 A reflection (a little bit musing, a little bit academic) on the value of solidarity in action. Pat and I spent part of our May long weekend (as if there is really such a thing as a weekend anymore, long or otherwise) helping to plant fruit trees in Thorncliffe Park, a densely populated and culturally diverse neighbourhood close to mine. This particular event was part of a partnership between summerlunch+ and Thorncliffe Urban Farmers, in an effort to increase access to fresh food in the community. Thirty-seven fruit trees were planted - apple, pear, plum, cherry - along with a variety of berry bushes. The trees were placed strategically throughout the community to allow for pollination and free access for residents. Most trees were donated to the cause by Not Far from the Tree, and some by Extinction Rebellion Toronto (XR), the group with which I organize. The berries were donated by Tree Mobile, who also facilitated the ordering and delivery of the trees. It was a beautiful example of a variety of not-for-profit and advocacy groups coming together to promote overlapping interests: in this case, to build food and agricultural literacy; increase access to local, healthy food; and increase the number of trees in the city.  My participation was originally prompted by an idea of which I had been dreaming for some time. Forests are magical, beautiful places. They are carbon sinks. When healthy, they promote incredible biodiversity. They biochemically promote positive mental health. They produce food. They communicate with one another, and with other species that live in, on, and around them. Forests are truly the foundation of life on this planet. My vision was to create a temporary forest in front of Queen’s Park to demonstrate how important trees are to our ecological well-being. When a representative from Tree Mobile came to speak in one of my classes, it seemed like a perfect partnership. We hatched a plan to pre-sell at least 124 fruit trees - one for each seat in the Ontario provincial parliament. The trees (6 foot “whips”) would be delivered in pots to Queen’s Park as part of the XR spring rebellion. The action would emphasize the importance of local food, pollinators, food security, and carbon capture. We would demand that the provincial government do more to protect the urban canopy and green space in the province. To tell the truth about the dire crisis we are in, and the importance of prioritizing trees and ecological health over profits. To ACT NOW. I imagined media presence, the 124+ young trees providing a beautiful visual. The positivity of the message; the focus on creating the world we want to see.  And then the pandemic struck. The action ended up being far less impactful than we hoped, but we still sold 23 trees, seven of which were marked for donation. Tree Mobile was already partnering with summerlunch+ and Thorncliffe Urban Farmers, and asked if our donations could go to this project. Which set up an even tighter fabric of solidarity. I love that so many different groups worked on this together, with the residents of Thorncliffe Park taking the lead.  The most concise definition I’ve seen of solidarity in activism is, “building relationships of respect and equality to support struggles through concrete actions” (Aiken et al., 2014). Typically, definitions speak of diversity, collaboration, raising up the voices of others, particularly those that are underprivileged. Solidarity is not swooping in and doing the work, or “rescuing”, but being present and saying “here I am; how can I help; how can I lift you up.” Rasch (2008) speaks of “horizontality”, the deliberate efforts of activists to deconstruct the hierarchical structures of society that are typically based on unearned privilege and power (I will be exploring this more in a reflection on unearned privilege). She draws the parallels between solidarity in activism and the egalitarianism that is necessary in global health research. Community-based participatory action research is one approach that (when done in line with its principles) fundamentally empowers and builds capacity in the community (Schensul, Berg, & Williamson, 2008). When done successfully, solidarity builds social credit and trust, which then enables support and solidarity from others. Trust is the intersection of goodwill/character (what is the intent and impact of your action) and competence (you do what you say you will do) (Nunkoo & Ramkissoon, 2012). Every act of solidarity is an opportunity to build that trust.  During my time organizing with Extinction Rebellion, I have noticed that the most powerful and successful actions have been in solidarity with other groups. The very first action I organized in June of 2019 required collaboration with musicians and other artists willing to use their talents to step up in the name of Extinction Rebellion. Leaving our flags at home, XR stood in solidarity during the Wet’suwet’en rail blockades, following the guidance and lead of Indigenous land protectors. In March, a beautiful coalition of more than fifty organizations came together to protest the PDAC mining conference in Toronto. Again, XR people came out as participants, and to play key roles in the action (I was one of four medics that day). It was powerful (and educational) to step back and participate rather than organize; to see how others plan their tactics to execute an action that is inclusive, clear in its intent, and safe.
While stepping up as an organization builds organization-specific trust, there is also the interpersonal trust that an individual can provide; Stephen Covey speaks of these varying levels of trust as ripples in his book “The Speed of Trust” (2018). My personal presence at the event in Thorncliffe this weekend may have also allowed me to transfer any reputation of reliability that I developed to NEST, another organization of which I am a part that could collaborate with the Urban Farmers. Solidarity allows cross-pollination (pun intended) of all of our work with new ideas/frameworks/skills/capital, strengthening the efforts of us all. Collaborations are not always smooth, often due to diversity in values or tactics. A key XR principle is to blame systems, not individuals. At the XR bridge blockade in October 2019 activists affiliated with other groups hollered “Shame!” at police officers during arrests, despite the fact that they were fulfilling the role we expected - and frankly needed - them to play. Street graffiti urged people to go vegan, which is a point of contention within climate activism (Anderson, 2020). Perhaps small things, but it ruffled feathers - particularly at an XR “branded” event. It seems key that it be clear who the “host” is at an action, and that everyone choosing to participate align with that group’s values and goals. If it is a coalition-led action, collective goals and values should be determined at the beginning; Covey speaks to the importance of alignment in building trust between groups. Acting in solidarity requires us to put our own priorities on the back-burner and elevate the voices and demands of others. Robert Gibson, in his article “Diversity over Solidarity” argues that environmental activism benefits from diversity, instead of a futile effort to stick to an ideological solidarity (2000). The value of diversity as a strategy in activism is the topic of another reflection; however, when it comes to solidarity between groups we are all made stronger by holding one another up. By being present for other groups, by centering their actions and voices, by working together towards a common cause, we can only be more effective. I look forward to more opportunities to collaborate and build solidarity in my activism References
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Photos from wallygrom, Rod Waddington, ell brown, gailhampshire, Epicantus
