Sarah Corbett: Activism needs introverts
Sarah Corbett: El activismo necesita introvertidos
Sarah Corbett does activism in a quiet, humble and intriguing way using handicrafts. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
in a festival toilet,
en el baño de un festival,
en un festival de música,
because I couldn't even sit down,
porque ni siquiera podía sentarme,
se había acabado,
I don't even need the toilet."
Ni siquiera necesito el baño".
for a large charity on climate justice,
benéfica sobre justicia climática,
in climate change,
no creía en el cambio climático,
on climate justice
sobre justicia climática
a bit more about the issue.
and lots of inequality,
climático y la gran desigualdad,
and drained me of energy,
y me quitaba la energía,
because I'd be exhausted,
porque estaba exhausta,
doubting my commitment to the cause,
dudaran de mi compromiso con la causa,
at the end of our shift,
had been signed,
peticiones que se habían firmado,
of petitions signed
la cantidad de peticiones firmadas
my little breaks in the toilet.
descansos en el baño.
of the other activists,
muy celosa de los otros activistas,
the same amount of energy
la misma cantidad de energía
of getting people to sign petitions,
las personas que firmaran las peticiones,
going to watch the bands in the evening
como para ver las bandas en la noche
to my tent and have a sleep,
volver a mi tienda y dormir,
completely wiped out,
completamente agotada,
that had the energy
las personas que tenían la energía
en los festivales.
as well, inside.
igualmente, adentro.
I'm an introvert,
soy introvertida,
seems to be favoring extroverts."
favorecer a los extrovertidos".
outside embassies or shops.
fuera de embajadas o tiendas.
was around lots of people,
era alrededor de mucha gente,
it was performing.
mucha gente, actuando.
that that wasn't fair,
of the world's population are introverts,
población mundial son introvertidos,
because we burn out,
porque nos quemamos,
by activism and not do it,
y dejamos de hacerlo,
an activist in this world.
en este mundo.
it was particularly clever,
particularmente inteligente,
of the activism that worked
del activismo que funcionó
performing all the time.
actuando todo el tiempo.
was in the background,
estaba en el fondo,
just being a campaigner,
que puedo hacer, de verdad
I can do, really --
I've been a professional campaigner
he sido un activista profesional
consultant for different charities
creativo para organizaciones benéficas
of activism that were needed.
otras formas de activismo.
I could engage with
de activismo podría encajar
I was concerned about in campaigning.
que me preocupaban en el activismo.
for Oxfam and other big charities,
Oxfam y otras organizaciones benéficas,
politicians and businesses
a los políticos y las empresas
which ones didn't.
realmente bien, cuáles no.
so I look at all of that stuff,
miro todas esas cosas,
in social change in a different way,
el cambio social de una manera diferente,
to be more beautiful, kind and just,
sea más hermoso, amable y justo,
should be beautiful, kind and just,
debe ser hermoso, amable y justo,
about three ways
necesita introvertidos.
but I'm just going to talk about three.
pero solo voy a hablar de tres.
activism is often very quick,
a menudo muy rápido,
response to injustice is,
de inmediato a la injusticia,
in our campaigning,
en nuestra campaña,
de mí lo hace--
those extrovert doers,
desacelerar a los extrovertidos,
quiet introverts into activism.
nerviosos y silenciosos al activismo.
rápido, hay que hacerlo despacio.
you have to do it slowly.
complex, messy social change issues
complejos y desordenados de cambio social
as a constituent,
como constituyentes,
while you're stitching away,
mientras estás bordando,
de cuáles son tus motivos.
of what are your motives.
that was mentioned before?
que se mencionó antes?
people in solidarity,
which often isn't very ethical?
no es muy ético?
de aguja juntos, también,
y omnivertidos
in different places --
en diferentes lugares--
slow form of activism,
activismo tranquila y lenta,
a ser escuchados
they are often not heard.
donde a menudo no se les escucha.
you don't need eye contact with people.
contacto visual con las personas.
next to someone or a group of people
de alguien o de un grupo de personas
get time to ask people,
para preguntarle a la gente,
if you give them eye contact.
hacer contacto visual.
who are those big, deep thinkers,
que son grandes, profundos pensadores,
that you want to do
que quieras hacer
que se trata de avergonzar personas
that's about shaming people
de apuntar y cómo,
these discussions in a very slow way,
discusiones muy calmadas,
se desacelere y piense profundamente,
to slow down and think deeply,
for the introvert as well,
para el introvertido,
part of that movement for change,
de ese movimiento para el cambio,
son las tarjetas de punto
through our activism,
a través de nuestro activismo,
just react in unethical ways.
reaccionemos de manera no ética.
with art institutions
con instituciones de arte
over 150 people at the V&A
150 personas en arte y diseño
on a particular issue,
sobre un tema en particular,
or how it went, like this one.
o cómo fue, como este.
that activism needs introverts
el activismo necesita introvertidos
at intimate activism.
buenos en el activismo íntimo.
para el activismo lento,
at intimate activism,
en el activismo íntimo,
when we're engaging power holders,
nos relacionamos con los poderosos,
to people we disagree with,
a con quien no estamos de acuerdo,
not aggressive enemies.
no enemigos agresivos.
that I do a lot with introverts,
mucho con introvertidos,
para las personas en el poder,
afuera gritándoles,
like a bespoke handkerchief
como un pañuelo a medida
in your position of power.
