#howa humans

[humansofwesternaustralia]

“What was the happiest moment of your life?” “The day I decided to stop drinking alcohol. It wasted all my young life. Now I have to figure out what I want to do with my new life. Maybe I will paint or something. It has to be great though.” 

[humansofwesternaustralia]

"I was in Cambodia recently to learn about sustainability and the development projects based around Free Trade in the local communities there. I have my sights set on the United Nations after uni so I'm very passionate about sustainability and investing in humanity. Australia is pretty sheltered and we don't often step out of our comfort zones to see what is really going on in the world. 'Voluntourism' can actually have a negative affect in these communities. There is such a western 'we know best' attitude when it comes to aid and volunteering in other countries. It creates a divide between us and them. You can't empower a community by telling them what you think they need. Instead, work with with the locals to figure out what it would take to help empower them to make lasting change." "Do you think that one person can change the world?"  "Yes ... it's a snowball effect. The most important people are the ones who join that first person, once it starts to grow it becomes the norm. It becomes a moral imperative. Once the majority of people realise that it's a habitual thing to invest in humanity, communities and countries begin to change. That's how one person can begin to change the world. They just have to start."