This week is National Volunteer week. Volunteers contribute an enormous amount to how we operate here at Greenpeace and are a pivotal part of the organisation.
Without them, we wouldn’t exist! Below, our volunteer Sarah Neal gives us some insight as to what it is like volunteering with Greenpeace Australia Pacific.
I’ve been a volunteer at Greenpeace since 2002. I chose Greenpeace over other environmental organisations because I loved their direct actions – doing things I would never be brave enough to do myself.
I work three days a week and do a variety of tasks – at the moment mainly proofreading and organising the archives although over the years I’ve been involved in answering letters from supporters, joining in protests and street marches, helping with Grey Power – a movement Greenpeace ran in 2007 to encourage older Australians to take action on climate change, helping to organise political forums, and giving talks on climate change to seniors’ groups.
The environment will not be saved without a mass movement of people, organisations and business working together towards a solution. All the changes which Greenpeace has campaigned on over the years have been resisted by industry and governments. And almost always the positions taken have followed the warnings of environmental scientists and these warnings have proven accurate.
If I ruled the world for one day I’d put David Suzuki in charge!
The best advice I’d give to coming generations is: Think of the future of the environment in every action you take, and take positive action to support organisations which are working on behalf of the environment. Nothing else matters if our planet dies.
