This book has been a personal journey, for it has reminded me of the possibility of the human spirit to change and thus for the world to change.
from Still Hopeful by Maude Barlow

Maude Barlow has been a social justice activist for over forty years. Her parents were activists. Barlow worked for women’s equality, against globalization’s disastrous impact, and for water justice. Out of this lifetime of experience she offers this memoir of her personal journey, which is also a guidebook for activists and inspiration to remain hopeful. Still Hopeful shares the history of how activists have motivated change in the past and how we can impact change for the future.

It is easy to give up and lose hope for change. The push back is stronger the closer society comes to breaking out into something new. We see this every day on the news. Reactionaries rolling back advancements, while the people rise up in protest. It’s hard not to just give in to pessimism or hopelessness.

Hope is born of radical uncertainty, rooted in the unknown and the unknowable, Barlow quotes from a speech by Joan Halifax. We don’t know the impact our actions have on others and on the future. “Hope is a gamble,” Barlow quotes from Rebecca Solnit, a bet on the future. “Giving up hope for change is to condemn so many others to misery,” Barlow warns.

But how do we keep hope? One way is to remember how humanity survived past crises. This particularly speaks to me. As a reader of history, I know how society has veered off into darkness and corrected its path again.

Sharing her work in her three areas of activism, Barlow shows the challenges, the work, and the outcome of collective activism.

The first section reflects on her work in the women’s movement, particularly in her home country of Canada. “Rights have to be fought for and taken,” was her first lesson. A law doesn’t end a problem, it’s a beginning.

…the struggle for justice is ongoing and never over.
from Still Hopeful by Maude Barlow

I previously read Barlow’s book Whose Water Is It Anyways? about the grass roots movement against privatization of water. Water as a ‘tradeable good’ is a huge threat to local communities who can’t afford to pay for clean water. She ends the chapter with advice on preventing activist burn-out.

I found most interesting the chapter “Challenging Corporate Rule,” the negative impact of deregulation, privatization, free trade, and the WTO. It’s an area I didn’t know deeply. I remember when the ‘global economy’ was considered a positive move. Barlow made the economics and their impact on poor countries understandable and moving. Covid has shown the drawbacks when a country can’t manufacture needed medications and basic supplies.

The last chapter looks to the future; climate change countered by embracing Indigenous attitudes of long-range thinking, the restoration of ecosystems, embracing the rights of nature, changing how we eat. We must challenge the basic concept of unregulated growth and the idea that more is better, and center our concerns on human welfare.

The lessons are not applicable only to activists. My husband was a pastor whose work was to lead churches to grow and expand to meet the needs of the community. Resistance was strong. Leaders didn’t want to let ‘those people’ from the neighborhood into the church; they didn’t want to adapt new ways that included the needs of young adults; they were more concerned about those inside the church than the desperate needs of those outside. Burn-out was a part of his life. He was often demoralized.

Barlow’s memoir will be an inspiration to anyone with a vision of a better future.

I received a free book from the publisher. My review is fair and unbiased. ( )