What do you do to make the world a better place?

[indra]

So what do you do to make the world a better place? Many of the things will be small -- that's fine. I'm not asking what anyone is doing to save the entire world, just what do you do to make it a little better. I do not want to hear what you think someone else can do or should do or any bitching or whining. The question is simple, the answers should be direct.

-- I recycle (and try not to buy overpackaged things in the first place)
-- I drive a fuel effecient car and combine trips so I'm not driving all over
-- I donate to my local free store
-- I give to various causes (AIDS/heart/cancer research, etc.)
-- I take in stray animals and provide them with care (spay/neuter, shots, etc.) and a home
-- I care for my down's syndrome aunt (a perpetual 4 year old even though she is 55 years old).

How do the last two make the world a better place you may ask. I feel that by allowing anyone or anything to suffer, especially when something can be done about it, is detrimental to all. By helping anyone in need we make the world just a tiny bit better.

 

[Angela Harlem]

*I recycle.
*When I was about 10, I rifled through dad's wallet and took out his credit card and rang up the number on a World Vision ad on telly and signed up. Her name was Jane Nakato from Uganda. I hope she noticed some kind of improvement in her life because of my thievery.
*I give all my change to the Salvo lady in my local plaza.
*I buy ribbons, bandaged bears, badges, pins, pens, etc from the multitude of charirties which use such items to raise money.
*I let elderly people queue in front of me.
*I try and smile at children. Even though I dont like them.
*I say thank you to everyone, for even the smallest thing.

 

[A_Wanderer]

Not nearly enough.

 

[Dreadsox]

Lions Club International
I teach students to read
I teach students conflict resolution
I teach students about the world
I try to be a role model for young males who have no role models.

 

[LoveTown]

great thread!!!


I work with mentally disabled people
I work with people with mental illnesses
I give to charities
I always look out for animals, for example I spent 3 hours one day freeing a robin from my garage hehe
I always try to smile and tell people to have a nice day
I always say, please, thank you and excuse me to people
I always offer to open or hold doors for people, help them get things off shelves in the supermarket and so on....

generally I just go out of my way to be kind to everybody and I'm always ready to brighten a strager's day a bit by just saying hello with a big smile

 

[verte76]

I try to promote civility in politics and elsewhere. I oppose mudslinging and insults in politics.
I serve on the Board of Directors of the African Well Fund, a charity that raises money to build wells in SubSaharan Africa. Too many of those people don't even have clean water, and we're trying to give it to them.

 

[nbcrusader]

How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.
I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.

Psalm 116:12-14

Bottom line - not enough

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

-I keep the environment around me as clean as possible, have helped plant trees and stuff.
-I've read to children.
-I've donated to charities.
-At this one bank in the town I'm originally from, every year around Christmastime, my family would go to the bank and take a couple of angels off the tree with the names of kids who didn't have much, and we'd go get them clothes or toys or books or whatever. I don't recall any banks in the last two towns I lived in doing that, though. But if I come across one that does that, I'll be doing that again.
-I smile at people and say "Hi" to them as I pass them and stuff along that line.
-When I was in elementary school, I visited an older folks' home with my Girl Scout troop and hung out with some of the people there and everything.

That's all I can think of for now.

Angela

 

[Leeloo]

I feed stray animals, wild birds and squirrels
I hold the door open for people
I always put my change in jars on counters collecting money for someone's transplant or burned out home
I always put at least something in any bucket collecting for whatever when asked
I leave extra quaters on the arcade machines for some poor kid who doesn't have one
I never leave frozen food sitting on the potato chip counter to ruin when I decide I don't want it, as so many others do
I have asked resturants to donate their unsold food to the homeless shelter rather than throwing it out at night
I have taken old ladies to the store, or gone for them

 

[pax]

I'm not doing any volunteering at the moment, although I know I should be.

That said...

--I donate my old clothes to the local clothing closet rather than let it sit in my closet
--I belong to Amnesty International
--I pestered my fiance's landlady to start recycling in her buildings, and she did
--I walk and bike whenever I can to save gas
--I get Alternative Gifts for people for birthdays and Christmas--rather than giving them stuff, I give them cards that tell them where the money went (medical supplies in Africa, meals for homeless families stateside, etc.)
--I let people out of driveways and parking lots when I'm driving, and I never block intersections

 

[Eirinn]

I teach kids English so they can understand what's going on in the world better. I always show them respect and even the worst of them start giving it in return. I say 'Hello' to this horrible, vicious old woman downstairs. Believe me, not many people would. I raised my sons to be honest, peaceful and dependable.

