The shock may have started to subside, but the despair is just beginning. For non-Americans, the aftermath of the US election feels like being in mourning, but perhaps in that detached way we feel when a beloved musician or actor dies (and goodness knows we’ve had enough of that this wretched year) – it was not our election; Donald Trump is not our president. And yet it does affect us, not just in whatever economic impact is to come, or because the president-elect couldn’t care less about climate change. The seeding of fear and hate, the misogyny that has been condoned, the attacks on our most vulnerable: this affects us all. It is time, therefore, to get to work – even from over here. You could retreat to a bunker, but fighting back will probably make you feel better, as long-time activists confirm.
“I’ve learned that when society and politics disappoints, I can’t spend too long grieving about the dying of the light,” argues the 93-year-old social justice activist Harry Leslie Smith. “The only way I feel injustice can be defeated is by staring evil or indifference in the face and shouting: ‘You won’t have me, I’ll come back tomorrow and have another go at you.’ Nobody can live as long as I have and not have faced much disappointment and loss. So when I encounter things like the madness of Brexit or the election of Donald Trump, I mourn for a short while and get back on my bike and figure out how I can lay seeds in the imagination of people for them to harvest a better world.” In many ways, he says, “activism allows me to give purpose to the suffering I endured along with my parents and my siblings. Fighting for social justice allows me to connect with younger people, people who are vulnerable, and people who are hurting, and that allows me, at 93, to feel I am still part of the human race.”
Volunteering and activism can bring personal benefits. There are four areas the Institute for Volunteering Research looks at, says its research manager Jurgen Grotz: human, economic, social and cultural capital. “In human capital, the ones we describe are personal development, such as growth in confidence and self-esteem. Young people [might experience] leadership roles. It can also result in transferable skills – public speaking, how to work in a team. If we look at social capital, especially if people become more engaged and active, we look for new networks and friendships, which sometimes leads to greater involvement in the local community.”
Under the cultural capital category, “we’d be looking for a better understanding of identity, and an increased expression of values, a greater appreciation of other cultures and interests. With economic capital, depending on the activity, it can be linked to better employability.”
Older volunteers are more likely to see health effects. “Some studies have suggested that especially older people who volunteer live longer than those who don’t, but the question is do they do so because of things like getting out of the house and having more physical activity? But certainly wellbeing – the sort of outcomes like self-esteem – are reasonably well-documented.”
“Being part of a movement for social change is an idealistic, altruistic act,” says activist Peter Tatchell, who has been campaigning for 50 years. “You do get an emotional uplift to participate in a campaign that changes your life, and the lives of others, for the better. But it can be very frustrating and dispiriting when change takes a long time to happen. You need to be psychologically ready for the long haul.”
There will be aggressive opponents, and pedantic critics. “That can get very demoralising unless you steel yourself to be ready for those brickbats,” Tatchell says. What’s kept me going for the last 50 years has been a vision of what society could be, and a series of successes along the way. I’ve always taken the long view. When you’re up against great historical inequalities, they’re very unlikely to be remedied overnight. We need to be prepared to think in terms of months, years and in extreme cases, decades. Working together with others in a campaign is mutually reassuring and empowering – knowing you’re not alone will give you the strength to carry on despite delays and setbacks.”
What has kept Smith going is firm belief. “I am six-and-a-half years short of 100 years old, so I don’t know how long I’ve got, but as long as there is breath in my body and memory in my head, I will always stand for social justice, because one day we will get it right. And even I am not there to see, it will still be worth it.”
So what can we do? You may not be able to join or donate to the Democrats, but there are other practical steps you can take. Some are extreme – you could consider boycotting the US. Some are not so extreme – you could certainly boycott Trump’s businesses, such as his golf courses in Scotland and Ireland, without experiencing any sacrifice.
