- TIPPING POINT
According to Gladwell, “The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behaviour crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.”
‘‘The Tipping Point explains how ideas spread like epidemics and which few elements need to come together to help an idea reach the point of critical mass, where its viral effect becomes unstoppable.’’
Gladwell identifies 3 factors responsible for the Tipping Point as:
The law of the few
The law of the few purports that ‘The success of any kind of social epidemic is heavily dependent on the involvement of people with a particular and rare set of social gifts.” 2.The stickiness factor
The stickiness factor‘refers to a unique quality that compels the phenomenon to“stick”in the minds of the public and influence their future behaviour.’ 3.The Power of context
‘The Power of Context refers to the environment or historical moment in which the trend is introduced.’
You will have to read The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell to get the full gist.
THE EXPERIENCE OF OTHERS
History is replete with tipping points. I will share just two: The children of Israel had been in bondage in Egypt for 400 years. Generations of Israelites cried out to God. One day their cry reached a tipping point. In response, God appeared to a fugitive called Moses and sent him to tell Pharaoh; “Let my people go…”
Moses delivered the message from the King of Kings to Pharaoh, king of Egypt. But Pharaoh despised him and even increased the task of the Israelites. Moses went back and forth between God and Pharaoh in what appeared like a power tussle (but God was actually pulling the strings). God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. He had a grand plan. Egypt’s oppression of His people had reached a tipping point and God was about to set them free in a most dramatic fashion. You will have to read Exodus chapters 12 to 14 for the full story.
Moses experienced another tipping point in the battle between Israel and Amalek in Exodus chapter 17. When the Amalekites attacked Israel, Moses asked Joshua to choose able men with whom he (Joshua) will go to the battlefield while he (Moses) went to the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur. From this elevated place, Moses held up the rod of God (representing the presence of God, the help of God). When Moses had his hands up, Israel prevailed. But when Moses put his hands down, Amalek prevailed. At a point Moses’ hands were tired. Aaron and Hur prepared a rock on which Moses sat and they both stayed on either side of Moses and held his hands up. They kept his hand in this position until sunset, and Israel won the battle. Victory came through collective endeavour. When we reach a tipping point, all hands must be on deck.
OUR EXPERIENCE
With the deaths Chijioke Iloanya, Godgift Ekerete, Tony Oruama, Harry Ataria, Mbakwe Oruama, (including minors like) 15-year-old Emmanuel Egbo and 16-year-old Tina Ezekwe and many others, at the hands of the Nigerian police, things have reached a tipping point and the Nigerian youths decided to protest.
But what we witnessed was more than a protest, more far-reaching than a call out, it went beyond a march, it was a movement – a movement of the people in a moment of history!
We can take away a few things from the protest:
Peace
The young people staged a peaceful protest - gathering, holding up posters, singing, dancing, speaking, tweeting. They were using every available tool to make their voices heard, peacefully. They made their presence felt and articulated their demands.
Accountability
This movement was crowd funded. Many organisations published the sums they received and how they were spent. Ordinary citizens were willing to add their two kobo to buy refreshments for those on the streets, to cover costs for security, sanitation, medicals, etc.
Teamwork
We witnessed unity of purpose. From the streets of Nigeria to Europe and America, Nigerian youth spoke with one voice. Celebrities, commoners, male, female, they were all crying out for an end to police brutality, and for good governance. They were saying ‘enough is enough’– enough of empty promises, enough of lip-service, enough of being taken for granted.
A SACRIFICE THAT DEMANDS A RESPONSE…
We all have a part to play to reform Nigeria. We have prayed, now we must get to work. The blood of innocent citizens shed due to police brutality, the blood of our youth shed in peaceful protest cannot be in vain.
…FROMTHE GOVERNMENT
Government needs to demonstrate that it is listening to its citizens. The President’s address came too late. And while the legislators did well to ask the president to speak to us, they could be pro-active and take a pay cut to show their sensitivity to the hardship of the average Nigeria. Going forward, the government needs to be more in touch with the ordinary Nigerian. We must end the frivolously spending and those looting public funds must be brought to book.
…FROM SOCIETY
We commend the corporates, NGOs, faith-based organisations, press and others who made meaningful contribution to this cause. Some opened up their doors to shelter protesters, some offered their services free and yet others disseminated information. We can still do more. We need access to basic education and health facilities for every Nigeria. We need to empower people with skills so they can earn an income. Businesses should address these challenges as their Corporate Social Responsibility. Other organisations should take on these priority areas.
…FROM YOU AND ME
We must all take responsibility for what we have experienced. We must be the answer to our prayer, the solution to our problems. We can begin by doing what is right in our offices, in our schools, in our homes. How about paying our dues rather than trying to circumvent the system through bribery? How about paying our support staff fair wages and taking out medical insurance for them? How about helping to educate an indigent child or to sponsor a youth to learn a skill? Can we be a bit more sensitive to the plight of the underprivileged amongst us?
Things have reached a tipping point in Nigeria. The warning is not just for government.