You Can't Change the World With Cynicism

We had a guest speaker this week from WaterCan, a Canadian organization which has this vision: "Improving people's access to safe drinking water, basic sanitation, and hygiene education, can make a huge difference in the lives of millions in the developing world."

The speaker was the Executive Director, Gary Pluim. Through his many years in banking, Gary found himself looking for a change of scenery in the area of development nearly 20 years ago. Through working with World Vision he ended up at WaterCan where he has been for a number of years. An intelligent, and talented speaker, I found myself laughing and learning at the same time.

At the end of his prepared address, he opened it up for questions from us. One of the last questions from one of my classmates was, "Do you find yourself being cynical after seeing some dire situations and the lack of answering them by the general public?" His answer was one I think we forget, or fall prey to. His answer was, "You can't change the world with cynicism." While he said he may have brief periods of not understanding, he has not fallen into the trap of being a cynic. He has hope because he believes that things can change and require that we believe they can.

His message is one I share and have tried to pass on through this blog. If you let yourself slip into the trap of being hopeless, and give up, then you make it that much more difficult for those of us who haven't given up and who continue to fight to turn the world around for the better. Cynicism is a disease and it is highly communicable. When it infects you you breath it, and emanate it from your very being. It is written on your face, you wear it like a badge. Everyone around you becomes stunted, they lose a little hope themselves. You have the ability to be hope or be hopeless, and whatever you choose to be is what others will feel around you. You have more influence on the world then you dare to realize, but when you do decide to use it, choose to use it to pass along positivity and hope. You can change the world with that.

Check out WaterCan here.

Tour of Free the Children

I had the opportunity to take a tour of the Free the Children facilities yesterday. My friend Beth got a job there a few months ago and I got her to give me the VIP tour of where they worked. I got the opportunity to ask a lot of questions and get a better understanding of the organizational structure and culture.

From the second I stepped in the building I got the feeling that it wasn't just another place of work. The receptionist was vibrant and kind, the surroundings were bright and colorful, and there was something in the air. Everybody smiled and introduced themselves on the way through, each time I entered a room everyone stopped what they were doing and made sure that I felt welcome. When I asked a question they were more than willing to tell me what the knew or tell me who would. You could tell that it was a very organic culture - unstructured but had grown and become informally formal - it was as if in an unspoken way everyone was a part of a greater good, a team of like-minded individuals with no agenda. Authenticity. Genuine.

From asking all the questions I did I got a feel for how new the organization really is. While it was started in 1995, it wasn't until the last 3 or 4 years that things really started to pick up. In the past 6-8 months they have hired 60 or more people, and they are continuing to grow. The average age of employees is an estimated 23. The Toronto head office is now over 100 people and with its many satellite offices in the countries it works in, that number is significantly higher. With so much youth and promise the organization has unlimited potential. They have started to create something that is far bigger than the sum of its parts.

Through its partnership with Oprah's Angel Network, FTC is in the process of developing a school chapter program throughout the US with a goal of 3000 schools participating. They were also developing material for an April episode of the Oprah show where they will officially launch the campaign. The partnership with Oprah would appear to be a significant boost to the reach of the organization, particularly as it expands into the US.

The program that has me most excited, however, is called Directors of Change. It is a film project where students who go on trips document their experience through video and then put together a documentary. The documentaries will be used in classrooms to help teach about international issues. The world as seen through youth eyes will be very interesting. It also happens to be one of the few programs they are developing in French as well as English. I think in the future in order to continue to engage young people to lead in the process of positive change, organizations are going to have to find new participating ways for youth to engage. In my estimation, social media will be a key in this.

The tour was a real eye opener. It is not everyday you get to see the inner workings of an organization such as FTC. I will continue to watch out for more exciting news as they announce it. If you would like to take a tour yourself, I believe that if you contact the organization then they give group tours all the time.

Being Right or Being Happy

I started reading a new book, A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, this week. I am only a couple of chapters in and I have found a couple of interesting things. While I don't agree with everything that is said in the book thus far, the author raises some thought provoking questions for me. In one part of the book, which if you have not read it it may sound a little abstract, he discusses how the role our ego plays in conflicts, including wars. At the risk of simplifying it too much, Eckhart refers to how instead of allowing ourselves the option that we are not the only holders of truth, we insist that we hold the only truth. We must be right, regardless of the implication, because our ego will not allow us to be wrong. For example, religion has lost track of the important role compassion plays, and instead each religion insists that it is the single truth. In doing so it causes conflict. The argument is that we force our point of view as being right at the cost of being happy. Without paraphrasing too much he says we would rather go to war for our beliefs than be happy knowing that we could possibly be wrong, or at least not the only one that is right.

I don't disagree with this assertion. I had a discussion today with two of my classmates, me on one side and them on the other. The discussion centered around mass media and essentially how awful it is here in North America and how ethically unjust it is (the argument centered around the television). I sat on the side saying that mass media is not to blame in and of itself, because people play a role in how awful it really is, and to say that television is bad/wrong, to me implies that we have no control over it. The point I am trying to make is that we both had a point of view and neither of us thought we were wrong. I believe we were both right, and I am willing to accept that they were right. While we certainly wouldn't go to war over such a silly discussion the fact that we were all open to listening to one another made the discussion enjoyable and challenging rather than frustrating.

