Towards the end of July 2019 the Greenpeace International Story Website went live. It seems an abiding experience of creating almost anything – that sense of gratitude and humility when people, strangers and friends alike, respond to it. Unfortunately we had some initial technical challenges which meant some precious stories shared were lost – growing pains and we are truly sorry for the impact. But even still we were moved by how many people wrote and shared.
Whether we’re talking of Ananya Jain’s poetry cautioning that we live on a speck, on a blob on a smudge on a blemish or a fleck or the story of a 17 metre long sperm whale telling an old tale of the tussle between commerce and nature, the responses to our call for submissions are at turns frank, practical, novel, and moving.
Most compelling, three children, 5 years and under, are the ones to remind us, poignantly, about the other species we share this planet with and the impact our choices have on their lives and homes. Inspired by new of the burning Amazon the children weren’t willing to just hear the news and listen; they felt compelled to make something, to mark the moment.
And lastly in Owen Tozer’s video recording of the hottest day ever on record in the UK – 25th July 2019 – this idea of two layers of our current existence – awareness of crisis and a habituation or affable tolerance to it. The video footage with the voice-over allows us to step back and observe this duality that so much of the world today is gripped by. The invitation seems to be to observe and hopefully grasp and hold onto something, some sense of urgency which could propel us to act, to continue to act. The recording ends with the appropriate words, in tones both admonishing and beseeching: Leaders…you must lead.
To everyone who responded, wrote a note, shared an idea, connected – thank you. Please continue to act and tell stories.