Event Launch Strategies

With all of the hype and discussions around earth day and environmental issues, I can not help but feel a little helpless about the impact that we can individually make on solving the earth’s problems.

Reading the carbon footprint stats paints such a bleak picture, that it leaves one dazed for days. At least it has been a shocking reminder to me – and I’ve constantly been thinking about it for the past few days and weeks. Amongst everything else, the one great thing the Social Traffic Inc has done is made me more considerate to these environmental issues. It is easy to ignore them and live your life without a heed, but quite another to start re-evaluating our life to make it more eco-friendly.

To me, just joining a cause, signing a petition, donating some money doesn’t quite cut it. You see, those are just blind contributions where you cannot see the outcome of your efforts, as such. Somehow, I wish we could collectively do more as a group – rather than doing our little bits individually.

I remember reading once about Maslow’s hierarchy theory that they teach at business schools. All things aside, I actually know now what he meant by the “self actualization” phase. After crossing a certain point in life…. and after reaching a certain critical mass… after experiencing successes and failures to a significant extent – you get to a point in life where you already have most of your needs being filled — you have enough stability in your jobs businesses or savings, to be able to last for a while — and you can stop sweating over the little things and actually pursue your inner passions and dreams. You feel like sharing knowledge with the world… you feel like giving things to people… you feel like doing something to affect the world in a positive way.

All people don’t experience “actualization” in the same way – but most do feel some level of pull towards doing something good and valuable. Call it good karma, fulfillment, or whatever you want.

From those who do want to do something, there are a number of options for them to choose from. There is so much going on around us, from the rise in diseases to the massive environmental threats – that these things should ideally surpass all other cross country conflicts that we see all around us. There are bigger issues to worry about in the world than fighting over land, power, oil reserves or self-created terror.

I want to help support causes that affect the world directly. So instead of just donating funds to an environment protection body where at the risk of giving them a chance of diminishing them in red-tape; I’d rather plant trees, buy an alternative energy vehicle, try to reduce my carbon footprint. The simple fact is that as a citizen of the world, I want to see tangible results. I want to see that I’ve made a difference – instead of the bleak hope that maybe my contributions were aptly spent by the receiving party.

Some people counter this with an argument that it’s the intention that counts. If your intention was to do well, then you’ll get a reward for that accordingly. My only addition to that philosophy is: If our intentions are good and we will be rewarded for it someday, then why not give us a chance to see the difference that we made through the act? Why not track the impact it had or didn’t have? Wouldn’t this put us in a much better and more decisive position the next time we’re donating or contributing to a cause?

I’d love to hear your thoughts and philosophies about the concept of giving, and how we can enhance its beauty by making it more meaningful for us and the person receiving it. When you give away money in charity or for a cause, who do you give it to? What is your thought process behind it? Do you currently contribute to any environment protection related causes? If you are a company, do you spend in corporate social responsibility? What social development projects are you involved with? Are you aware of the carbon threat that Al Gore has so explicitly underlined for us? Are you voicing your thoughts and opinions on this matter on online groups and blogs? I would like to know more about how you all really feel about this matter.

Simon U Ford (SUF.EDBD)

It’s Earth day 2009! If our generation doesn’t act now, our kids, kids may not have a choice - Act Now, Click Here

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.