ONE to make the DIFFERENCE.
Last night, I had the great honour of attending the wedding of a friend of mine. You might be wondering what a WEDDING and marine conservation have anything in common?! Well, I didn't think there'd be any link either... but I was pleasantly surprised to find out otherwise...
I am sure you are well aware of the link between chinese weddings and shark's fin soup. My friend, not ONLY boycotted the broth for his wedding dinner, but went an extra mile (or so) and showcased a slideshow of marine conservation messages (including full expose on how and where shark's fins come from, blast fishing, the need for us to respect and protect our marine environment...etc).
And, I might add, HE MADE THE SLIDESHOW HIMSELF! Amidst the hectic schedule of planning a wedding and keeping his bride and family happy! I TRULY TAKE MY HAT OFF. RESPECT man. R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
That night, he probably affected a lot of people, young and old. And touched and inspired those of us who are fighting for the same cause to conserve our marine heritage. An avid diver and a volunteer for one of the marine conservation expeditions I led to Sabah, he's truly ONE to make a difference.
This is a tribute to him and his ways.
He, as ONE, made a difference. YOU can too. It is said that each of us are connected to just about everyone else by 5 people. So, theoretically, if you, as an individual, can effectively spread the message of marine conservation to FIVE other people, you can change the world!
Not CHANGE change, but maybe make it a place where our marine environment gets the respect and protection it rightfully deserves. For our own good, too!
So never ask what difference can one person make. More often than not, ONE is all it needs to save our reefs.
Want to be heard? Need a channel? Mail your thoughts and sentiments on marine issues to
reefnews@bluewatervolunteers.org.
Also visit the
BWV website for more news and on how you can contribute towards marine conservation.
Also see WILD SINGAPORE's
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE page to learn more on what you can do as an individual.
EVERY LITTLE BIT COUNTS! Start a Blog, write a letter, tell your friends, drop it in a conversation, teach your students, lead by example... so many ways, and all it takes is YOU.