Photo taken in Fez, Morocco. A young boy fills up his water bottle at the river access

The last Fiesta Movement is on social activism, and last week I shared this video by one of the Fiesta Movement agents, who went through several different drive thru’s and paid for the person’s order behind her. What a fun way to brighten a stranger’s day right?

Originally I was going to talk about other ways to make a strangers’ day, but I’ve had a change of heart. So as to not let you down, here are some examples I had in mind:

• Tell a complete stranger they look nice/happy today
• Smile to anyone you make eye contact with
• Bring a meal to someone who is homeless
• Have a conversation with someone who is homeless – enough people ignore him/her on any given day
• Refill someone’s parking meter
• Tape a quarter to a gumball machine (love this suggestion from Laura)

Doing any of these simple acts will surely make someone smile. How does this equate to social activism? Happy people = a happy society.

Today I want to dissect the meaning of social activism in the context of DIY. I don’t just create for the sake of having pretty things (although no lies, that’s a huge part of it) but I create because it’s a good thing to do. Making things with your own hands is a way to contribute to society and quietly participate in the social activism movement. What are some ways I do this? By canning and creating DIY’s through recyclable materials.

Moroccan Preserved Lemons

The modern history of canning is an interesting one. Canning was an essential part of our grandparents’ generation. Growing up with limited resources, they took responsibility for their food, growing and preserving what they could rather than relying solely on grocery stores. Living through hard times meant saving every penny by doing-it-yourself.
Then came our parents’ generation. Food was abundant and, as both parents often worked, time was more scarce. Canning seemed like a waste of time when you could just hop down to the local grocery store to pick up your jar of pickles. Who has time to sit over a pot of boiling water anyhow?
But now we make the time. People are getting back in touch with preserving and canning for several reasons. Perhaps they just want to reacquaint themselves with the nostalgic old ways. A bit more radically, others maywant to take control of their food as a way to take a stand against what the industries are doing to our food supply. Cue in social activism. Either way, it’s beautiful to see this age old craft, what used to be a necessity, become popular again.

Koinobori

With all the breaking news on climactic changes, the great pacific garbage patch and other environmental concerns, people are making more environmentally sound choices. One way I do this is through DIYing with new and used materials. Reusing items that would otherwise by thrown in the garbage or recycling helps reduce waste. I keep all my toilet paper and paper towel rolls because they make for fantastic DIY’s, such as the above koinobori or this advent calendar. Reusing materials is a lovely way to be a part of a social movement from the comforts of your own home.

As I said above, DIYing isn’t just about making pretty things – it’s about self sustenance and contributing to a world conscious of its actions. You don’t need to be a radical to make a difference, you just need to do what feels right, whether it’s canning, crafting, or smiling at someone who could use a friendly face.

This is a sponsored post and I was compensated for my participation.
The opinions expressed are my own.

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