Practices Toward Becoming a Sustainable Champion

When thinking about Starfish and how far they’ve come (not just in terms of helping countless women but also creating a link of help from one country to another) I’m discovering ways they are working towards many principles outlined for becoming a sustainability champion as written by Bob Willard in his 2009 book,  The Sustainability Champion’s Guidebook. He lists them off as:

1. Becoming Credible
2. Creating Dialogue
3. Collaborating, Educating and Networking
4. Meet Them Where They Are
5. Piggyback Existing Initiatives
6. Influence the Influencers
7. Practice ‘Planful Opportunism’

Through my internship I feel I too am starting to grow towards being a more sustainable conscious individual and, hopefully, a sustainability champion as well. I am working towards becoming credible in the field, working through my internship and hands on experience, and also working towards completing my degree with my minor in Sustainability. Through this blog the dialogue has begun and through my internship I was able to ask questions of individuals that I wouldn’t have brought up under other circumstances. Dialogue has also occurred on a day to day basis especially now with this summer heat and my family wondering about the bigger picture. I’m working with the women at Starfish collaborating on new ideas and educating them with articles I’ve been sharing in my blog.

Starfish, on the other hand, has better hands on working, with what they had in place before and striving for better. They cut back on packaging, reduced materials going to landfills and looked for more earth friendly materials in their business. They use their story to influence others and make them rethink what should be considered acceptable; a five dollar necklace from Wal-Mart or a fair trade quality piece that will cost 5 times the amount but actually is worth the cost. They are extremely optimistic about what they can do, and with the energy and passion the women put into their jobs, I know they can become sustainability champions. As stated on the website from one of the employees, “no matter where I go, I have learned at Starfish to walk strong so that I can face whatever may come.”  With Starfish’s Vision stating “Every Woman Valued” and their Mission hoping to “Restoring Hope to Exploited Women through Socially Responsible Business”, I believe they’re working in the right direction.