Our Activist Profile series highlights RaisingVoicesUSA members who have found their path to civic engagement by raising their voice for the issues they’re most passionate about.
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Issue/Cause:
Environment
What was your first experience as an activist and what brought you to that cause?
My first real experience as an activist was during my years in college in the early 1980’s. I was living with a group of women from Cyprus, who, had experienced a military coup, a subsequent invasion and takeover of 40% of their country by the Turkish government. They were very politically aware, and they discussed this event often, as well as other international crisis and conflicts that were happening that I had no idea about. They taught me a lot about the world, and the power and amount of control the US had over much of it. One of the issues that often came up was apartheid in South Africa. I was stunned when I began to learn about what was happening there, and decided to get involved with the divestment movement on campus.
What initiative are you most proud of?
I’d say that the initiative that I am working on right now makes me proud.
What projects are you working on now?
Right now I am working on a reusable bag initiative in Rockville Center with All Our Energy, a local environmental group that educates and empowers communities to bring about changes that benefit the environment. We are trying to encourage Rockville Centre’s Mayor and Trustees to institute a law that would encourage people to bring their own bags when they shop.
What advice would you give to someone raising their voice for the first time?
Speak out. Don’t give up. Don’t think you won’t be heard. Be patient. Change takes time, and depending on the issue, sometimes even generations. Raising our voices is something we can do that will help us find others who are like-minded, and who may join us, inspire us, or simply encourage us to persist.