By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – WITH deepening ecological crisis, widening social injustice, and rising activist burnout, environmental activists have been urges to remain resilient and sustain the struggle against all forms of injustice meted out on the people.

They were called to rise up to the ocassion with resilience, urgency, and moral courage – humour, as activists are always at alert -responding swiftly to important existing and emerging socio-ecological and other issues.

At an event jointly organized by Health of Mother Earth Foundation and Environmental Rights Action, in Benin City, Edo State, activists were encouraged to keep pushing for justice.

The event explored the relevance of humour and storytelling in curbing burnout and promoting wellbeing in the course of activism.

According to the organizers, often times activists are faced with traumatic experiences on the field and met by stark opposition or even failure. This leads to burnout which can become persistent and reduce productivity/impact, as well as lower quality of life.

Rooted in Nigeria’s rich tradition of satire and social commentary, Eco-Comedy bridges activism and performance, using storytelling, comedy, and lived experience to expose injustice while creating space for healing, reflection, and renewal.

Overall, the event demonstrated the integration of art and advocacy, highlighted the need for movements to adopt humour as an artistic language for ecological justice, and a means to strengthen public engagement.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director, Health of Bother Earth Foundation, HOMEF, Arc Nnimmo Bassey, said there is a time defined by overlapping ecological and social crises, adding that “we must remain rooted in purpose, conscious of our collective power, and alert to the urgency of the moment.

“Humour/laughter should inspire us to think about who we truly are and the socio-ecological issues that we need to address, stressing that comedy and humour are not neutral but viable tools for action.

As a frontline environmental activist, he acknowledged the serious and often numerous challenges that activists face year after year sometimes with little success owing to deep-rooted systemic disorders. “But”, he noted “giving up is very dangerous”.

He stressed that activists must remain consistent and persistent even if the change does not happen in their lifetime.

“To surrender is to allow injustice to prevail unchecked”. Furthermore, he (Bassey) noted that humour is a great tool for educational purposes and can be used can be used to break barriers – whether personal, structural, or systemic. The notion of power was also central.

He left the impression that communities and individuals often underestimate their own power, especially in the face of institutional failure or injustice. Yet real change begins when people recognize that power lies in their voices, their unity, and their refusal to remain silent.

Even small acts of speaking out, using caricatures to campaign and sharing stories contribute to a larger movement for justice.

The Deputy Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action, Barr. Mariann Bassey-Olsson, building on the importance of integrating humour in activism, noted that if activists lose their joy, they will lose the movement.

“Humour allows us to stay human without which we would lose empathy and the motivation to instigate change. While the realities that we face are grievous, our response must not be stripped of humanity”, Bassey-Olsson said.

She established that humour does not attempt to make light of the socio-ecological struggles but helps to break tension and strengthen commitment.

“We are not laughing because things are easy; we are laughing because we refuse to be broken. Humour reaches where policy papers cannot. Activism must sustain people, not consume them”, she explained.

Moreover, she (Bassey-Olsson) added that, “When we laugh together, we heal, we reconnect. We remember why we started. This isn’t a distraction. It is resistance!”

Humour allows civil society activists to release tension, reconnect with one another, and sustain the energy needed for long-term struggle.

The session on activist’s chronicles had activists from different countries and regions sharing personal experiences they have had in the past which were not funny at the time but now when they look back they can laugh about them.

Some of the stories were rather touching including personal sacrifices and betrayal, communications hassles/language barriers, security issues, mistakes due to inexperience, and more.