(Usacheva Ekaterina / Shutterstock.com)
You wouldn't necessarily put activists and do-it-yourself crafters in the same boat, but a new crop of movers and shakers are getting their message across loud and clear - and the platform is not what you would expect. The Craftivist Collective started eight years ago, and in that time has amassed thousands of members, creating kits and tools that fuse DIY projects and 'gentle protesting', initiating a dialogue on important topics that are affecting the world while acting as a construct for positive change.
Four Tedx Talks, 300-plus workshops and presentations given around the world, as well as successful partnerships with charities like UNICEF and Save the Children have all created a global audience - and aided in garnering an extensive reach beyond traditional activism. The Craftivist Collective puts a focus on the meditative process and outlet of crafting and how that in and of itself has the power to change people's perspectives. The actual action of crafting is a mental recharge that a lot of people don't even know they need.
From creative campaigns like embroidering Post-it notes to speak up against bullying to 'stitchable change-maker' kits featuring the likes of Desmond Tutu, Malala Yousafzai and J.K. Rowlings, this small social enterprise is getting people think and doing. The Craftivist Collective's overall mission? To use crafting as a tool to expose the world's injustices and always strive to help people be part of the solution, not the problem.
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