ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Long march through the institutions

Okay kiddo, have you ever played a game where you have to walk a long way to reach a goal? That's kind of like what we're going to talk about now - except instead of a game, it's something that happened in real life.

The "Long March through the institutions" is a phrase used to describe a plan that some people had to change society in a particular way. They wanted to do it by getting important jobs and positions in what we call "institutions." Institutions are big groups of people who work together towards a common goal. For example, schools, universities, governments, and big companies are all different kinds of institutions.

So, what did these people want to change and why did they choose institutions as their way to do it? The people who came up with this plan wanted to change the way that society works. They believed that the way things were run was unfair and that there needed to be more social justice. They thought that by getting jobs in important institutions, like universities and the government, they could slowly but surely change the way things were done.

They started off by getting involved in student groups at universities. They wanted to make the universities more open and fair for everyone, especially for people from different backgrounds who might have had a harder time getting a higher education before. They thought that by making changes in universities first, they could then spread their ideas and goals to other important institutions as well.

This plan took a long time to carry out, and people who were part of it had to be very patient. They often had to work hard and climb up the ladder to reach the positions they wanted. They had to make sure they didn't get fired or kicked out along the way. But over time, their plan started to work. They began to have more influence in the institutions where they worked, and they were able to make changes that reflected their goals.

So, that's the long march through the institutions. It's a way that some people tried to change society by getting important jobs in institutions and gradually making changes from the inside. Does that make sense, kiddo?
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