We kicked off our monthly themed conversation with a fantastic panel talk on How To Be A Proactive Beauty Activist. As it turns out we’re pretty tapped into the zeitgeist and very much ‘on-trend’ (without even knowing it)! According to a recent report commissioned by Beautystack, ‘Activism and self-mastery are set to revolutionise beauty culture in 2021.’
The webinar was initially inspired by conversations we had been having CBU member, Crystabel Riley. Essentially, a proactive beauty activist is one that stands up and champions what you believe in – for the greater good.
The key takeaways from the webinar were:
- You don’t have to be laying down your life on the picket lines to be a proactive activist.
- Activism has many names: Campaigner, Change-maker, Organiser, Advocate and Activist. Use the term you feel most comfortable with, but do so with integrity.
- Find and use your purpose to direct your activism. Don’t worry about campaigning for every cause – focus on the ones that matter to you most.
- Look for your allies. Change happens bigger, faster, further when we do things together.
You can hear all the other brilliant advice offered by our panellists by watching the recording. Also, watch this Ted Talk, which was recommended by our member, Laura Onea.
Crystabel has very kindly shared with us some of the emails that she has written to brands in the past (and some of their responses), asking them about their policies and practices on various potential ethical issues. It’s important to know that it’s ok to ask these questions, and we have a responsibility to do so. This approach is an effective one if you want to know what a brands stance and practices are on everything from mica to packaging if they are not readily available on their website or social media channels.
Here’s a round-up of helpful resources and things to consider when crafting your campaigning letter/email to brands:
https://www.peta.org/action/activism-guide/letter-writing/
http://www.wluml.org/node/5603
https://ecowarriorprincess.net/2018/01/how-to-write-an-email-letter-to-a-fashion-brand-if-youre-seeking-more-transparency/
And remember, the more voices, the stronger and more resilient the clarion call will be.
Do you have any causes or questions? If so, please reach out to us and your fellow CBU members about campaigns or actions you are working on so we can support each other and create real change, together.
