 |
One Act at a Time
From Sudan to Argentina, regular citizens are doing their bit to make our world a better place. In the April 2009 issue of Reader's Digest, we profile a number of people doing just that. Now we'd like to profile Canadians who are trying to make the world a better place—in a new monthly feature, "One Act at a Time."
Tell us what act you have committed to better this world. Or share the story of someone you know.
All submissions are reviewed prior to posting, and may be edited for length and clarity.
From Sudan to Argentina, regular citizens are doing their bit to make our world a better place. In the April 2009 issue of Reader's Digest, we profile a number of people doing just that. Now we'd like to profile Canadians who are trying to make the world a better place—in a new monthly feature, "One Act at a Time."
Argentina: Ceferino, 55, is part of a group of more than 100 people from West Quilmes who saved the stream that runs through their neighbourhood. They spent six months pulling so much garbage from the stream that city hall provided a bulldozer, crane and two trucks. Ceferino says since the cleanup, the stream has sprung back to life. "Kids are fishing in what used to be a garbage dump," he says.
Croatia: Photojournalist Romeo Ibrisevic loves to take pictures of nature, but found the beautiful landscapes of his homeland marred by abandoned, rusting cars. So he launched a project called Clean Croatia, then got in touch with a friend who worked for a metal waste-recycling program. The pair gained the support of their employers as well as Renault, and in just three years his group removed over 12,000 cars from national parks, rivers and lakes.
Russia: Margarita Sergeyevna Ostashevskaya, 71, lives on the outskirts of St. Petersburg. When she learned that Treptow Park in Berlin was built on a garbage dump, she wondered, Why not follow this example to create flowerbeds in the apartment courtyard? In June 2000, the retired biology teacher got to work with her neighbours. Residents of neighbouring houses soon joined in as well as children form a nearby school. Ostashevskaya and her helpers created 30 flowerbeds in their neighbourhood. "While I am alive and well, I will carry on with this project," she says.
Tell us what act you have committed to better this world. Or share the story of someone you know.
All submissions are reviewed prior to posting, and may be edited for length and clarity.
Which of the following environmentally friendly acts have you committed?
