In our first blog for the month of June, we spoke about the Story of Stuff. We spoke about small but effective ways in which to cause change for the betterment of the environment in our own communities and neighbourhoods.
Today, we bring to you the story of solutions and change. The Story of Change explores how we can move our economy and community in a more sustainable and just direction, starting with orienting ourselves toward a new, citizenship and collaborative thinking-based goal.
Take some time to watch this video:
It makes a very important point – one that we at Desh Apnayen have been making for a while now. It is the time we shifted our focus from ‘more’ and ‘new to ‘better for all’, from selfishness to citizenship, from apathy to ownership. As history has taught us, citizens, after all, hold the key to all major change. Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Anna Hazare and Rosa Parks are only a few reminders of this sheer power.
Let’s not forget that it was local, committed citizens, who got together to make sure women got the right to vote, like the Suffragettes in the UK. Again it was only passionately driven citizens who abolished apartheid in South Africa, who started the Chipko Movement in India in the 1970s to save acres and acres of forests and the latest Nirbhaya movement in 2012 to bring about a change in sexual harassment laws.
The ability and right to make positive change reside in all of us. Here are three very simple ways in which we can make small, incremental changes in our communities and neighbourhoods:
- Give a part of your time, your talents or your resources to a school, a library, an old age home or a social centre near you.
- Use natural resources wisely. Save water, don’t waste food and keep your neighbourhoods plastic free. Better yet, convince some other people to think like you!
- Be kinder. Practising random acts of kindness also creates a domino effect, as others appreciate what was done for them and then decide to do good in turn.
Let’s remember – we are a part of the solution! Small actions taken together are the key to making this world a happier place for everyone.