Brigette DePape: No struggle - no progress - no hope - no change !

In my last post I raised the possibility that Brigitte DePape's "Stop Harper" protest during the recent Throne Speech may have been orchestrated by the government. Her media statements post event along with her recent piece published in today's Toronto Star entitled "Message in a stop sign" categorically refutes this possibility and signals a much needed affirmation that - no struggle results in no progress - no hope results in no change. Ms. DePape embodies the spirt of hope and change that Canada and the world needs at this time.

Despite her tender age Ms. DePape seems to have a keen understanding and appreciation of the dynamic known as social and political change. She understands that social and political change comes from the people and it is often a small segment of the people who are the necessary catalyst for change. One simply has to look at the very recent civil rights struggle of African-Americans to understand this. Social and political change in that specific context only came about when individuals like Rosa Parks got tired of feeling powerless and hopeless.

Despite her tender age Ms. DePape understands the direct relatioship between hope, the power of the people and change. The power of the people is infinite and change is always possible so long as the people have hope. Ms. DePape's work is - if nothting more - a reminder that change does not just happen. Social and political change comes about by self-less and often spontaneous acts of individuals when hope seems non-existent.