World Humanitarian Day – Be a Humanitarian from your own backyard

World Humanitarian Day is a celebration of those who’ve lost their lives, were injured, or continue to selflessly aid those in crisis. This year’s campaign #ItTakesAVillage is inspired by the following statement;

“An entire community must provide for and positively interact with children for the child to grow in a healthy and safe environment.” 

This also applies to those in crises, famines, draught, war-affected areas and poverty – it takes a village to support them. We want to celebrate this community of humanitarians sacrificing their safety to ensure the wellbeing of others – inspiring hope and easing suffering daily. 

And, we want to inspire you to take a leap of faith and make change today. 

You have the power to make a difference wherever you are, and create positive impact for your community and the people around you. 

Sign up as a Good Business

“Creating a strong business and a better world are not conflicting goals – they are both essential ingredients for long-term success” – William Ford Jr

Make Good Grow was founded on the principle of making it easy to Do Good. Businesses can sign up and pledge in 5 minutes, and Good Causes can browse the Pledge Marketplace for the free support they need. 

As a business, you possess buckets of skills, equipment, facilities and support that Good Causes could benefit from, and wouldn’t necessarily be able to afford or access. Why wouldn’t you want to share the love? You can sign up and start pledging here, or chat to one of the team. 

But in the spirit of sharing ideas and best practice – there are many other ways you can be more humanitarian as a business and a decent human being…. So if you need a few more ideas – Check these out below.

Care for the environment
“If you can’t feed 100 people, just feed one” – Mother Theresa 

Caring for the community extends beyond just people. Taking steps towards becoming more sustainable ensures the future of humanity has a safe place to live and thrive. Take a look at your consumption.

The age-old adage of turning the lights off when you leave a room, and ensuring plugs are switched off when they’re not in use contributes to lowering your carbon footprint. Reducing food waste and eating less meat, recycling responsibly, and advocating for systematic environmental change are all stepping stones to creating a sustainable future. 

But there’s more to ethical consumption than just switching the lights off.  Are you buying into fast fashion and rapidly shifting micro-trends? Fashion is currently responsible for 10% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions and 20% of global wastewater, a frankly shocking statistic.

Get involved in campaigning opportunities
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is – what are you doing for others?” – Martin Luther King Jr.

While an intimidating process to some, voicing your concerns to governing authorities has the potential to open up a covered dialogue. Practice contacting your elected officials and let your voice be heard on policy changes. 

Learn
“Everyone needs to be valued. Everyone has the potential to give back” – Princess Diana

Knowledge is power, and with the wide variety of resources now available – there’s nothing stopping you. 

Educate yourself on current world problems, keep up-to-date on humanitarian issues and campaign your support. You could read books written by humanitarians, like Chasing Chaos by Jessica Alexander , or An Imperfect Offering by James Orbinski. There is so much out there; listen to  podcasts, read relevant f books, or even take 5 and chat to someone. Everyone has stories – let them be told. 

Donate
“As you grow older you will realise you have two hands. One for helping yourself, and one for helping others.” – Audrey Hepburn

There are platforms out there designed to make donating easy. And, committing to small monthly donations allows non-profits to project their future revenue, meaning projects can be put into action. You don’t have to be a billionaire to make a real difference – you can donate without even spending any money. But we’ll get to that in a second…

Use the internet for good
“Each of us must work for his improvement, and at the same time, share a general responsibility for all humanity” – Marie Curie 

You possess the power to make change with the click of a button. Follow humanitarians on Social Media, like Malala, and Greta Thunberg to show your support. Reshare content, and brand yourself an influencer for change. Every post you like, comment on or share has the potential to create a huge meaningful impact. 

Search with Ecosia – the green search engine that plants trees for every query. Or download Tab for a Cause, and donate money to a charity every time you open a tab. 

Campaigning for change doesn’t have to mean protesting on the streets. It can be as simple as resharing a tweet. Every decision you make, every time you use your voice – you create the catalyst for change. A single thought can end wars.

Imagine the difference you can make, without even leaving your seat.