Have you ever felt like changing the world?
Have you ever been frustrated facing so much inequality, injustice, and indiscriminate use of natural resources?
Whenever we think about the macro scenario, the first thought that pops up in our mind is weakness. We feel so small in front of everything that must be done. The next step is outsourcing our responsibility to the government, mostly. Sure, they should be responsible. But shouldn’t we be too? In fact, the biggest change starts in our own hands and we must be the change you are looking for.
Sure you already asked yourself how you could contribute even though living a very busy life, dealing with a crazy agenda full of responsibilities. If you haven´t found an answer yet, here goes a hint: starts micro.
Probably, you know about the Butterfly Effect and Chaos Theory of Edward Lorenz, right? Basically, it explains that a simple flapping of the wings could influence the natural way of thing, causing a possible tornado on the other side of the world. What if we could combine the kindness chain with this concept and a small altruistic act here, could turn out to save someone living on another continent? Ok, let’s go back to small again…
There are several ways to contribute with more justice and solidarity. Here is a list of every day possible acts which can make an impact in the world, in different levels:
Basic |
| – Being kind and polite to your fellows in public transportation;
– Respecting the line in restaurants, banks or supermarket checkout; – Following the traffic laws, not exceeding the speed limit; |
Intermediary |
| – Being aware of the use of natural resources: reducing shower time, saving powering;
– Recycling your garbage, avoiding disposables such as plastic bags, cups, and straws, for example; – Supporting an NGO of a cause you care about; |
Advanced |
| – Embracing a volunteer job: Schools, churches, support groups are always looking for good helper;
– Becoming a conscious consumer; – Embracing sustainable tourism; |
Of course, the firsts levels you already nailed, the reason why we are going straight to the Advanced one. Interestingly, the proposal of sustainable tourism gathers, minimally, all the items presented here.
What is sustainability?
According to the UN – United Nations definition is: “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
What is sustainable tourism?
The definition is given by WTTC is the activity that “meets the needs of present tourist and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunity for the future. It is envisaged as leading to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social, and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity, and life-support systems”.
This video produced by Guarupa explains clearly this concept:
If you watched the previous video, you realized that sustainable tourism goes far beyond preserving the environment and is related to the individual´s conscious relationship with the visited destination. This relationship is based on the principles: environmental, economic, social, and cultural and political-institutional that we will deal with in the next post.
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