Collective Interests, Collective Risks: Michèle Pierre-Louis on Agency and Popular Political Movements

In July, Michèle Duvivier Pierre-Louis, Executive Director of the Foundation for Knowledge and Freedom (FOKAL), a Haitian NGO, and the former Prime Minister of Haiti from 2008-2009, spoke at a summer class on “Civic Engagement in Challenging Environments” taught by Jonathan Becker, OSUN Vice Chancellor and Erin Cannan, Vice President for Civic Engagement, Bard College. 
 
Pierre-Louis examined the mass protests against state corruption and repression currently taking place in many countries across the globe, discussing how students and other individuals living in such distressed countries can still effect political and social change. With students attending the virtual class from Haiti, Myanmar, Swaziland, and Albania—all places that have recently experienced political turmoil amidst other ongoing social challenges—Pierre-Louis’ valuable insights focused on students’ agency and the benefits of renewed civic engagement. 

Pierre-Louis said that in places such as Algeria, Belarus, Brazil, Hong Kong, Sudan, and the US, mass mobilizations had been triggered by corrupt governments, systemic inequalities, authoritarianism, racism, and the denial of minority groups’ rights. Such problems motivated activists to emerge from their private spheres and enter public spaces to speak out collectively against injustices. 

“Collective interests and the collective risks taken to defend them are key in the mobilizations,” Pierre-Louis pointed out. Mostly younger protestors, emboldened by shared experiences of physical, institutional, or political repression by their governments, have taken to the streets to demand their civil and political rights. In this way, the sense of mutual responsibility that is the hallmark of civic engagement has been translated into citizens assembling on a purely voluntary basis to bring about the social transformations they desire. 

Another factor in the surge of public protests is the popular conception that traditional politics is synonymous with crime and corruption. As this opinion pervades public consciousness, civic engagement can act as a process to restore confidence in politics as a legitimate tool for transformation.

“Civic engagement challenges authoritarianism,” stated Pierre-Louis, while the opposing phenomenon of “political disimagination” discourages citizens from envisioning and building a more positive future together. Pierre-Louis explained that disimagination occurs when a centralized government power restricts civil and political liberties and a deceptive, homogeneous narrative begins to permeate public discourse.  Social inequalities also feed into these trends, abrading the social fabric and coercing the public into apathy and withdrawal from political involvement.

Despite this “vicious circle” where social inequalities can lead to weak political culture and polarization of society, such adverse conditions can also cause civic movements to emerge, sometimes taking the form of civil disobedience. 

“Civic engagement is a way to rescue the political imaginary,” added Pierre-Louis. The audacity of students and other young activists who espouse direct political action surprises government officials, creating a ripple effect on the streets and online. These phenomena spark greater numbers of citizens to engage in collective actions aimed at regaining their capacity to participate and recover the right to a political future.

Pierre-Louise made it clear that while civic engagement can act as a catalyzing agent for political renewal, it requires citizens to believe in a shared human condition. This sense of a common interest spurs citizens to take the risk of transforming a belief into action, with the hope that reentering the public sphere might eventually lead to improved living conditions. 


 

Post Date: 08-02-2021