Apr 17, 2013
Last night I attended my sixth Goldman Environmental Prize Ceremony, and I was once again refreshed and inspired. Inspired by the individual stories of sacrifice and determination. Inspired by the conviction that against the odds, change can happen. And inspired by knowing that there are so many of us in the Bay Area who are working for and celebrating grassroots environmental activism at the global scale.
One of the things that really stood out to me this year was how each of the winners placed their work in the context of their community. From the group of indigenous women led by Mama Aleta in West Timor who held a year-long weaving protest against mining, to the Marsh Arabs who first breached the levies in Iraq who inspired Azzam Alwash to restore their marshes, to the Italian townspeople who rallied behind a schoolteacher named Rossano Ercolini to end the burning of garbage, each recipient emphasized how this award was not theirs alone. While I know that it's these personal stories that inspire me and countless others who were there last night, I take comfort in the knowledge that even though I may never be the one recognized for my achievements on that stage, true leaders know the importance of and appreciate the roles that each of us play to help make change happen on a massive scale.
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Last night I attended my sixth Goldman Environmental Prize Ceremony, and I was once again refreshed and inspired. Inspired by the individual stories of sacrifice and determination. Inspired by the conviction that against the odds, change can happen. And inspired by knowing that there are so many of us in the Bay Area who are working for and celebrating grassroots environmental activism at the global scale.
One of the things that really stood out to me this year was how each of the winners placed their work in the context of their community. From the group of indigenous women led by Mama Aleta in West Timor who held a year-long weaving protest against mining, to the Marsh Arabs who first breached the levies in Iraq who inspired Azzam Alwash to restore their marshes, to the Italian townspeople who rallied behind a schoolteacher named Rossano Ercolini to end the burning of garbage, each recipient emphasized how this award was not theirs alone. While I know that it's these personal stories that inspire me and countless others who were there last night, I take comfort in the knowledge that even though I may never be the one recognized for my achievements on that stage, true leaders know the importance of and appreciate the roles that each of us play to help make change happen on a massive scale.
Last night I attended my sixth Goldman Environmental Prize Ceremony, and I was once again refreshed and inspired. Inspired by the individual stories of sacrifice and determination. Inspired by the conviction that against the odds, change can happen. And inspired by knowing that there are so many of us in the Bay Area who are working for and celebrating grassroots environmental activism at the global scale.
One of the things that really stood out to me this year was how each of the winners placed their work in the context of their community. From the group of indigenous women led by Mama Aleta in West Timor who held a year-long weaving protest against mining, to the Marsh Arabs who first breached the levies in Iraq who inspired Azzam Alwash to restore their marshes, to the Italian townspeople who rallied behind a schoolteacher named Rossano Ercolini to end the burning of garbage, each recipient emphasized how this award was not theirs alone. While I know that it's these personal stories that inspire me and countless others who were there last night, I take comfort in the knowledge that even though I may never be the one recognized for my achievements on that stage, true leaders know the importance of and appreciate the roles that each of us play to help make change happen on a massive scale.
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