Peaceful protests and nonviolent resistance are important parts of any functioning democracy. They have a long and storied history synonymous with great and enduring political change, both in Australia and around the world.

Notable protests movements include the civil rights movement, the suffragettes and Mohandas Ghandi’s civil disobedience.

Peaceful protests can be small acts that make a profound difference. In 1956 in America, for example, Rosa Parks famously refused to give up her seat to a white man – which led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott and became a defining moment in America’s civil rights movement.

Peaceful protests can also be large scale mass gatherings. In 1963, when Martin Luther King Jr delivered his famous “I have a dream” speech, 200,000 people gathered around the Lincoln Memorial in Washington.

More recently, Extinction Rebellion famously occupied five bridges in central London and brought the city to a standstill, demanding the government take greater action on climate change.

Individual actions can make a difference.

Studies show that peaceful protests are more effective than violent protests in the achievement and longevity of meaningful political change. An expert in this field is political scientist Erica Chenoweth, who studied the effectiveness of nonviolent versus violent campaigns and gave a TEDTalk on this subject.

The world is a large and busy place. But your voice and actions matter. Working with others, you have the power to achieve great social change.

The good news about the climate crisis is that we have the solutions. Summarised in two words, they are: renewable energy. Our politicians have the ability to lead us to a zero-carbon society.

What we need to implement these solutions is the political will to act boldly and decisively. The cost of not acting on climate change far outweighs any immediate economic cost.

Building political will is why we take to the streets and engage in peaceful protests. When there is still time there is still hope. But we need to act now!