"Blessed Unrest" - A Worldwide Movement

I just finished reading a most powerful and interesting book by leading environmentalist and social activist Paul Hawken. His book, "Blessed Unrest, How The Largest Movement In The World Came Into Being And Why No One Saw It Coming" is a wonderful reminder of the power of small groups and individuals to effect global change. In the book Hawken recounts the history of the movement of social groups and the great leaders who have championed for those whose voice has not been heard.

Those of us working in developing countries can fully understand the importance of the work we are doing and we feel the gratitude of those we are helping by providing education, tools and resources that allow them to develop sustainable projects creating income to take care of their families. Sometimes people say they feel overwhelmed by the injustices in the world and they don't know how they can help. Our message is simple to start one person at a time, and in time those who have been helped will in turn help others, and so on, and so on. The gift gets paid forward.

Paul Hawken and his team have also created a website www.wiserearth.org at which you will find the world's largest free and editable international directory of NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and socially responsible organizations from across the globe. This directory includes more than 110,000 organizations in 243 countries, territories and sovereign islands. Here you can find others working globally by category or by country. I found it a fascinating site and one I know will be so useful in making connections and networking to find useful solutions to common problems.

For those working in developing countries I would highly recommend you give this book a read. This quote from Paul Hawken's book sums it up, "...the future implications of the movement's daily actions is to remember Emerson's moral botany: corn seeds produce corn; justice creates justice; and kindness fosters generosity. How do we sow our seeds when large, well-intentioned institutions and intolerant ideologies that purport to be our salvation cause so much damage? One sure way is through smallness, grace, and locality. Individuals start where they stand and, in Antonio Machado's poetic dictum, make the road by walking. Thoreau insisted in 'Civil Disobedience" that if only one man withdrew his support from an unjust government, it would begin a cycle that would reverberate and grow. For him there were no inconsequential acts, only consequential inaction: "For it matters not how small the beginning may seem to be: what is once well done is done forever."

We are a perfect example of the movement, our family started saving pennies in a jar for one young man, Ronnie's, education and have grown to help a village, Wongonyi in Kenya, Africa. And along the way others have joined us in the journey. If we can do it, so can you!