Embark with us on a train ride with the renowned political scientist Ivan Krastev and enjoy his sober analysis of the facts to consider when acting for change.

“These days everybody talks about fake news. And we know how they are hurting us. We know how much they’re changing our perception of the world in which we live. We know that basically for many people who are doing fake news, the only freedom that they believe in is the freedom to hate. But I am also afraid of something that I call ‘fake rebel’. They’re nice persons, but they’re ready to join any cause, they’re ready to sign any declaration. For them, being a rebel is a kind of fashion. They want to be everywhere, where somebody is protesting against something. And to be honest, I don’t trust this type of activism. I don’t trust that you can really care about everything that is wrong in the world these days. I do believe that in order to make a difference, you should be focused on something. Something should be more important to you than something else. And this is my simple lesson, this is something that I’ve learned watching all these people: Never be fascinated simply by somebody, regardless of how strongly and convincingly he is telling you what he is against. What really matters, is what he is for and how much he cares about it.”

This text and video is published under the Creative Commons License: CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. The name of the author/rights holder should be mentioned as followed. Author: Jovana Trifunovic and Igor Bararon / tippingpoint.net. Cover picture: Ivan Krastev, film still. Photo: Igor Bararon / tippingpoint.net

Back on Track

As our world is facing major geopolitical shifts and challenges, from the rise of nationalism to increased demands for privacy, from balancing growing human needs with environmental limits, there is undoubtedly space for major improvements. We see civil society as the key driving force in this process and have therefore launched the video series Back on Track about social engagement and activism as a clear sign of support to the dedicated change makers in our societies.

The Video Take action, but not just because it’s cool is the fourth episode of the six-part video series.