difícil en tu posición de poder.
while we're making these gifts,
mientras hacemos estos regalos,
to implement the living wage.
que implementaran el salario digno.
bespoke handkerchiefs.
miembros de la junta pañuelos a medida.
to hand-deliver our gifts
nuestros regalos a mano
was that the chair of the board
fue que la junta directiva
que fue nuestra campaña,
como Martha Lane Fox,
of followers on Twitter,
de seguidores en Twitter,
to be a living wage employer,
un empleador con salario digno,
y no está bien
amazing workers are working full time
trabajadores trabajen a tiempo completo
that we want you to be?"
que queremos que sea?".
form of activism.
and Valentine's cards to say,
y tarjetas de San Valentín para decir:
to implement the living wage,
a implementar el salario digno",
they'd announced to the media
habían anunciado a los medios
the independent living wage, and now --
vida independiente, y ahora...
to work with them to be accredited,
con ellos para que estén acreditados,
junta general este junio
discussions with the board members,
uno a uno con los miembros de la junta,
cuánto les gustaban sus pañuelos
they loved their hankies
what we were doing,
lo que estábamos haciendo,
standing outside screaming at them
si hubiéramos estado afuera gritándoles
con nosotros.
are really good at intimate activism
muy buenos para el activismo íntimo
to discuss with people,
y jugosos para discutir con la gente,
we're trying to engage power holders,
tratando de involucrar a los poderosos,
with them all the time.
con ellos todo el tiempo.
are really missing out
el activismo está perdiendo
can be half of the world's population,
la mitad de la población mundial,
that we're introvert,
no diremos que somos introvertidos,
by saying what overwhelms us.
al decir lo que nos abruma.
texts in capital letters --
textos en mayúsculas:
and everything, she's fine --
con emoji y todo, está bien,
it's capital letters, it's too much."
"Oh, son mayúsculas, es demasiado".
the lovely text she sent me.
el hermoso texto que me envió.
letters overwhelm you,
las letras mayúsculas te abruman
to help us do intriguing activism
para ayudarnos en el activismo intrigante
rather than puts them off.
and brash giant posters
y atrevidos carteles gigantes
y los signos de explicación
and vying for our attention.
y compitiendo por nuestra atención.
around the world who take part
de todo el mundo que participan
of provocative street art
de arte callejero provocativo
muy pequeños,
or telling them what to do.
ni diciéndoles qué hacer.
to engage in different ways,
se involucre de diferentes maneras,
to be told what to do.
que nos digan qué hacer.
a green heart on your sleeve
corazón verde en la manga
and how climate change will affect it,
el cambio climático lo afectará,
with the word 'chocolate' on?"
con la palabra 'chocolate'?".
intimate conversations and say,
conversaciones íntimas uno-a-uno y decir,
that climate change will affect,
que afectará el cambio climático,
parte de la solución, no del problema".
of the solution, not the problem."
gusta ser el centro de atención, y decir:
like to be the center of attention,
and how will climate change affect it?"
lo afectará el cambio climático?".
instead of shop-lifting,
entregando en lugar de sacando,
with lovely stories on
con lindas historias
behind your clothes.
detrás de tu ropa.
or is it a torturous one?
está hecha, o es una historia tortuosa?
in little pockets in shops,
bolsillos en las tiendas,
todo escrito a mano,
sonrientes en cinta,
that they found it.
de encontrarlos.
caer en tiendas poco éticas
offline campaigning
hacer campañas sin conexión
pero también involucra a otras personas
in an intriguing way online and offline.
en línea y fuera de ella.
y para los extrovertidos.
that when you're planning a campaign,
que cuando están planeando una campaña,
just as much as extroverts'.
habilidades, tanto como las extrovertidas.
and thinking deeply,
y pensar profundamente,
we're really good at bringing them out.
realmente buenos para sacarlos.
so use us in that way.
así que úsennos de esa manera.
haciendo pequeñas cosas extrañas
create conversations and thought.
conversaciones y pensamientos.
to turn into an extrovert and burn out,
en un extrovertido y quemarse,
and the traits that you have
y los rasgos que tienen
or an introvert or an ambivert,
o un omnivertido,
not to get involved.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sarah Corbett - CraftivistSarah Corbett does activism in a quiet, humble and intriguing way using handicrafts.
Why you should listen
Sarah Corbett is a craftivist who teaches her "gentle protest" approach to individuals and organizations around the world. She also makes craftivism (craft + activism) projects and DIY kits for people who want to do a quieter, kinder and more beautiful form of effective activism than what is sometimes traditionally offered.
Growing up in a low-income area of the UK, Corbett has been involved in activism since she was three years old and has worked for more than a decade in the UK charity sector as a professional campaigner focusing on international development. But in 2008 she burnt out as an activist and introvert and wanted to find an effective way of campaigning that fitted her skills and ethics and personality. She set up the Craftivist Collective social enterprise in 2009 after people wanted to join in her new form of activism. Now there are craftivists around the world who take part in social change using handicrafts.
Corbett won the Sheila McKechnie award for Economic Justice campaigner of the Year 2016. Craftivist Collective won an Innovation Award from Care2 Impact Award 2016. She works with charities, arts institutions, universities and has exhibited her solo exhibition, "Gentle Protest," in Stockholm, Helsinki and London. She lives in East London and works worldwide.
Sarah Corbett | Speaker | TED.com