How to change the world

Sorry it has been such a long time since my last post. It was the end of term at school (I'm a primary school teacher) which was a bit crazy as I was also getting ready to go on holiday (I'm in South Africa with my family for Christmas).

I stumbled upon this picture this morning and it really made me think about the way that I think. I'm in South Africa at the moment and the African mentality is so different.. so much calmer and being here always brings me to a place of rest, clarity, reevaluating and thinking...

I think too often we look at the world and the problems it is filled with and the quickest and easiest way to process/cope is to blame someone else (maybe the government of that country, or poor quality of education, the list is endless) and it's easy to dismiss it as 'that's just how it is over there'. It's easy to just get on with our day and to forget the problems that dont touch/affect us, or maybe even to pause for a long enough moment to throw a bit of money at the problem to soothe our own conscience that we are 'doing something'.

But like this image says- to change the world, we must first change the way that we (and others) think: learn statistics and tell people; do some research, no matter how uncomfortable it is; challenge accepted wisdoms and practices that dont sit right with you/align with what you know to be right (for me, I also check it against the Bible).

Dont be silent. Use your voice and use your freedom to change the world, but in order to do so, you must start by challenging yourself and the way that you think.

Blessings!

Ronell x

Give A Child Hope This Christmas // Operation Christmas Child {Sevenly}

This week, one of my favourite organisations, Sevenly, is pairing with Samaritan's Purse's Operation Christmas Child programme. Please help Sevenly to raise money and awareness for this amazing campaign, which brings love, hope and joy to disadvantaged and/or orphaned children all over the world! 

Check out Sevenly's 1 Minute 1 Cause for this week: http://youtu.be/LweDGGIN10w

You can still create boxes online (UK /  US) if you would like to send a gift, or you can donate online.

Blessings!

Ronell x

{photo credit: sevenly.org} 

Post 365: Becoming a Citizen of Change

So here it is (written 30th September 2013): post number 365 of 365 in my '365 days to change the world' daily blogging challenge! For those of you who are new to my blog, I started this challenge on 1st October 2012, dedicating myself to post a tip, organisation, cause, issue or inspiration every day for 1 whole year to help each of us to figure out how we can make a difference to the world we live in. You can read my first post 'New Year's Resolution... in October!' to find out exactly what inspired me and why I committed myself to do this a year ago.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog so far and that you have been inspired and helped to find your place in standing for change and making a difference in the world that we live in. I have loved writing this blog and finding out more about those who are in need and the organisations and individuals who are standing in the gap on their behalves. 

Over this year, I have become even more convinced that I want to be one of those individuals, a 'citizen of change', and, with over 14,500 views in just one year (thank you to each and every one of you for reading and sharing!), I have realised that using my voice and sharing what I am discovering is step one of many more steps to facilitate this! So, I am glad to announce, I will be continuing with this blog! :) I may not post every single day (though I will aim to), but I will post as regularly as I can, so please do stay tuned (you can follow this blog using your gmail account or by email if you wish) and please keep sharing on facebook and twitter! I have also been invited to post in an online community called 'The Mandela Project', started by two of Nelson Mandela's grandsons as a way of bringing together citizens of change and allowing them to share their thoughts, inspiration, causes and organisations online. 

So I will leave you with the same thought at the end of this year as I did at the start with a quote from my post on 1st October 2012 ('New Year's Resolution... in October!'):

"So here I am again, 1st October… This year, instead of giving up a bad habit, I have decided to form a positive one, birthed out of the passion I feel for making a positive difference in this world and in the lives of others. I want to be bold for God and to make a difference in this world that He has entrusted to us. Like my good friend @JamiePoch wrote on his Twitter bio: “I want it to be said of me:'He took risks, not eating raw cookie dough kind of risks, but risks that challenged himself &others to do something daring for God.'”.. well, I agree!"

Stay tuned to find out about my 'New Year's Resolution... October 2013'!

Blessings!

Ronell x

{photo credit: http://tylerknott.com/}

Hospice Volunteer {Mandela Day} 19 / 67 ways to change the world

As promised on Mandela Day 2013 (19.07.13), this is part of my series on their 67 suggested ways of changing the world. This one comes under the category of 'Help Out for Good Health':

19. Help out at your local hospice, as staff members often need as much support as the patients.


I have seen the tremendous impact that hospices have in the final days of a terminally ill patient and their family! A local hospice near me which has made and incredible difference to many friends and their families is St Francis Hospice. Their amazing work is only possible through the brilliant volunteers! So why not volunteer your time at a local hospice like St Francis Hospice where you can support and stand with patients and their families? You'll never know the difference that you have made in their lives!

Blessings!

