Change Is Happening
In conversation with Emilia Roig, founder of the Center for Intersectional Justice
Emilia Zenzile Roig leads a Berlin-based organization combatting inequality and discrimination in Europe. She’ll be presenting at The Great Wave during our Friction and Flow session about building resilience in the face of adversity. Meanwhile we talked to her about resistance to change, and what Europe can learn from the U.S. — and vice versa.
Facebook, as you know, plays a big role in US politics. Most of the most-shared stories, according to recent reports, are right-wing. Or have a racist or authoritarian bent. When you hear about trends like that, what comes to mind?
Yes, I see that stuff all the time. Basically, we have a choice between investing in it or divesting from it. And trying to use our energy in a positive and constructive way. My reaction is to not react, and to try and respond to it through creating alternative discourses that turn into narratives and not necessarily reacting to them to say, “No, that’s not true.” I don’t want to use up my energy trying to convince people who cannot be convinced, but rather to rally people who are already on the right…