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What’s your wish for Earth Day? Everyone should have one. I must admit that in the past Earth Day seemed for me “other,” distinct from my direct experience. Something I should celebrate but sort of like my uncle’s birthday. Not my own birthday, or my kids’ or my husband’s. This year, I want to claim Earth Day. I want to have my own Earth Day wish.

What would it be? Well, I wasn’t clear on that until last night. My friend Pamela Robinson just sent me a blog called The Limits of the Single Story. I found it fascinating. In it, Delia Christina, talks about how we do a disservice to our work, our communities, each other, by limiting our stories to a one-line punch-line.

She says “We should be familiar with the ‘single story’ told by our most familiar -isms: racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, cisism, etc. But these are some questions this prompted for me: What is the ‘single story’ of our national identity? What is the ‘single story’ of your city or town? What is the ‘single story’ of your work – especially if you work for a non-profit organization? This last is not a weird question: the ‘single story’ most orgs tell is of the broken down – never-mind the agency that these populations have shown, or that these populations very well might have their own stories to tell. But the ‘single story’ we tell about these populations is a direct product of the racial/class power and privilege of those of us who work in these orgs…

“As a writer I know that I’ve been guilty of telling only one story. It’s an easy shorthand to fall into, especially if this is the way one’s sector works. I don’t quite know how to end this post except to hope that those of us who are privileged to be in the position to tell the stories of others take our stories seriously – and resist the impulse to tell them singly.”

Wow. I’ve never thought about it this way but, of course, there’s a lot of truth and wisdom in what Delia says. And I’m happy to say that at Small Change Fund we are trying to rectify this in some small way. We provide a platform for communities to tell their own stories, in their own words, on their own terms, with all the dimensions of longhand – not a shorthand version translated by others, reaching out to you directly for support to make a difference for this planet we call Earth.

Meeka Mike’s story? In taking about her project Tusaqtuut and her people’s struggle to deal with a changing north she says “we are used to the colour variations of the snow and know how to read its implications and story. But now the colours of the snow are changing to unfamiliar hues, so that even the most skilled hunter and guide find themselves suddenly struck by sink holes.”

Natalie Abdou’s Story? In facilitating the Tatamagouche Centre’s Social Justice Youth Camp she says “it is rare to find an environment where youth can be 100% themselves while equally embracing the differences of those who surround them, where an air of kindness prevails, and where the most isolated of youth feel comfortable enough to come out of their cocoons.”

The story of John Cathro with the New Brunswick Community Forest Alliance? Trying to use regional forums and traditional talking circles to bring together Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people from four regions of the province to collaboratively discuss how ecologically sound forestry can be done in their communities, he says “community forestry is decisions made by people who have to live with the outcome, finding local solutions to contentious issues, and keeping benefits in the community. A very good idea – one of the hardest things I’ve ever  done!”

These are real people with real solutions to real problems, as told by them. And they need your support to help them realize the change they want to see in this world. So my Earth Day wish is for these stories to flourish so that you can hear the real stories of incredible local action across the country, celebrate them, and support these unsung heroes in their effort to make big change for the planet. Happy Earth Day!