Maude Barlow (2022). Still Hopeful: Lessons from a life of activism. ECW Press: Toronto.

Recently, SAGE had the honour of co-hosting Maude Barlow’s participation at the Lethbridge Library’s Word On the Street festival. She shared readings and insights from her new book, Still Hopeful: Lessons from a life of activism.

This is an enriching book for those who dedicate their time and energy to making the world a better place (for humans and non-humans alike). Maude Barlow shares a wealth of experiences collected along her life-long trajectory through what could be roughly categorized as human rights – from feminism to the rise of corporate dominance and neoliberalism (focusing on water justice for peoples around the world) and to the defense of nature from, well, us.

The book offers both a synopsis of the issues, her involvement in these issues, and some insights for people engaging in efforts to address the problems. It is a captivating mix, though one does sense her passion discussing issues and her reluctance to talk about herself. Above all, it is a book about (meaningful) hope.

Barlow begins with ‘hope’: “American Zen Buddhist teacher Joan Halifax clarifies how she sees the difference between optimism and hope. Optimism, she says, can be dangerous as it doesn’t require engagement. Things will be better on their own, says the optimist, and if they aren’t, one can become a pessimist, taking refuge in the belief that there is nothing to be done. Optimists and pessimists actually have something in common, says Halifax — they are excused from engagement. She calls instead for “wise” hope, and wise hope most surely requires engagement.” This perspective, that hope requires engagement, is the foundation of the rest of the book, and is perhaps the inspiration people most need.

Vandana Shiva offers a caveat to this, saying “The context is not in your control, but your commitment is yours to make. … And you can make the deepest commitment with total detachment about where it will take you. You want it to lead to a better world, and you shape your actions and take full responsibility for them. But then you have to have detachment. And that combination of deep passion and deep detachment allows me always to take on the next challenge because I don’t tie myself up in knots.” Commitment and engagement require a level of detachment to sustain hope. Barlow opens the book with a quote from the artist, Banksy, that supports this: “When you are tired, learn to rest, not to quit.”

Her insights are distilled in the book as follows:

1. Governments and other powerful institutions are not going to give up power without a fight. Rights have to be fought for and taken.
2. Oppressed peoples often internalize negative stereotypes about themselves and have to consciously reject them and support one another in creating new self-narratives.
3. Gaining rights through a new law or court case, or a human rights or charter challenge, does not end the struggle. In many cases, it has just begun, and there will almost certainly be a backlash.
4. Don’t wait for a path to be well trodden before you set out on it. You can be the one to walk it first.
5. Go to the heart of the human story if you want to break down silos and come together in common cause.

Still Hopeful: Lessons from a life of activism is a wonderful book and couldn’t be more timely. If you want to read a book about ‘hope’ and actually be presented with a perspective that supports ‘hope’ (as opposed to sweet treacle that doesn’t make you want to empty your stomach), this is it.