1000 Visions of Global Change

What are you doing about it?

Supporting local communities matters greatly. If you buy local it not only helps local businesses, but it reduces the carbon footprint that accompanies food transportation, like bananas that are delicious but unfortunately have traveled thousands of miles to get to my Baltimore community. Volunteering for CSAs or urban farms are a great way to work with communities to provide fresh veggies to food desert neighborhoods.

Individual actions matter tremendously, and can be fun and rewarding, such as composting any food waste and turning that soil into a beautiful green space for plants and vegetables. By living in the city, I have the opportunity to bike instead of filling up a gas tank

When do you feel most inspired and/or challenged?

No one has the time to work with each environmental issue, but when I read about new topics, it is important to research what is being done in my local community, whether it is community land trusts, access to solar panels, or steps to get healthy food in school lunches. The more I read about the work of local organization, the more inspired I become to remain strong-willed in my daily lifestyle changes that address climate change.

What advice do you have for other people interested in creating change?

Look to the local! Addressing global change head-on can be overwhelming and may cause apathy due to the slow-moving pace of global change. Local communities are the foundation of changing perceptions of global issues, so get involved and get to know your community of whatever issue it is that drives you.

What are you doing about it?

I get involved by staying up-to-date with the news, volunteering online or with local organizations and attending educational events such as documentary screenings. I currently teach English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Riobamba, Ecuador and strive to expose my students to global issues through in-class discussions and research projects.

When do you feel most inspired and/or challenged?

I feel most inspired when I talk to and learn from people who feel passionate about the same issues I do. Going to documentary screenings, getting involved with local organizations or just talking with friends who care about the same issues are great ways to spark inspiration.

What advice do you have for other people interested in creating change?

What are you doing about it?

I attempt to stay updated on current events and developments surrounding women's health issues, both through information presented in the media as well as seeking out materials, such as books and blogs, on my own. I also aim to live a more "green" lifestyle at home, and will be having orientation next week to become a Medical Reserve Corps volunteer to support my local Alexandria Health Department and learn more about public health practices in my own community.

When do you feel most inspired and/or challenged?

I feel the most challenged when I begin a task that not only exceeds anything that I've done before, but goes beyond the scope of anything that I had ever even considered doing. Therefore, I am the most inspired when I hear stories of individuals that have embraced these sorts of unfamiliar and enormous tasks without complaint or question

What advice do you have for other people interested in creating change?

What are you doing about it?

I have had the incredible opportunity to become friends with several foreign exchange students over the last couple years of my life. I have become friends with kids from Germany, Hungary, France, the Gaza Strip and Morocco. Although many of these people have returned home, we have still been able to keep in contact. These have been some of the coolest friendships I have ever made. Although I believe that I am a very tolerant and open-minded person, meeting kids from other countries and cultures has inspired me to become even more so. It has also opened my eyes to more issues that I believe young people of the world need to become aware of. Many of my foreign exchange friends have been from Muslim countries or have been practicing Muslims themselves. Being able to create relationships with these amazing young people allowed me to learn about issues like Islamophobia on a more personal and close-to-home level. Knowing that my friends experience Islamophobia on a daily basis in one form or another (on the street, in the media, etc) strikes within me the determination to create a new age of tolerance and love.

When do you feel most inspired and/or challenged?

I feel most inspired when I am walking through my favorite neighborhood park, when I am listening to good, powerful music and when I am spending time with supportive, passionate and creative people.

What advice do you have for other people interested in creating change?

What are you doing about it?

Currently teaching culture and English in China. When I am not working at the school I am attempting to form a programme that seeks to create future leaders by empowering those most affected by injustices. I also volunteer with CISV, Children's International Summer Villages, where we seek to create experiences to encourage the youths of today to be the movements of change tomorrow.

When do you feel most inspired and/or challenged?

When I listen to music or when I reminisce about injustices I have faced I begin to try and problem solve a way to create an effective change in our world.

What advice do you have for other people interested in creating change?

Living a good story. It's not just about doing things for fun or the heck of it. It's about creating impactful moments that will ripple throughout your life, and maybe others. Living a good story is first making your life meaningful so that you can empower others to make theirs just as meaningful.