Meet the introvert activists who are quietly changing the world

What makes a good activist? The ability to make yourself heard above the din? Or a quiet determination to change things for the better?

In a new series of Better Angels 国产视频� the podcast for the activist spirit 国产视频� Sarah Brown explores different types of campaigning styles, including introverts and extroverts.

Sarah, who is Chair of 国产视频, started Better Angels in 2016. She said: 国产视频淎t 国产视频 we have always worked in a very outward-facing, very assertive way.聽A lot of earlier episodes of the podcast were about finding your voice to create change.

国产视频淏ut as I met different activists I realised there is more than one way to create change. It doesn国产视频檛 suit everyone to have the same approach.

国产视频淭he similarities between the styles is that there is a focus on the changes needed. The difference is the journey to get there.

国产视频淚f you use your voice, you use the media, protests, sitting on platforms at events. If you国产视频檙e an introvert, those are not tools you want to use.
But the single-minded focus on what you want to say and who needs to hear the message is the same.国产视频�

The first episode of the new series focuses on quiet activism, featuring some gentle voices whose powers of persuasion have marked them out as change-makers.聽Sarah国产视频檚 guests are British activists Sarah Corbett, Claire Heuchan and聽Stuart Beveridge.

Listen to the episode here

国产视频淚t国产视频檚 been really interesting talking to people who are introvert but are passionate about change,国产视频� said Sarah Brown. 国产视频淚 was interested to know what quieter ways of campaigning can do.国产视频�

Her first guest in the new episode is聽Sarah Corbett, a professional activist, author, speaker and founder of the聽Craftivist Collective. It is a social enterprise that combines craft and activism to engage people with social justice in a non-confrontational way.

She said it国产视频檚 important that people 国产视频渄on国产视频檛 just see activists as shouty, loud extroverts国产视频�.聽 Sarah added:聽国产视频淐raft is part of the activism toolkit 国产视频� it is not to replace marches or petitions.

国产视频淚 care deeply about injustice.聽A lot of introverts are also highly sensitive people so we are really good at empathy and compassion.国产视频�

Claire Heuchan is an award-winning feminist writer who blogs under the name Sister Outrider聽国产视频� writing聽on subjects such as race, power, identity and sexual politics.

She told Sarah Brown: 国产视频淭he whole purpose of the feminist movement is change 国产视频� to build a world in which women and girls are liberated from all forms of oppression.聽If I didn国产视频檛 believe that change was possible there would be no point in working towards it.国产视频�

Stuart Beveridge, who has been blind since birth, works for the聽Seescape聽charity in Fife, Scotland.聽He talked to Sarah about how technology is transforming the lives of visually-impaired people and聽how working in partnerships with like-minded organisations can bring about change.

国产视频淪ocial media can be key 国产视频� once it国产视频檚 up there people can国产视频檛 really ignore it because it国产视频檚 in the public eye,国产视频� said Stuart. 国产视频淪ometimes it can be just a small tweet 国产视频� it just has to hit the right person and they take notice.国产视频�

The rest of this series of Better Angels will feature a noisy activism episode and four specials, including in-depth interviews with Sarah Corbett, Claire and Stuart.

Looking back over the three years of Better Angels, Sarah Brown said she has learned to appreciate other people国产视频檚 styles and approaches.

国产视频淚国产视频檝e seen podcasts grow too so there are so many other voices to listen to,国产视频� she said. 国产视频淎lways learning from people will always impact what you do.国产视频�

• Listen to more Better Angels podcasts