Think about a time when you were on one side of an argument or discussion. Did you leave yourself open to the possibility that the opposition could be right? Or, did you stick to your guns to the point that instead of listening you became frustrated and stopped listening? This is an important shift in mentality that we all need to embrace. We need to open ourselves up to the idea that anyone can be right, we can all be right, all at the same time, even when all of us disagree. We don't need to 'win' an argument, we don't need to be on any side. What we need to do is listen and open up to a world of possibility. When we make this change we can be happy no matter what. We can allow others to be different without judgment, we can let others have their opinions without being angry.

If you want to change the world, if you want to make the environment you inhabit better, then let go of the necessity to be right. Open yourself up to others being right, even when it opposes your thoughts. We can all exist together, we don't need to group ourselves into the dichotomy of right and wrong, good and bad. The world is big enough for everyone to have their own faith, their own thoughts, their own feelings. Maybe it wont stop the next war from occurring, but it will make everyone happier knowing that they can speak to you without fear of judgment, with the realization that you are truly open to listening to them. That is a better world. That is a simple act that will make a big difference.

Oprahs Big Give

Just thought I would let everyone know Oprah's new show called Big Give starts tonight on ABC. Looks to be an interesting premise to the show and I am interested to see how it plays out. Anything where the object is to give away money to people who need it and make a positive impact on the world in the process is alright in my book. If you have a minute tonight check it out.

Notes From Canada's Young Activists: A Generation Stands Up For Change - Book Review

I read a great book this week called "Notes From Canada's Young Activists: A Generation Stands Up For Change". It was compiled and edited by Severn Cullis-Suzuki, Kris Frederickson, Ahmed Kayssi, Cynthia Mackenzie and Daniel Aldana Cohen. The book is a series of essays by many young people making positive impacts all over the world but, who happen to be Canadian. Without listing everyone who participated in the book, I will say that there are some amazing people with incredible stories within its cover. If you are looking for inspiration on how you can impact the world and how you can find the courage to stand up for what you believe in, then look no further than this book. The twenty-five or so stories explain just how they have done what they do and even give some useful pointers on how you can do the same. I picked up my copy at Chapters but it is available at all major bookstores both online and on the shelf. It is an easy read but full of useful information to follow up on and learn more about. A section at the end gives a listing of websites and books that are very useful, especially here in Canada, for outlets and associations, among other things, that you can get involved with to help you become an activist as well. Maybe even one day in the near future you will be included in the second edition.

Here is a link to the book publisher which has the option to purchase: Notes From Canada's Young Activists: A Generation Stands Up For Change

Diversity in a Puzzle

I wrote a post the other day about how we need to start thinking about the world as a jigsaw puzzle. I haven't stopped thinking about it since. There are some holes in my idea that I want to clear up.

Diversity is a real treasure in this world. It is something that needs to be celebrated. I have an unbelievable gift in that I live in the worlds most multicultural city on the planet. Every day I go to school and my classmates represent the diversity that exists from all over the world. It is a true blessing to be a participant in this kind of society. The jigsaw puzzle also celebrates diversity. Every piece of the puzzle is different. No two alike in shape or in the part of the picture they fulfill. Every piece exists independently from the other pieces but they still coexist and work together for the greater good. The puzzle is accepting of pieces of all shapes, sizes, and colors because that is what makes the puzzle whole. The puzzle exists because of diversity and for diversity.

Every person also has the right to choose their own destiny. There is, I believe, a path on which we travel. However, the path is one we choose. I do believe that we have an innate connection with something and I call it purpose. We all have a purpose in this world - some more glorified than others - but we all have a place in the world. This purpose is what we all search for. Some people spend a lifetime trying to live but they lack the awareness to live a life with and on purpose. We choose which part of the puzzle we are but we are connected to a part of the puzzle. We are not forced into a predetermined size or shape, but we connect with a certain piece. When we find our place in the puzzle, the place we are meant to inhabit, then we exist with purpose and we allow others to follow suit. We represent our purpose and in doing so help others find their purpose. Our passion and belief in our purpose impacts others.

Interconnectedness. Jigsaw puzzle. Enough said? We are all interconnected. We exist in connection with one another. My decisions in life affect the people around me. It is that simple. We must all learn to understand that every action we make has repercussions. Every action has an equal reaction. If I choose to drive a car to school then the effect that has across the world is felt. The family that lives on an yet-to-be-discovered oil patch is in danger of losing their home because the land they live on continues to become more valuable to an oil company. The car manufacturer who employs workers around the world, from the mining that is necessary to produce the parts. It also has huge environmental implications as the car creates biproducts that risk the future of our planet for generations of people to come. A jigsaw puzzle exists with the knowledge that interconnectedness plays an important role. The puzzle is accomplished because of the interconnectedness of its pieces.

The more I think about the world like a jigsaw puzzle the more I think it is a good metaphore. What do you think?

Do You Believe?

It is the fundamental question that you must ask yourself: Do you believe the world can change? OR let me rephrase that: Do you believe YOU can change the world? If you answered no to either phrasing then reading anything I write will be of little use. It is essential for you to believe in both the ability of yourself to create change and the ability of the world to accept change. If you don't believe in either then your cynicism is in the wrong place. This space is reserved for the believers: the ones who wake up every morning ready to make an impact; they may not yet be confident enough to take on the challenge but they genuinely believe that change is possible; they go to sleep at the end of a long day of thinking about what they could do to make the world a better place and they have a sense of optimism that tomorrow may be the day for those ideas to take shape. You need to believe for yourself and the world needs people to believe in it.