical against the tobacco industry and their false claims that cigarette smoking is not bad for one's health and that it is not addictive. In one of the commercials (if memory serves me correctly), we see a very large truck pulling up in front a large sky-scraper on a busy NY street. The sky-scraper is supposed to be the offices of the tobacco industry. I believe inside the building we see a conference room with the tobacco employees discussing strategy etc. Men and women jump out of the trunk and begin to unload hundreds of body bags, filled with supposed dead people inside who have died from tobacco-related illnesses. Soon there is this enormous heap of body bags in the middle of the street, spilling up into the sidewalks, etc. and there are the tobacco industry workers peering down outside of their office windows. The commercial ends with a statistic about tobacco-related deaths.

The existance of this organization came to mind when thinking about your question regarding the "20 peoples inside the stadium" analogy. It is worth thinking about, like minded ones "within the stadium" gathering together and putting their minds together on "educational" efforts and actions.

I am also thinking of the organization "Greenpeace", where you see these people going to all measures and extremes to save NATURE. Some have chained themselves to trees in order to stop trees from being cut down by logging corporations. One girl lived in a particular tree for months (I think) in order to stop them. These are attention getting tactics which are reported on the news etc.

Do you think that there are enough interested in bringing about awareness of other HUMAN's situation? Are there as many as those concerned about NATURE? Are there enough people who would support perhaps a protest or march on a LARGE scale perhaps such as those protesters who gather at the Global IMF conferences?

There are also organizations that are already in place which could use the help of supporters. Perhaps some of these organizations are African-based; which would preclude European membership or perhaps preclude European leadership roles within; but who accept help from supporters of all races.

This brings in another issue: that of how to help without co-opting or subverting the goals, aim, and mission. This has been what plenty of InI disapprove of, when we find the goals and the means tothe goals changing to suit others' needs; which does not suit the needs of those being helped and served by the organization. This is the danger which comes when weaknesses within allow for well-meaning people whose unconscious efforts are at making themselves MORE comfortable within the movement.

In all efforts it is always best to include the thoughts, advice, constructive criticism of those for whom the efforts are being made. For instance, I personally would not pretend to know what is best for Australian Aborigees and their environment and social structure, etc. So I could not start an organization or plan efforts for their benefit without, at the very least, consulting them to ask them what it is that they want and need.

I'm sure Ayinde and others will have a great many thoughts on what can be done.

Give thanks for the question and reasoning
africanempresss