If I remember back to my high-school science (and I probably don’t), catalysts are substances that are required to start a chemical reaction. Without the catalyst, the reaction (and subsequent atomic activity and change) won’t occur. Or at least, won’t occur quickly.
Is there an alternative catalyst for changing the status quo that isn’t a traumatic shock or hard-grinding mass education?
Perhaps.
To stick with the chemical analogy (and digging back again to my memory of high school science) there are some reactions/changes that can either be started with a catalysing chemical, or by applying heat. So what can happen, especially when you only have a small amount of catalyst, is that you start the reaction in a small area, but then the reaction generates heat and so feeds itself, with the heat driving the subsequent reaction.
If I lost you at “high school science” or “catalyst”, I’m hoping you’re still with me, because this is the guts of it.
Start small, start local, with people who get it.
Invite others along. Do the hard work of education with people who are in your area, who get your context, and who speak your language.
Get radical. Don’t dabble, make some heat. Hopefully, you’ll shock a couple of people.
Tell your story to the people who’ve been shocked, and help them to do the same.
Start small, start local, go radical.