We all want to make the world a better place. Don’t we? Some are doing it, others are thinking about it. But how often do we talk about it? This is my journey of the social conscience stripped bare, exposing personal thoughts, feelings and experiences in an attempt to bridge the gap between intention and action and just maybe inspire a little change along the way... one blog entry at a time.
It's that crazy time of year again and right on cue the shops are buzzing with thousands of little consumer bees, all in the name of "giving". But what if this year, instead of spending our usual $500 million (throughout Australia) on unwanted and unneeded gifts, we used our $$$ to make a real difference?
Launched just in time for Christmas, Gift Me Charity, is an amazing platform (created by an inspiring friend of mine) which connects gift givers to their recipients’ charities of choice through online profiles, allowing friends and family the ability to donate on a loved one’s behalf rather than wasting money on unnecessary gifts.
It's super simple, all you need to do is go to www.giftmecharity.com.au, login (preferably through Facebook), select your charity of choice and Gift Me Charity will create a profile for you which you can then share with family and friends.
The aim is to raise $1million for charity by the end of the year - who's in? I am! http://www.giftmecharity.com.au/Rachel
ARE YOU OK? How often do you ask this of your friends, your family, your colleagues, your neighbours? And, if and when you do ask, how often are you prepared to give them enough time and compassion to truly answer it?
This Thursday the 15th of September is R U OK? Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness of depression, mental illness and to aid in suicide prevention is encouraging people to start life saving conversations using the simple question, "Are you ok?".
"Connection is a crucial part of general health and well being. It helps people cope with stressful life events, mental health problems, relationship breakdowns and bereavement. Staying connected is as simple as having regular, meaningful conversations." - R U OK Flyer
While I was reading over the campaign this morning, I began questioning how often I ask this question of the people I love. I know I ask "how you going?" but it's more often than not attached to a greeting, which I think rarely elicits much of a genuine response. I know that when somebody asks the same of me, I'll seldom feel compelled to respond with more than "good thanks", rather than "well actually I was up all night with life-draining menstrual cramps, I'm feeling overwhelmed by bills this week and in general I don't feel like I'm reaching my full potential in life" (come on, we've all had one of those days!).
Asking "Are you ok?" is different though, it's less obligatory and more direct. Combine it with sitting down over a juice, coffee or beer and it might just be enough to encourage someone to lighten their load, to share a problem, to ask for help.
More than 2,100 Australians suicide each year and countless others suffer in silence with depression and mental illness. So this Thursday, R U OK? is asking you to reach out and connect with somebody you care for. Check out the website, print out a poster for school or work and spread the word, but most of all don't forget to make an extra special effort this Thursday (or any day for that matter) to take the time to sit down with somebody you care about and ask them, "are you ok?".
Right at this moment, in many different parts of the world, there are millions of people facing humanitarian crises. And similarly for every crisis, there are countless men and women risking their lives to provide aid and bring hope to those who are suffering. Today is World Humanitarian Day and this year the United Nations are celebrating the work of these amazing people through their 'People Helping People' campaign in an attempt to inspire the spirit of aid work in everyone.
Here are a couple of the stories behind the signs:
The thing is you don't have to be a photographer or a trauma surgeon to be a humanitarian, everybody has something they can contribute. Today I'm making my own contribution by spreading the word about Humanitarian Day and also donating to the UNICEF East Africa Drought, Famine and Conflict Appeal which will help to provide food and support to some of the 12.4 million people across Somalia Ethiopia and Kenya who are currently in crisis.
What can you do? For more information on World Humanitarian Day and how you can take action visit: World Humanitarian Day 2011.
"Poverty is the worst form of violence" - Mahatma Gandi
For those as fortunate as myself, Sundays are a glorious time of the week. Today was especially so; I stayed in bed late, ate all my favourite foods (ok, not ALL, I have a lot), strolled in the sunshine, talked and laughed with the people I love, sipped margaritas at sunset by the beach and to top it all off I was gifted a gorgeous bunch of flowers from one of my most favourite people (thank you!!). However between the sleeping, strolling, tequila and talking I must confess I was having a severe battle of the conscience. And here's why...
I heard about this campaign yesterday and went online this morning to see what it was all about. As soon as I watched this video I immediately wanted to jump up and shout "Hell yes! I'm in Hugh! Sign me up! Send me the t-shirt! I'm your girl". For a good five minutes I thought, without question I can make the small sacrifice and eat for $2 a day ($1.50 was the American equivalent) for five days to help raise awareness for world poverty. My social conscience was already mentally putting up the banners and streamers for anti-poverty party week and then the bubble burst, I came out of my "do-gooder" induced hyperactivity for a moment and stopped to think.
The Live Below the Line challenge begins tomorrow, so first of all I'm a little behind the eight ball for registration and fundraising. But secondly and slightly more significantly, I have two huge uni assessments due this Friday, I have a 40 hour work week and just to keep it interesting I've been battling some form of cold/flu/virus for the past couple of weeks, which I just can't seem to shake. So I sat myself down and I said, "Rachel, given all of the above factors, do you really think this week is a good time to potentially deprive yourself of nutrition and energy for a boat which has practically set sail?". I found the answer to be depressingly ironic, "I can't afford to live BELOW the poverty line", at least not this week anyway. This was the sensible choice and at that moment I thought about how ridiculously privileged I was to be able to make it. There are 1.4 billion people on the planet who do not have that privilege. Those people live on the equivalent of $2 a day and for them that is not just for food, that is for EVERYTHING.
So in between all the glory that was my Sunday as mentioned above, I kept experiencing those occasional moments of inner turmoil that only come from a battle of the conscience: "Will I? Won't I? Of course you can! You can't afford to! Make a sacrifice!", and back and forth it went. Finally this evening I sat down and decided I needed to make peace with myself and this is what I came up with...
Firstly I would like to convey my support to all those beautiful, amazing, generous people who have taken the pledge, raised money and will for the next five days sacrifice one of my favourite comforts: food. Secondly I would like to express my overwhelming gratitude for the all the comforts and luxuries I was privileged to today (and every day), that I often take for granted. I am so extremely fortunate to live in a country and in a manner which affords me the choice to say, "No, I will not live below the poverty line". Thirdly in a gesture of support I have sponsored five people, one for each day of the challenge in which I will not be taking part. And lastly, as a symbolic gesture and to quiet my conscience I've decided to give up some of my favourite comforts this week: coffee, sugar and wine. It's not much but sometimes making a little sacrifice helps us to stop, contemplate and appreciate the things for which we are so fortunate that we often take for granted.
For anybody interested in finding out more about global poverty, joining the challenge or supporting those taking part please visit http://www.livebelowtheline.com.au/.
In a thirsty search for plastic facts during my water bottle epiphany (see previous post), Google transported me to the doorstep of global alliance called the Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC), a group of individuals, organisations and businesses who are committed to saving our planet from death by plastic. Through collaborative efforts the PPC is attempting to get the world talking about and taking action against plastic pollution. One of their initiatives to fuel the anti-plastic pollution revolution is the The REFUSE Pledge, which I signed today. This is a pledge to follow the "4 Rs" of sustainable living:
REFUSE: say no to disposable plastics.
REDUCE: Reduce your plastic footprint: buy in bulk, choose products with the least packaging, look for products and packaging made from renewable resources, and avoid plastic packaging and containers. Choose products that have the least amount of disposable parts.
REUSE: Reuse preferably nontoxic (glass, stainless steel) containers and goods to make less waste.
RECYCLE: Recycle what you can’t refuse, reduce or reuse. Recycling is a last option because it uses energy, and there may not be a market for the re-fabricated materials.
