Learning about different partners in the fight against poverty

I'm still here at the Youth Assembly, and learning of different organizations and amazing projects all the time. One such organization is Roots and Shoots -- a project founded by Dr. Jane Goodall, that aims to empower youth to make a difference in their own communities. The two presenters from Roots and Shoots asked the audience to think about these questions:

- What kinds of air/water/land pollution do you see in your community?
- Do you know of any endangered plant species in your community?
- Do you know of any endangered animal species in your community?

It was an interesting assignment, because many of us aren't aware of the extent of these issues around us. I myself couldn't think of any endangered plants where I live...and resolved to look this up when I'm back in Washington. One delegate from Tapei told us how her teacher had asked her class if they'd noticed any air pollution, and none of them had. Then she asked them to place a clean tissue paper on the roof of their building. The very next day, when they went to check on it, it had turned grey! The point is that many of us actually live in pretty polluted environments, but have grown so used to it that we don't even notice. Roots and Shoots works on teaching young people to start paying attention and taking action. The presenters also flagged an interesting campaign called Be Kind to Humankind.