GreenSage E-zine 06/2008

The Power of Taking A Stand — Loudly or Quietly
by Elaine Ireland

We understand that many people whom we consider leaders take a stand. They are people known all over the world who have significantly changed our world like Susan B. Anthony, Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Theresa, Mahatma Ghandi, Al Gore. They seem to derive their personal power from taking a stand with the intention to elevate humanity one more notch. Elevating too-long overdue equality for women, people of color, poor people as well as the planet, other species, other kingdoms (as in plant and animal kingdoms).

Taking a stand usually starts out quietly, reaching within for personal power of strength and determination, beginning a journey to further align actions with a personal belief system of the right thing to do. Everyone who takes a stand leads in their own way, some loudly some quietly. From personal choices like how to pack your kids lunch to being the first in a community to build a green building to saving the forests and planning entire eco-cities.

In this issue are several stories we share of people influencing change by taking a stand and doing the right thing. For example, Van Jones has taken a stand to advocate green collar jobs for Americans living in poverty thereby allowing them to become part of a revitalized middle class. (You can take a stand and encourage congress vote to fund the Green Jobs Act.)

The members of the Rainforest Relief Organization, most of whom volunteer, have taken a stand to reduce deforestation of our tropical forests through education, advocacy, research and action — and have already prevented the imminent or impending use of over 11 million board feet of unsustainable tropical hardwoods. Even the EU is taking a stand to reduce the use of tropical hardwoods with a proposal to label all imported wood furniture. (You can read about it in the GreenSage Guide to Selecting Wood Wisely.)

Then there's Dr. Willie Smits, who founded the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, that David Mahood writes about in his article on Eco-Tourism and Biophilia. Dr. Smits and his organization help in the cause against the critical dangers facing the orangutans, including deforestation and poaching.

Be sure to read the inspiring story about two women who wanted to set an example of conservation for their children and empower them to be the examples of change for the future. These two women created a product, called Kids Konserve, as a great alternative to help save the enormous amount of waste created by school lunches. They're not only taking a stand, they're teaching their kids how to do the same.

Then there are people who don't get written about very much. They take a stand just within themselves, in their homes, their schools or community.

Take my friend, Sophie, for example, quietly taking a stand for recycling at her kids' school. She separates the recyclables in her kids' classrooms and at school functions she participates in. She tells me she gets dismissed and questioned with comments like 'it won't make a difference,' 'how can you possibly have time to deal with that,' and 'why bother.' Sophie simply takes a breath, looks at them gently, confidently and explains why its the right thing to do — and just keeps recycling. My hunch is that soon, many parents and kids will begin to follow.

Sophie has quietly, but unequivocally, taken a stand just as surely as those public figures we admire so much for elevating us. If you've taken a stand and want to share your story with us for possible publication, we'd love to hear from you.

One final note: Have you noticed we've gone awhile since the last hostile positioning of taking sides and fighting over jobs vs. other species — as if it were always either/or? Sometimes its a dilemma of either or. Often times there's a common ground answer if we get to thinking creatively about it. Taking a stand to do the most compassionate thing, the right thing for the most and for the future allows new possibilities for continued elevation of our world. It is a way of thinking, acting and being that comes from the inside out. When we are fully aligned in this way, we find the strength and internal support to make a difference; to act in alignment with who we fully are. We can then design creative solutions and maintain that stand. Some of us loudly. Some quietly. All making a difference. Together, we ARE the ones.