What do you think is important? – Esme Peters
This week I was going to write an article complaining about the US and their abortion restrictions however, it occurred to me that while it is a current and pressing issue there are lots of those about! So I thought that instead of writing an article about why women having total physical autonomy is so important and that there is a special place in hell for Donald Trump, I would write about the importance of fighting for what you think is right.
While for me at the moment it is abortion, a couple of months ago it was the state of the oceans (still very important) and before that it was – the important thing was it mattered to me. Many people believe that one of the fundamental issues about humanity is we are inherently selfish; I do not believe this is the case. I think the issue is instead people decide that because an issue does not directly affect them or those they know, or maybe the issue stems from somewhere foreign and unknown to them, that they are powerless to help so why should they bother.
While I am obviously not going to tell you not to donate to a cause you believe in, or go to on a protest or adopt a polar bear, as they are all amazing things to do, I do believe that talking about these issues and raising awareness can be just as influential. Never underestimate the power of the individual. There are obviously certain ways to have these discussions and it is very important to not isolate or undervalue the opinions of the other person. It is important to listen and I mean really listen to the others’ point of views, both to make sure you are not shoving your opinion down someone’s throat but also to expand or deepen your own understanding. Many websites campaigning for a cause state a great thing to do as ‘build buzz/raise awareness’ and social media – these are all things that we can easily do around school or at home in the holidays.
Following instagram accounts you find inspiring which campaign for a cause you believe in is a very easy thing to do. Then sharing a post with a friend or putting it on your story is a very easy way to share that message and spread awareness. My current favourite Instagram account @feminist I found through someone sharing it and I have gone on to share it with others. They post inspiring messages, videos and pieces of art all aimed at raising awareness and portraying the same message in a different way, creative posts like this have a ‘stickability’ for our generation that little else seems to have.
Being passionate about an issue or cause and becoming as well informed about it as possible I think is both important and empowering. You may not be able to single handedly be able to stop the ice caps from melting or clear up the world’s litter but you can play your part and encourage others to do so too.
Type into the internet ‘how can you help’ or ‘what can I do about’ and google will insert multiple options for you ranging from homelessness to helping someone with depression. These issues may really matter to you and if they do, do something about them!
I have decided to write about this because writing about what matters to me, may not matter to you and I’d rather you fought for what you believe in than hear about what I believe in. So my challenge to anyone reading this is decide on one thing that matters to you today and go and do something about it, even if it’s just starting a discussion with your friends – if you would like email me at 3petere@royalhospitalschool.org and tell me what matters to you I would love to hear from you, the bubble team would really love to publish articles that matter to you and get you all involved.
Simple things you can do that make a difference:
- Download ‘Ecosia’ an app which can be used as an alternative to the internet. Ecosia uses at least 80% of its profits to fund reforestation projects, as of 4:11 on Monday 59, 173,233 trees had been planted. In the short time I was on the site that went up massively. You can also save it on your iPad and use it instead of google.
- Follow a Instagram account aimed at dealing with a cause, as I’ve said my favourite is @feminsit, @ecosia is also inspiring and informative
- Buy an item off https://www.tentree.com, every item bought 10 trees are planted
- Pick up litter when you see it around school – global change starts within communities
- Over the holidays cycle as many places as possible, if it is a possibility take it
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