WHY I’M GOING TO WIN THE NOBEL PRIZE (AND HOW YOU’RE GOING TO HELP ME) : WELCOME TO ACTIVISM IN HEELS!

Hellooooo my favorite activist !!!!!

I’m not just writing a blog post today. I’m writing the first chapter of a movement that I hope will shake things up. We’ve been taught to stay quiet, to blend into the crowd, to be "well-behaved" activists. That’s all over now.

I hope you’re ready to change the world, because I sure am! I know what you’re thinking: "Damn, this girl sounds like she’s on steroids!". But I assure you, I’m not!!!! It’s just my good vibes overflowing! For this first article, I wanted to introduce you to my movement, 100% created by me : Activism in Heels.

Why this name? Listen… I don’t even know myself! I did some quick Googling and I thought to myself: "That’s a name that SLAYYYYYY!". But seriously, let me explain this movement that’s going to win me the Nobel Prize within 10 years. #shecandream

WHY I CREATED THIS MOVEMENT?

We are the generation of doubt, the one that watches AI and the cost of living (thx Covid-19) wondering: "What’s left for us?". But we are also the generation with the most fire in our bellies. I refuse to just let the future happen to me. So, I decided to reinvent it my way, with my values and… my heels. Because if we have to fight for our place on this earth, we might as well do it with class.

In this context, I asked myself: why not create a movement capable of changing things? A movement that would help reduce plastic in our oceans or save a TON of little animals from slaughterhouses?

THE CONCEPT: ACTIVISM IN DAILY LIFE

Okay, let me explain this very simply because I know some of you are probably thinking: “Nour, what does Activism in Heels even mean? Do I need to buy heels and start yelling at the government?”

NOOOO! Well… you can wear heels if you want, obviously. But that is not the point.

The goal of Activism in Heels is to make activism feel like something you can actually do in your normal, messy, beautiful everyday life. Not something reserved for politicians, people holding megaphones outside Parliament, or that one eco-girl who owns seventeen reusable jars and has never eaten McDonald’s in her life

Because yes, protests matter. Petitions matter. Voting matters. Talking about politics matters. I am not saying we should all sit at home and save the planet by drinking matcha.

BUTTTTT… what if activism could also exist in the little things we do every day?

What if the way we eat, shop, dress, study, spend time online, take care of ourselves, and support others could be part of changing the world?

THAT is the revolution I want to build.

For me, an activist is not only someone holding a sign in the street.

An activist can be a student who says: “Actually, I am not going to destroy my mental health for perfect grades.” An activist can be a girl who finds a gorgeous secondhand dress instead of buying another fast-fashion top she will hate in three weeks. An activist can be someone who packs their lunch in a reusable container, volunteers for one afternoon, or chooses compassion when it would be much easier to just not care.

In the Activism in Heels team, we believe that small daily choices can become powerful habits. And when thousands of people start making those choices? Babe. That is how you create a completely different culture.

Here are some of our favourite everyday activist reflexes:

• Be an activist on your plate: Try more plant-based meals, support local food when you can, and remember that food choices can be a form of compassion too.

• Recycle and reuse: Especially cardboard boxes, because throwing away a perfectly good box is a personal attack on my inner eco-girl

• Choose less waste when possible: Reusable bottles, containers, bags, wraps… plastic had its main-character era. It is time for her to rest.

• Dress with intention: Buy less, choose secondhand when you can, rewear your favourite outfits, and support brands that treat workers with dignity.

• Take care of yourself: Rest, ask for help, protect your mental health, and stop acting like exhaustion is a personality trait. I am talking to myself too

• Give your time: Volunteer, donate if you can, support an organisation, or simply show up for someone who needs you.

• Use your voice: Learn, share information, challenge injustice when it is safe, and do not underestimate the power of one honest conversation.

  
  

And before someone starts panicking because they are not vegan, rich, perfectly informed, zero waste, or dressed like an eco-friendly fairy every day: RELAX

You do not need to do every single one of these things to belong here. You just need to care enough to start somewhere.

Because every time we choose a little more compassion, a little less waste, a little more courage, and a little less indifference, we are already practising activism.

That is what Activism in Heels is: a movement for people who want to look good, feel good, do good, and make the world a little more beautiful for everybody. And yes, we are doing it in heels.

WHY THIS NAME, EXACTLY?

There is a much more personal reason behind this name.

A few months ago, I had to escape my toxic, controlling family with the police. I had about one minute to pack my things before leaving. One minute to choose what was coming with me into a life I could not even picture yet.

One of the few things I took was a Carolina Herrera perfume my brother had given me for my birthday. If you know the perfume, you know it comes in the shape of a high heel.

After that, I spent a month in a women’s shelter. I had three T-shirts, two pairs of pants, and three pairs of underwear. And honestly? That perfume became one of the only moments when I felt like a woman again. Like I could take care of myself. Like I was still allowed to be soft, feminine, beautiful, and completely myself.

So when it was time to name my movement, I chose the heels.

Not because I think every activist needs to wear heels. Wear sneakers, boots, slippers, whatever helps you survive the day, babe.

But because the heel became a symbol of the beginning of my new life. A little sign that I had escaped, that I was free, and that I could rebuild everything in my own way.

Activism in Heels is my rebellion.

I want to clarify: this movement IS NOT ONLY DEDICATED TO WOMEN! Everyone is welcome ! Whether you are a man, a trans woman, non-binary … this blog is a safe space!

WARNING: WE ARE NOT SAINTS!

Spoiler alert: this movement is not a religion or a cult ! If you decide not to follow the rules to the letter (you slipped up and were only vegan for 3 days this week?), it’s perfectly OK!

Mistakes are what make us human. We are here to progress, not to be perfect!

WHO IS BEHIND ALL THIS?

I’m Nour Atamna.

My dream of winning the Nobel Peace Prize within 10 years might be ambitious, but I’ve already planned my path:

1 The Activist Boutique: My committed business (5% of profits go to my NGO).

2 My NGO: The Cardboard Knights (Les Chevaliers en Carton), which is the world’s first participatory NGO.

3 My novel: The Day My Teacher Slapped Me (Le Jour où ma prof m’a giflé).

4 My blog: The Activism in Heels Movement.

5 My podcast: The Nobel Logbook (In progress… ).

6 My book of love poems: I STILL HAVEN’T FOUND A NAME! SEND SOME HELP!!!

7 My TikTok: To follow my daily adventures!

HISTORY BEGINS NOW

This blog is my battlefield, my personal diary, and my future manifesto. In ten years, when we look back, I want us to remember that it was here, together, that we decided never to choose between being stylish and being engaged. We aren’t just going to change the world; we are going to shake it up.

So, are you ready to be part of History with me?

Want to follow my adventures? Follow me on TikTok, and if you want to support me, head over to laboutiqueactiviste.com!

P.S.: Okay, my favorite activists: if you could change one thing about the world right now, what would it be? And no, “make my ex disappear” does not count… unless they are a dictator.