You could turn your attention to the US supreme court and send vitamin supplements and encouraging words to insist the ageing liberal judges Ruth Bader Ginsburg (83) and Stephen Breyer (78), and the moderate Republican Anthony Kennedy (80), carry on. There is already one open slot, and allowing Trump the opportunity to appoint (rightwing) replacements could have terrifying consequences. Here are some marginally better ideas:
Donate to Planned Parenthood
Grabbing ’em by the pussy is only the start of Trump’s assault on women’s bodies. Repealing the Affordable Healthcare Act, which Trump wants to do, will end free contraception. He has said women who have abortions should receive “some form of punishment”, and is against late-term abortions (which are usually performed when the woman’s life is in danger). He has said he will appoint anti-abortion judges to the supreme court. Mike Pence, who will be vice-president, is fiercely anti-abortion, and has said he would like the Roe v Wade ruling, which legalised abortion, to be “sent to the ash heap of history”.
Congressional Republicans have repeatedly tried to strip Planned Parenthood, the family-planning and education organisation, which also provides terminations, of $ 500m of federal funds – which accounts for nearly half its revenue. With a Trump government, they are seriously under threat. If you can afford it, donate to PP, to the National Abortion Federation, or to any number of local organisations that help women access abortion services – the National Network of Abortion Funds has a list online.
Join the American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU describes Trump as “a one-man constitutional crisis”. It was founded in 1920 to defend rights supposedly guaranteed in the US constitution. Trump’s proposals, says the group, violate several amendments, and if he attempts to see them through, it promises to unleash the “full firepower of the ACLU at every step”. Non-US residents can become members and donate.
Support campaign groups
There are a huge number of organisations stepping up their work to protest Trump’s presidency and protect vulnerable people. The websites Jezebel and The Cut have good lists, but you could consider donating to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, progressive Jewish group Bend the Arc and The Trevor Project, which supports young LGBTQ people. Of course, there’s a limit to what people outside the US can do for these organisations. You can’t go on protests or host events, but you can join in virtually – share their information, news and events. Again, if it’s possible, what really helps is cash.
Join a protest
Protests have been held in cities in the US, including Chicago, Minneapolis, Baltimore and New York, but also outside the US. There will be a rally in Berlin on Saturday , and on Wednesday, a protest was held outside the US embassy in London by the organisation Stand Up to Racism. There will be more. Look out for events, especially to mark Trump’s first state visit to the UK, whenever that is. Or create your own.
Pay for news
In February, Trump, singling out the New York Times and Washington Post, said that if he won he would declare war on the press: “We’re going to open up libel laws, and we’re going to have people sue you like you’ve never got sued before.” As with other Trump threats, he will come to realise that a president can’t do everything he wants (it would be a supreme court decision – another reason to be worried about ageing justices). Still, if you believe a robust press is going to be vital in the years ahead, it has to be paid for. Otherwise, one day, all we’ll end up with is the Trump Times, the Peter Thiel Gazette and fake “news” reports on Facebook.
Fight climate change
Trump does not believe humans are responsible for climate change and has promised to “cancel” the Paris agreement on climate change and Obama’s Clean Power Plan. He has also said he will withdraw all funding from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The US is the second-biggest emissions producer after China, and if it withdraws from the landmark agreement to reduce emissions, it could derail the whole thing. Why should the 192 other countries stick to their promises if the US doesn’t? Well, not to be dramatic, but because the future of life on Earth is at stake. It might seem futile to forgo that car journey or do a bit more recycling when it is predicted that a two-term Trump presidency would actually increase US carbon emissions by 16%, but we all need to do our bit – and more.
Start at home
If Brexit wasn’t enough of a wake-up call that the left is in serious trouble, maybe the US election will be. Now is the time to get involved in politics – join a political party, participate in meetings, recruit supporters. Insist progressive parties work together and do something to connect with people who believe them to be the preserve of out-of-touch, liberal elites. Donate to and volunteer with organisations such as Refugee Action, Calais Action, and Women for Refugee Women. Become a foster carer for unaccompanied minors. Stand up to rape culture. Support groups such as Hope Not Hate. True, not everyone who voted for Brexit or Trump is a rabid misogynist racist, but these wins allow rabid misogynist racists to believe people are behind them. It doesn’t have to be like that.
How to survive and resist in the Trump era: practical things you can do now
