3 Things

This semester I will be working with Oxfam Australia and its youth program Oxfam Uni Groups on a communications strategy campaign. The hope is to get more uni students to understand that they are part of the global community and that the changes we make locally, has an impact all over the world.

3 Things is one of those programs. It asks the question: what are 3 things that you can do to change the world?

While this sounds like a heavy question to ask the average student, in fact, the question is actually quite simple.

We don't realise what effects our actions have. And there are so many ways that we can help create a better global community.

1/7 people in the world go to bed hungry.

Yet 1/3 of food in the developed is wasted.

Most of the people who don't have enough are actually in fact those directly involved in producing food. Ironic isn't it? We have enough food to feed the world. But this food production is dominated by big corporations and smaller famers can't afford the right resources to compete with these companies.

Changing this seems like a big task. But my meeting with Oxfam taught me that it's the smaller steps that we should focus on. Wasting less food and buying Fair Trade products are some of the examples. It might sounds tedious and time consuming but there are so many ways to interpret it personally.

For me, I like food and shopping. So this is my plan:

1) Buy only the food I need. I don't need two packets of bread to make my sandwich or two packets of biscuits. Just because there is a two-for-one promotion, doesn't mean I need it. Also maybe this might help with me getting more fit.

2) Vintage shopping anyone? It doesn't have to be just about fashion and trends. It will help with taking a stance against the exploitation of cheap labour. Also it will help me save money!

3) This. Writing about things like this on my blog and talking to my friends about these issues not only give me something to post/chat about, but hopefully one or two people will listen and get inspired too. One more person caring is one more person taking a step to change the world.

So if this post has got you thinking, then head to 3 Things and write your 3 ways to help make change too.

Camila Vallejo

I'm constantly writing little notes on my phone, usually the names of artists, songs, artworks and what not, that I saw at the moment and want to remember for later.

I was looking through those notes and came across this name. Camila Vallejo.

I remember killing time at a newsagency at an airport, very possibly at a German airport looking at the above picture, and remember seeing a photo of this cool girl and jotting down her name, thinking that she was a model or celebrity.

Finally I got around to googling who she was and I'm very surprised to find out that Camila Vallejo is in fact a Chilean student activist. You can find out more about her here.

Funny isn't it.

You really can't judge a person on first impressions.

The Last Lecture (Randy Pausch)

As part of my 2012 new year resolutions, I have decided to read more books. When I was a kid I used to love reading so much that I would sit for hours by the window in my room just reading.

So this year I have decided to get back into it.

My sister recommended me The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. It’s a short book written by a professor called Randy Pausch who unfortunately was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In his last few months, he decided to give a last lecture so that his final teachings could be recorded for his three little children. You can also see the lecture on his website onhttp://www.thelastlecture.com/. It’s not the most brilliantly written but it does make you reflect on your life, which serves its purpose I suppose.

Randy Pausch writes about his childhood dreams and in one way or another, how he had managed to achieve them.

Thinking back now, I don’t remember what my childhood dreams were. I never had big dreams of going to space. Or building a train. Or becoming a ballerina. Now I suppose my dreams are to travel the world. Having lived in Italy for a year (and consequently Europe), my eyes are now set on the Big Apple. Living it up in New York - should be a challenge!

It’s still an idealistic dream, as I think dreams should be, yet it’s still an adult pragamatic one. New York is the place of fashion and culture. That’s the idealism talking. But New York is also the place for new job opportunities. That’s the adult in me talking.

So if I can go back to my childhood, what will the child in me say? And what will the child in you say? What are your childhood dreams?

Gettin' back into the Bloggin'

Hi there Internet world. I'm going to try the whole blogging thing again.

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