Ronell x 

{photo credit: http://www.zazzle.co.uk/good_works_of_the_hospice_volunteer_card-137153100673091317}

Made in a Free World

Today's post is about a venture called 'Made in a Free World' spearheaded by a team of 7 people (as far as I can see), which is set to launch it's first on the ground project in 5 days. They describe their inspiration and vision for the project below:

"We are inspired by a world in which all women, children, and men are free. Made In A Free World is building a coalition of consumers, businesses, and governments to disrupt the system of slavery. We produce innovative campaigns, front line projects, consumer engagement tools, and marketable business solutions to get slavery out of our system. Let's help make sure everything and everyone is Made In A Free World."

Made In A Free World is building a business community where success is not measured simply by compliance, but rather by engagement. They are encouraging businesses to measure their success differently- looking at social impacts and the direct link to modern day slavery.

They also set out to help consumers to understand the problem (modern day slavery) and how they can be a solution by limiting their participation in modern slavery directly. How can you do this? Well the first step is to go to find out how many slaves work for you (YES, YOU!) by going to SlaveryFootprint.org - an organisation which is building a global community of people demanding products made without slavery. Every consumer’s voice is vital. Join the millions who have discovered their personal connection to slavery and take action now.

Made in a Free World have also launched their first ground project- Made in a Free World: Ghana, partnering with Challenging Heights - where Ghanian children will be freed from slavery and set on the path to freedom! 5 children=40 days to change their lives. To find out more about the slavery brought on by foreign market trade through Ghana, click here. To help make this possible, donate to this cause.

Watch more videos about the incredible work that Made in a Free World are doing and the causes they are highlighting. 

This is definitely a world changing organisation to watch! Read more about this organisation and find out just how you can support them on this journey that they have embarked on!

Blessings!

Ronell x

Brilliant Women: empowering ordinary women

When ordinary women are empowered they change their world! Brilliant Women is a social enterprise that takes an inter-generational approach to inspire and empower change. Thereby supporting people to make that first step towards being the change they want to see in their world.

Brilliant Women do this by promoting the development of self-esteem in all those they work with providing information, resources and events, in addition to creating a dynamic and mutually supportive membership.

Women are often the catalyst for change in the family, society and the workplace. Hence, much of Brilliant Women’s work starts with women.

Brilliant Women celebrates the everyday brilliance of women. Whether you are still at school, a stay at home mum raising young children, in the boardroom or retired, you possess that innate ability to shine your light in a number of multi-faceted ways.

However, Brilliant Women also recognises that despite our gifts, many of us wear a mask of confidence that we don't really feel, instead, we see ourselves negatively and sometimes the victim of circumstance. Brilliant Women gives participants and supporters the forums whereby they can engage, find and recognise their own power to change.

So why is it important to take an inter-generational approach to inspire and empower change? Well sadly, the old adage, 'birds of a feather stick together' is as true today as it has always been. Young people rarely talk to the elderly, the elderly sometimes fear young people and so the negative perceptions continue. To reduce this gap in communication, Brilliant Women believe it is essential that as we empower ourselves, it is our duty to empower others and actively encourage members to attend our functions and network with the different generations.

So if you are wondering how you can help, you can become a member for free, or sponsor a forthcoming event, for Brilliant Women, Brilliant Teens or Brilliant Elders by contacting Meave Darroux on mdarroux@brilliantwomen.org  or call 07947 191462.

Blessings!

Ronell x

“Said the little boy, "Sometimes I drop my spoon." Said the old man, "I do too!" The little boy whispered, "I wet my pants." "I do that too," laughed the old man. Said the little boy, "I often cry." The old man nodded, "So do I." "But worst of all," said the little boy, "it seems grown-ups don't pay attention to me." And he felt the warmth of the wrinkled old hand. "I know what you mean," said the old man.” {Shel Silverstein}

365 Ways to Change the World

Happy New Year everyone!! It has been a strange year with A LOT of change and, I have to admit, I am very happy the world didn’t end in 2012!

My recommendation for today is that you read the book 365 Ways to Change the World.  It is a sophisticated and subversive guide on how to make a difference in our world, one day at a time. There is also a blog/website by the author to accompany it. The book and the posts where published a while ago, but there are still a lot of relevant and useful tips in both.

You watch the news every night. You turn off your television set, disturbed by what you’ve seen and wondering what, if anything, you can do to make a difference.

This is the book you need to get started. You may think that the issues which confront us are so huge, so complicated, so difficult to deal with that it’s hard to believe anything we can do will have a meaningful impact but Michael Norton will prove you wrong. A lot of people doing a lot of little things could have a huge impact.

This book, much like this blog, has an idea-a-day for changing the world. Most are quite simple, can be done from home, and will not take much time. You can make a start whenever you like. Just open the book at today’s date, read, enjoy, be inspired to action – and do something!

So, to 2013 and everything that it will bring! So, whatever your new year’s resolutions are, keep your eyes open for opportunities to make our world a better place!

Blessings!

Ronell x

“Be at War with your Vices, at Peace with your Neighbours, and let every New-Year find you a better Man.”  {Quoted in Benjamin Franklin's 1755 ‘Poor Richard's Almanac’}