"In the eleven months since Donald Trump took office during which he has unleashed unprecedented assaults on the checks and balances of American democracy there has been a wave of warnings and advice from activists, writers and scholars who have either fought against authoritarian regimes or studied them closely. A common thread runs through much of their guidance: Americans, especially those in positions of power, must find the courage to"
"must find the courage to stand up for what is right, even when doing so carries personal risk. Yet few have addressed the harder questions: how does one become courageous? How much of courage is innate, and how much is learned? And what can we do to help people find the courage to act? I am a Chinese human rights advocate. For 15 years, I have worked alongside many brave individuals in China who have stood up to the notoriously repressive Chinese Communist party (CCP)."
"Their experiences have taught me invaluable lessons about fear and courage. If you are a federal government employee wondering whether to resign rather than carry out an order you believe is wrong, an academic debating whether to speak to a journalist about political interference on your campus, or an editor weighing the risks of publishing a story that could draw government retaliation, here are a few lessons I hope will help you. Most people understand that if everyone were to resist together, they could prevail."
Unprecedented assaults on checks and balances have prompted warnings urging Americans in power to find the courage to act despite personal risk. Few address how courage develops or how to cultivate it. Experience from human-rights work in China over 15 years highlights lessons about fear and courage among individuals who stood up to a repressive regime. Individuals face a classic collective-action dilemma: joint resistance can succeed, but solitary resistance often brings personal cost and no visible gain. Acting on moral convictions carries risk but can produce profound satisfaction. Many people confront a painful choice between fear of punishment and shame for complicity.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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