5 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Fund Bottomup

5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Fund Bottomup
And why you might (actually) want to!

Have you ever considered backing young people who question the status quo, who dream of a world that is just and good to live in for all of us (and the planet too)? That sounds a bit radical! Should you support it?

Before you answer with a big resounding “no!” as you close this email and rush to make sure your wallet is secure, let’s explore some of the reasons why funding our work might seem unconventional.

Reason #1 - I like things the way they are now!

The way things are now is not sustainable. Humanity is on a fast-track to destroying each other and the earth. The sense of peace and security some people enjoy is often underwritten by suffering elsewhere (maybe a walk or a taxi ride away, sometimes displaced to another part of the world). Deliberate underdevelopment causes suffering but also prevents us from realising a world in which all of us have equal access to what we need to live flourishing lives.

Reason #2 - Young people are, well, too YOUNG to make a difference.

Wrong! The youth who are part of Bottomup’s network are already making waves! They have campaigned effectively for school codes of conduct that are more inclusive, they stood up against violence at school and advocated for more adequate teacher provision in their schools. They have the energy and the eagerness to set the world to right!

But, they’re ‘too young’ to make a difference. 😉

Reason #3 - You’re teaching young people to just protest everything.

Most of our work is about mixing wheatpaste and how to use a bullhorn. Just kidding! We live in a world that must be protested and the sign of bodies in the street in acts of collective mourning, righteous anger and creative disruption has a role to play. We do social justice education. Through our work youth have learned to engage with school leadership structures, and departmental officials at district and circuit level. They have learned to write for publication in newspapers and even a book chapter (check it out!) and are also developing crucial skills for building community (even through chess clubs) and organising people. Sometimes we do go out in the street with our placards and shout “From the River to the Sea!” or “There’s No Planet B”.

Young people critically engaging with everything!? Is that what we want? 😱

Reason #4 - Social justice education sounds disruptive. Can’t we just focus on Maths and Science?

Young people (and adults too) need to learn to read both ‘the word’ and ‘the world’, they need to learn how to use knowledge to engage critically and tackle the problems of the world. Thinking about what kind of world we want, how it affects all of us and how we might get there, is as important as learning about quadratic equations. Bottomup equips young people with tools to be critical and responsible leaders and agents of change. 

Change = disruption. Change = all of us also need to change. ✨

Reason #5 - The impact is minimal.

Words and ideas build worlds. The world we live in now is what it is in part due to ideas. Ideas motivated by greed. Ideas premised on fear and hatred. What could be more impactful than young people debating, defusing and dismantling these ideas that are causing so much devastation by treating other humans and the planet as resources for consumption and for profit? What could be more impactful than a generation engaging new ideas and reimagining the ways in which we relate to each other, the earth and all we share it with? 

At one school, our young people challenged a longstanding idea that “girls should not wear pants” - in re-writing the school code of conduct, they didn’t only change a uniform policy, they have impacted every student who attends their school and troubled patriarchy. They won’t stop there either. They will take that experience with them into the world of work and they will transform the workplace.

Change One Thing. Everything - as Ruth Wilson Gilmore says. Starting where we are at is one way for us all to initiate social change.

So what now?

We understand that supporting a cause that is about making the world more just seems radical and unconventional. That’s exactly why your contribution matters! A movement like ours that seeks a just world counts on people who understand why radical change is important (the revolution won’t be funded by those who like things the way they are). Be unconventional!

👇 Support us on Patreon!

Or, if you prefer classic style, use our banking details:
Bank: FNB
Account Name: Bottomup Social Development
Account Number: 62165761422
FNB Universal Branch Code: 254005
Swift Code(for international deposits): FIRNZAJJ

Thank you for your generous support! ✨