 

[Sherry Darling]

I teach students conflict resolution

Dread, I had no idea I had a colleague here. The phd I'm working on is in CR, and I'm focusing on peace education.




SD

 

[Jamila]

I would just like to give a to everyone who has posted here about what they're doing and/or hopefully WILL be doing to make our world a better place.

I have posted about my activities before, so I will refrain to speak about myself, but I want to share an appropriate quotation for this thread....I hope you like it.

"It is not enough to be compassionate, you must act."
- the Dalai Lama

I bow to the Divine expression of Love, Compassion and Action in each of you and encourage more of our friends here to join us in making our world a better place.

IT'S NOT WHAT YOU'RE DREAMING. IT'S WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO!

 

[BostonAnne]

That was sweet Jamila!

 

[Jamila]

BostonAnne -

What lies behind us and what lies before are tiny matters to what lies WITHIN us. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Or, as the B-man says
THIS IS THE TIME TO FINISH WHAT YOU'VE STARTED. THIS IS NO TIME TO DREAM.

 

[angel_of_L.A.]

I haven't volunteered much since I graduated from high school but I'm going to start doing Habitat for Humanity very soon and I'm excited!

-I recycle.
-I give money to the homeless.
-I do the AIDS Walk.
-I just started donating blood.
-I give my old clothes to clothing shelters and my stuffed animals to Children's Hospital.

It's not enough but it's a start.

 

[beli]

* I wrap presents in teatowels to save wasting trees on wrapping paper

* Im a member of Greenpeace

* I worked for 4 and half years for Oxfam - half paid in the daytime and unpaid in the evenings and on weekends

* I was the Convenor of the Northern Suburbs group of Amnesty for a number of years

* I have attended more protests than I can remember eg Stop the Bloody Whaling, Free Nelson Mandela, various stop chopping old growth forests etc

* I have very little wood in my house and what I do have is plantation pine or "antiques".

* I was on the State Humanist Society Committee for about a year and a member for longer.

* I attend charity quiz nights, walks, blah blah.

* I do not own a car, never have. I train, bus, or leg it everywhere. (Hubby has a car for work so there is one for 4 people in our household)

* I talk to the lonely old people on the bus/train.

* I have gone doorknocking for various charities

* I have trained people with intellectual disabilities

* I donate old clothes and stuff to charities. I have washed clothes donated by other people to Amnesty for them to sell in their op shop.

* I am a mother - hear me roar

 

[OneBadLemon]

wow, i feel like a bad person.

my car is fuel efficient (thanks for ideas)
i let others eat my meat.
i'm 'minnesota nice.' (friendly to strangers, hold open doors, 'please', 'thank you'... or in other words, i use my manners)
i strongly discourage savagery towards people who may not be to the societal 'normal'
my mom works with mildly to severely mentally & physically handicap adults. i go on outings with them and we have them over for holidays and special days if they don't go with their families.

otherwise... i feel like a bad person.

 

[Salome]

my biggest contribution is that I shut up once in a while

 

[bonojr62]

All of the above are great. But in my opinion all you have to do is show someone kindness. Then that person shows someone else kindness. Then all of the sudden everyones happy. then we can work out world problems. All it takes is a smile to a lonely person or someone having a bad day. And soon it'll change the world. Lead by example.

 

[Jamila]

Couldn't have said that better, bonojr62!

We all need to remember that and put that into PRACTICE everyday.

Being kind, thoughtful and forgiving of ourselves and others is the first step of the thousand mile journey to inner and world peace.

It starts with each ONE of us.

 

[Katey]

One of my favourite Johnny Cash wisdom bits
"we wake up everyone morning and we make a choice to either love, or hate, I choose to love and everything I do revolves around that"

Me too Johnny and sometimes I do better at living up to that then others.

My parents really had me out volunteering at an early age which probably is the reason I choose a career in the non profit sector. Thats allowed me really to see the best of the human spirit and People helping people even through the worst of circumstances.
It's been a lesson on humility and grace that has changed my life so I'm not going to mention the orgainzations I'm involved with but I will say as kind of in the begining as this wet behind the ears kid set out to change the world and it's turned out to be how those in this world have changed me for the better.. that is to say what I have gotten back in return has been 100 times more then I could have ever hoped to give ..

 

[Sheltie]

I smile and give hugs

 

[WinnieThePoo]

i try to be a good man

 

[bonojr62]

" we get to carry each other. One"