Originally, militants fought with weapons to defend their ideas.

Today, however, a militant isn’t necessarily violent.

Just as well, because they’re all around us. The person handing out flyers for a candidate in an election… is a militant!

So are all people in politics militants?

No, not all! In a political party, there are different roles.

For example, the leaders. They get paid to put forward ideas and take decisions. That’s their job.

Supporters, on the other hand, just state that they are in favor of the programme the leaders put forward.

Then, there are militants. They are actively involved in helping to spread the party’s ideas but they don’t get paid for it. We call them volunteers.

Putting up posters, getting petitions signed, or debating… Militants do all that.

So do all militants belong to a political party?

Not necessarily. Some are in labor unions; organizations that defend workers’ rights.

People who promote solidarity like respecting the environment or fighting racism are also called militants.

You see, militants can be many things. The important thing is to believe sincerely what you say, to convince others to believe too!