“ […] it would behoove us to remember the figure “3.5 percent.” This is the number that Harvard political scientist Erica Chenoweth came up with in the course of her research into protest strategies as the percentage of a population that must rise up sincerely and nonviolently to bring about a major change to society. Examples of nonviolent civil disobedience by 3.5 percent of a population touching off a major social revolution include the 1984 “People Power Revolution” that took down the Marcos regime in the Philippines and the 2003 “Revolution of Roses” in Georgia that culminated in the resignation of then-president Eduard Shevardnadze. The Occupy Wall Street movement and the sit-ins in Barcelona also began as protests involving relatively few people. Greta Thunberg’s school strike famously started as a one-person protest. Even at its height, the number of committed participants in the Occupy Wall Street protests and sit-ins that gave birth to the slogan “1 percent vs. 99 percent” surely only numbered a few thousand. Yet these resistance movements have had major impacts on society. Demonstrations have numbered in the several thousands to millions. Videos of these movements have been shared millions and even billions of times on social media. If it were an election, this would translate into billions of votes. This is the road to revolution. It seems entirely within the realm of possibility that enough people sincerely concerned with climate change and passionately committed to fighting it could gather together to form a constituency of 3.5 percent. There would be even more if we factor in those angered by the environmental destruction and inequality brought about by capitalism and who possess the imagination to want to fight on behalf of the Global South and future generations. These are people whose convictions could lead them to actions that would even make up for those who, for whatever reason, are currently unable to swing into action themselves. A workers’ co-op, a school strike, an organic farm—it doesn’t matter the form it takes. You might run for office to become a part of the municipal government. You might act as part of an environmental NGO. You might start a citizen-run electric company with your neighbors. It would be a major step to demand that the enterprise that employs you put in place strict environmental policies. Bringing about the democratization of production and the shortening of work hours, for example, must include the participation of labor unions. Signature-collection actions should be started that lead to more declarations of climate emergency; movements must be developed to demand that the richest elites pay their fair share. So doing, mutual aid networks will arise and be forged into something truly mighty. There are so many things that can and must be done right now. The vast scale of systemic change is no excuse for doing nothing. The participation of every individual is decisive in forming the necessary 3.5 percent. Our indifference up till now has allowed the 1 percent of superrich elites to change the rules as they see fit and organize society to their benefit according to their worldview. But now is the time to say no! We must shed our postures of cynical indifference and show them the power of the 99 percent. The key will be the actions undertaken now, at this moment, by the first 3.5 percent. These actions will combine to become a huge groundswell that will rein in the power of capital, reform democracy, and decarbonize society.”

— Slow Down: The Degrowth Manifesto Kōhei Saitō