It is easy to forget just how small humankind is and how dependent we are on each other and our natural surroundings. In my short time in Iceland, I have learned about the strength of community and how dependent we are on the magnificent Earth.
The CELL group has formed a tight-knit community. We are all here living, learning, and working together. It is comforting to know that I am surrounded by supportive people who share common interests, the biggest one being our passion for protecting the planet. We each have our differences and our own quirks which have taught me valuable lessons about living in a community and about myself. I am excited to continue this journey as part of the CELL group and as part of the Sólheimar community.
In a documentary we watched about Professor Wangari Maathai and the Green Belt Movement in Kenya, I learned that one person with a purpose can reach a handful of people who, in turn, can reach even more people, who can reach out even further to build a community with a common cause. Professor Maathai’s cause started as a grassroot organization to reforest Kenya to provide resources to the surrounding community and to help counter erosion, but it grew into a social justice movement as well. This shows how connected we are to our Earth. When we suffer, our Earth suffers, and when our Earth suffers, we suffer. This is why we need to care for the planet just as much as we need to care for each other.
PC: Alec Z Dachenberg Mora