Changing the World, Saving the World
Image by Cayusa
My friend Scott only half jokingly insists that the best solution to the world’s problems is a monster asteroid, a single spectacularly fiery collision with earth to wipe out most of mankind. Bad-news headlines from around the world remind us every day that peace on earth remains a distant hope. Unfortunately, much of mankind thrives on the misery rained down on others who are poorer, weaker, or less informed. Even many otherwise kind-hearted souls unknowingly or uncaringly contribute every day to the ongoing destruction of all things natural that this earth offers us: its trees, land, waterways, air, and all living creatures.
On the other hand, being a bit more of an optimist than my friend, I believe that each of us can positively impact the world. The question is, how? Quite often the biggest hurtle to overcome in beginning your own small crusade for the world is deciding what to do. I found Michael Norton’s book “365 Ways to Change the World” to be an excellent source of ideas and action plans. For each day of the year, he suggests ways to take positive actions for influencing change. Don’t feel overwhelmed by so many ideas; you can skim straight through the book, marking issues of interest or concern, returning later to narrow down your list. Or, search for your personal passion in twelve topic areas: community and neighborhood, culture and creativity, democracy and human rights, discrimination, employment and enterprise, environment, globalization and consumerism, health, international development, peace, volunteering and citizenship, or young people.
Mr. Norton’s book offers multiple possibilities for action, no matter which causes are closest to your heart. I’m starting with his entry for January 7, “Visit the HUNGER SITE.” Every time you visit the Hunger Site and click on the “Click Here to Give” button, a cup of food is donated to a hungry person somewhere in the world. Consider this statistic: every day 24,000 people die from hunger and three-quarters are children under the age of five. Clicking on the Hunger Site won’t solve the multiple causes of world hunger, but it’s one easy daily action that will positively impact a real person. Please join me in taking this one small step, one day at a time to change the world, to save the world.