Activism, in a general sense, can be described as involvement in action to bring about change, be it social, political, environmental, or other change. This action is in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial argument.
There are many different forms of activism; a select list follows.
... Darién, oldest surviving European settlement in the Western Hemisphere
William Baffin, (1584-1622), explorer
Willem Barents, (1550?-1597), Dutch, died on Nova Zembla ...