THE SOUL IS LOST IN GROWTH

The idea of the convergence of struggles ("convergence des luttes") sounds appealing, but in reality, it often serves to dissuade, exhaust, and dilute small-scale grassroots initiatives. This stems from the misguided belief that success is tied to size. But what if success had nothing to do with scale?

Building a coalition in the pseudo-independent, highly competitive, oppressive, and toxic local activist milieu often means being swallowed by an opaque machine with unfocused ambitions. This process can lead to abandoning original objectives for a supposedly nobler, transversal goal. But is there really such a thing as a noble or nobler cause? Are causes subordinate to one another? Is one goal more important than another? According to whom?

Political activism is not about subsets or hierarchies. There are no "sub-causes" or "main causes," no cause-pyramid or cause-hierarchy. Such notions are nonsensical. Activism isn’t a pie where other initiatives reduce your impact. You don’t have to unite just because someone else is involved. More people together doesn't necessarily mean increased effectiveness. Political activism isn’t an entertainment industry; it’s not about ticket sales. The number of participants doesn't inherently determine success.

Joining a coalition often means scaling up. While you may seem louder on the outside, internally, you may start to feel an echoing emptiness as the space becomes increasingly hollow.

Have we sacrificed our essence to unite when we were already united in spirit? We aimed to grow but have shrunk in essence.

There is always a critical mass in political activism. The language around coalition-building, reminiscent of capitalist logic, pushes small organizations and grassroots initiatives to grow, develop, and expand. Yet, it’s clear from the outset that if a small organization outgrows itself, it will sooner or later lose its voice, its way, and its heart. Given this, is the push for coalition not a deliberate strategy to cannibalize, a demagogic weapon of internal destruction?

We don't need to grow to exist.
We don't need to unite to have a stronger voice.
We don't need to be loud to be visible.
We don't need to be visible to make things happen.

The two most effective weapons in political activism today are free and legal: invisibility and unpredictability, both privileges of small organizations. This may be why there’s such a cult of coalitions and why cheap tricks are used to absorb and then destroy small organizations. Small organizations are dangerous when they remain small, but when they grow, they only become loud.

The soul is lost in growth.