What have activists ever done for us?
That’s the question at the heart of a one-month campaign launched by PARATA to highlight why activism remains essential to a functioning democracy.
The campaign brings together voices and stories from across Europe through public interviews, activist testimonies, evidence and stories of legal and community victories.
The campaign will reveal what becomes possible when people organise and speak out.
It will also examine the pressures facing activists working on climate justice, migrants’ rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, women’s rights and racial justice.
The campaign invites us to look beyond stereotypes and ask a different question: what would our communities and democracies look like without the people willing to defend our rights?
What does activism mean to you?
The campaign launched with the question: what does activism mean to you. People across Europe were asked the question: their response open a conversation about speaking up, freedom and trying to change the world around us. You can watch it here.
A place to protest
If you have something to say and want to gather or protest, do you have the space to do so? This campaign video explores why civic space matters for democracy—and how it can be defended.
Fighting to be heard
What does freedom of expression mean when some people must fight harder than others to be heard? In this video, António Tonga, an Angolan anti-racist activist, invites us to consider how racism shapes whose voices are questioned, whose experiences are recognised, and whose suffering society is willing to confront.
When does protest become a crime?
When activists disrupt everyday life, the debate often centres on their tactics. But what happens when a whole movement is treated as a criminal organisation? This campaign post explores the case against members of Germany’s Letzte Generation and a decision in Flensburg that challenged that accusation.
Who gets to shape the policies that shape their lives?
In this video, Vicky Columba, spokesperson in Catalonia for Regularización Ya, reflects on a movement built by migrants that organised during the pandemic to demand regularisation and access to basic rights. Her story raises a question that reaches beyond migration: when people directly affected by a policy speak, are they given space to describe their struggles—or the power to shape the response?
What keeps you going when the future you’re fighting for feels uncertain?
Ben, a young climate activist in Belgium, shares the hopes and difficulties that come with pushing for climate action. What helps someone keep showing up? Where do they find support? And what makes change feel possible? You can find his answers here.
Follow the campaign
We’ll be updating this page with more information and links to the campaign as it develops.
You can also follow the campaign on Instagram and LinkedIn as people behind activism share their stories and highlight the victories that don’t always make the headlines.
