Contributor: Kira Moessinger

In Western countries, the importance of education is always made clear and is valued to a large extent. The Scottish government’s decision in maintaining free higher education in spite of the recent recession proves how much we treasure education and believe that it should be accessible to all.

The quality of education ranges between outstanding and extremely poor, depending on your wealth, and this still is a great problem within the United Kingdom (UK) and many other countries in the world. However, in the UK we can pride ourselves on offering equal education to girls and boys, which was not the case for a very long time.

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The focus on the Global Citizen Corps (GCC) Global Action Plan calendar for the first two months of the year was "Peace and Conflict." To highlight this issue I interviewed William Baron, Mercy Corps Scotland's Program Officer for Gaza, Israel/Palestine and Indonesia.

In western society, we can go about our daily lives and not worry too much about our future opportunities and the safety of our families and livelihoods. However, in many parts of the world, this worry and fear is part of their daily routine.

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Mercy Corps Scotland staff celebrate Earth Day 2011 by spelling it out with recyclable bottles and cans from the office. Photo: Brenna Nyznik/Mercy Corps

The 22nd of April 2011 was not only Good Friday in the United Kingdom (UK), but was also Earth Day. To celebrate this wonderful occasion, the Global Citizen Corps (GCC) group in Scotland held a film festival with the "Take One Action" film group at Gorgie City Farm in Edinburgh. It was a fantastic day, with many people coming to see the film "Dirt!" — which highlights the issue of modern agriculture and how it is damaging our precious earth.

During the film, GCC leaders facilitated thought-provoking discussions with members of the audience. The film managed to bring a very serious message across in an interesting manner, such as the adorable story of the hummingbird, which demonstrated how even a small creature like the hummingbird can make a big difference.

It proved how even little actions can make a big difference, which was this year’s global Earth Day theme: A Billion Acts of Green. Thanks to the "Take One Action" film group, who promote such influential films on a regular basis across the UK, GCC leaders were able to bring this issue to the centre of the community.

Screening of the movie "Dirt!" at Edinburgh's Gorgie City Farm. Photo: Mike Byrne/Mercy Corps

Along with the film, there were several other activities and sources of information which people could use to further inform themselves on environmental issues. Children could learn how to plant seeds and were given information sheets on how to keep their plant alive. This would encourage people to start growing their own food and plants, which is not only a way of beautifying a garden, but also learning about self-sufficiency and increasing biodiversity and thus helping the soil.

There was also an opportunity for children to get their hands dirty and feel different types of soil, which showed them how dirt comes in various forms and is as diverse as we are. Information cards were also available, which gave some examples of things that people can do at home to help the environment, such as avoiding using plastic shopping bags and taking shorter showers.

There was also an opportunity for children to get their hands dirty and feel different types of soil. Photo: Mike Byrne/Mercy Corps

These little things that we can do at home reflect the message of this year’s theme of taking small actions to make a difference. People who were inspired by the event could also sign a pledge card, saying what they will do at home in order to make a difference, which will hopefully make people more aware of the role they can play in combating climate change.

The event was held at Gorgie City Farm, which was the perfect venue as it promotes everything the film was about. It is a small farm in the middle of Edinburgh, with some animals and self-grown food. It allows people to see what a farm is actually like and teaches people the importance of buying locally grown produce rather than imported food from the supermarket.

All in all, the event was a great success and everyone enjoyed themselves. The GCC leaders gained some experience on how to run an event and make a film and how to present serious issues in an interactive way. The event was fun and informative for both the visitors to the farm, and the GCC leaders involved.

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Hi everyone! As a volunteer and participant in the Global Citizen Corps (GCC) program, I go to the Mercy Corps headquarters once a week and help with anything I can — including organization of GCC projects. My school has a volunteering program, where you can go to organisations and help out. I chose Mercy Corps for my voluntary service where I have several tasks ranging from sticking addresses on calendars to hosting hunger banquets!

In order to highlight GCC's Global Action Campaigns, I am interviewing Mercy Corps Program Officers who deal with issues relevant to each one of our Global Actions in their area.

December’s campaign focus was on Global Health. I interviewed Mark Henderson, our Program Officer in charge of Eastern and Southern Africa, to find out more about what Mercy Corps does abroad to support people who face extreme health issues such as HIV/AIDS. As a GCC leader, I am very interested in what we do to support our fellow youth with whatever issues they have and, personally, I am fascinated by having these global partnerships to help one another and create global connections.

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