Global citizenship suzie mandier, by fernanda chapado
Post on 05-Apr-2016
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Suzie Mandier, by Fernanda Chapado
This is Suzie: she is a French eighteen year old girl on exchange in Germany. Although
she is only eighteen, she is a great example of a global citizen. She is up to date with
news on climate change, newly restricted food ingredients and recycling methods.
And last summer she spent two weeks in Africa building ecological toilets for Togo
citizens.
Q: How did the project come to life?
A: The organization that took us there is a local one, from my city in France. This is a
project that had been going on for three years, but we were the ones who asked
whether we could go to Africa and “do something”, so they told us about possible
work plans. We were sixteen volunteers: eight from France
and eight from Togo, so it was also a great cultural
exchange. I think that was one of the highlights of the
project.
Q: How did you feel during and after the project?
A: At first I didn’t really think about the project, because while you’re doing it you’re
concentrated on everything that goes on there. A lot of things happen because it’s
another country, it’s a very different culture. So this project is a very little part of a
much bigger plan. For me it was a means to discover many other things, especially
human bonding.
At the end of the project, there were some villagers who approached us and said
“thank you very much for what you have been doing; it’s important for us because
water is life and thanks to your toilets our water is safe and there is less and less
possibility to get sick”. You can imagine how happy we were to hear that! When we
built the toilets we didn’t know exactly how the villagers would manage, whether
they’d use the or not. So it was very emotional for us to hear that, and it made the
project more real, more tangible.
Q: Would you go back to Africa and repeat the project, get involved in a new one
or was it just a one time thing?
A: I talked about that with an African volunteer, and I
remember she said “when you begin volunteering you
can’t stop”. Because it’s just too beautiful to discover
new countries, new people, make really fast and close
relationships because you have almost the same ‘aim’:
you want to help others. It’s like a way of thinking, a
life style, for the majority of the people who do it. So
yes, I think I will keep on doing further projects like
this one. Maybe in Africa, or in South America, or in
East Asia.
Q: And why do you choose those particular parts
of the world and not, for example, France, your
homeland?
A: I think France doesn’t need it as much as the other countries. I think that if I stayed
in France and did a project, for example, aiming at poor families, I’d feel it’s good, but
it’s not enough. I believe that the French government can handle these things better
than how they are doing in third world countries. And I truly feel it’s my responsibility
to go and help, to do what I can. Still, it’s not that the French government is doing an
excellent work…
Q: And how do you think that can be changed?
A: If we change our political system in such a way that every citizen can raise their
voice regarding important government decisions, then we will be in true democracy. If
citizens really want to improve on the general State wellbeing they will want to vote
for or against that or this measure.
On another level, I think that it’s not only the government who has the power to do
things. Nowadays, with more means of communication you can get in touch with
people of Peru, India, Uzbekistan, Canada, etc. If everyone is connected, there are
more possibilities of getting through the people. There’s a new paradigm on the
horizon: we can meet each other but that is no longer necessary to “join forces” in
favor of a particular cause. There are platforms like Change.org or groups on Facebook
like Transition 2013 in which nobody meets but we all work towards the same
purpose. The problem is that they are not enough either. For instance, on Change.org,
petitions are heard by politicians and some change can be achieved, but this only
happens with those petitions that are signed by thousands of people. Just a few of
them get “a real answer”.
Q: With the occurrence of new technologies and
social networks, do you think that more people are
getting interested or aware of local and/or global
issues?
A: Yes, I think that, little by little, people are more and
more aware of, for example, climate change. But in
order to achieve change there are some factors to be
considered. For instance, I buy organic and local food
and I recycle, but I know I can do that because I can afford to do
it (because I realize that organic food is not always cheap), I make time to do that, and,
especially, I have an excellent education in that respect. My dad rides his bike instead
of the car even in rainy days. I truly think that the most important part of change and
the will to improve the world stems from education.
Q: Then everyone can be part of the change, no matter their age or status quo;
on which level they do it depends on their education?
A: Exactly. Our actions are like tiny water drops. Together, we can make an ocean… or
a tsunami!
Q: And how do you think you help in creating awareness or in “educating”
others to contribute to change?
A: Well, I am always telling others to turn off the light when they leave a room, or that
they should not buy this or that product at the supermarket because it contains X or Y
ingredient and it’s bad for health or it’s bad for the earth, like palm oil. Also, when I
watch documentaries that I like, I send the link to my friends; I think that when people
are informed they think and they change. At school we learn Mathematics and
Grammar, but they don’t teach us how to eat healthily or how to take care of nature or
the environment. I believe that is a wide gap that is urging to be narrowed.
Q: Thank you, Suzie. Is there something that you would like to add?
A: Just that no one should be discouraged in doing their part for the better of the
world. And that we must remember that things do not end at “I take my bike instead
of my car, I already did my part”. Instead, together with reducing pollution and gas
emissions by riding the bicycle everywhere, there are also wealthy companies that
contaminate 24-7. Then, that is also what we have to bear in mind. Change doesn’t
stop with us, it begins with us.
“Nichts ist f[ ur den Menschen etwas wert, was er nicht mit Leidenschaft tun kann.” Max Weber.
“Sé la gota que horada la piedra”
“Les petits ruisseaux font les grandes rivières”
“You may never know what results come of your actions but if you do nothing there will be no results.” Mahatma Gandhi.
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