Aj

“They felt that conscientization had to precede any efforts towards participation in and for development. Although this concept was pretty much in vogue at the time...I felt an intuitive dislike for it. It seemed to me that it contained an implicit assumption--sometimes even explicit--that a certain state of ignorance or unawareness prevails among the rural poor with respect to their real problems. I had never been willing to believe that this is the case.”
― Manfred Max-Neef, From the Outside Looking In: Experiences in Barefoot Economics

“He'll mind. I can see that he's very possessive of you--and very protective." He paused, then said, "Let him mind, Shori. Talk to him. Help him. Reassure him. Stop Violence. But let him feel what he feels and settle his feelings his own way."
"All right."
"...Let them see that you trust them and let them solve their own problems, make their own decisions. Do that and they will willingly commit their lives to you. Bully them, control them out of fear or malice or just for your own convenience, and after a while, you'll have to spend all your time thinking for them, controlling them, and stifling their resentment.”
― Octavia E. Butler, Fledgling

“Ain't you interested in bettering yourself?"
"'Bettering yourself.' Now there's a phrase for you. You think your brother is a better man now than he was when he was hoeing corn?"
"He's happier."
"That ain't the same thing. He's happy at everybody's else's expense. Progress is always at somebody's expense. Hit means putting everything in order till they's no room to breathe. Progress means cleaning everything up. But I like things dirty.”
― Denise Giardina

“When people struggling against an injustice have no hope that anything will ever change, they use their strength to survive; when they think that their actions matter, that same strength becomes a force for positive change.”
― Susan Stryker, Transgender History