I was sitting in a class on how to build support for making social change, and one of the discussions we had is a comparison of the differences between the civil rights era environment and today’s civic environment.  This made my mind leap into making a list of a score of dozen ways to be an empowered citizen and an empowered consumer.

Writing this post, I realized that this list is a micro version of Gandhi’s Constructive Program. In the period between civil Disobedience Campaigns, Gandhi kept his followers engaged and progressing by building a sustainable community-based economy to replace the imperial system which oppressed them.

1. Buy local, organic, and fair trade.
2. Move your money to a credit union.
3. Drink more water, but not bottled.
4. Have a car-less day.
5. Throw out your TV.
6. Grow a garden.
7. Share hand-me-downs.
8. Use your library.
9. Support local arts.
10. Make your own music.
11. Support local and independent media.
12. Only donate to nonprofits where you know how the money is being used.
13. Only support candidates and political parties who don’t take corporate donations.
14. Teach people how to write-in on the ballot when they don’t like the choice of candidates.
15. Cook family meals at home.
16. Oppose war.
17. Oppose insurance companies and support single payer health insurance
18. Spend less
19. Barter
20. Join a CSA {Community Supported Agriculture].

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