Global Action Plan's role is to bring together wide ranges of people, getting to the root causes and creating solutions that meet an existential challenge
Consumerism as a prevailing value system is causing damage to the wellbeing of our young people and drives behaviour which is threatening the future of our planet. The drivers of consumerism are powerful and ever present – hard for us to resist as individuals.
Collectively we need to demonstrate that change is possible through smart challenges to apparently impenetrable systems, infuse the sector with fresh visions of a positive future which young people can aspire to, enable environmental educators to reinforce compassionate values and weaken self-interest and establish an accepted cultural narrative that consumerism is damaging to people and planet.
The young generation has grown up with adverts throughout their whole lives, but it's damaging to the planet and to people's mental health and self esteem.
Our Beyond Consumerism video features some of the young people we have spoken to around the country about the pressures of advertising. Here they explain in their own words the impact that advertising is having on them and their generation.
Global Action Plan's Compassion Not Consumerism Projects
Flickers of the Future
The way that we depict the future plays a critical part in how it unfolds, and research shows that the bleak dystopias that films are currently portraying create fear, denial and passivity. Flickers of the future is a competition calling on young content creators to tell a different story - one where humans and planet thrive together.
Transform Our World
Transform Our World is an online, centralised, quality-rated resource hub to help teachers to bring environmental action into the classroom. Supported by the #iwill Campaign, Transform Our World is a hub full of free, practical resources for teachers to bring environmental action into the classroom. It provides opportunities for students to lead impactful projects that tackle the root causes of the climate breakdown and biodiversity loss.
Stop Targeted Advertising to Kids
Children are bombarded with advertising online, much of it precision targeted and highly manipulative. Unlike on TV, there are no rules limiting the the number of adverts shown to kids online. It's time there were. And it's time to stop targeted advertising to children, full stop.
Goals for Good
Goals for Good is an exciting new course that draws from research into positive psychology and sustainability to help young people live happier, healthier, and more planet friendly lifestyles.The course helps participants to challenge traditional notions of success, explore the five ways to wellbeing, find meaning and purpose by considering the effect of their goals beyond themselves and increase determination and use their strength to help achieve their goals.
Brentford Together
Brentford Together aims to tackle poor health, social isolation and harness community skills to boost low volunteering rates in Brentford. The project is providing local residents with free community-led health and wellbeing sessions. Workshops include sessions on cooking, sewing, bicycle maintenance, first aid, knitting and gardening.
#idontbuyit
Our highly consumerist society teaches us that owning more equates to individual success and at Global Action Plan, we just don't buy it. '#Idontbuyit' calls out the forces that drive hyper-consumption and exposes the marketing techniques that are harmful to young people and the planet. Consuming less and focusing on what makes us happy are critical in combating climate change and boosting wellbeing. #Idontbuyit supports young people and parents to challenge the pressure to consume, set your own vision for what a happier, more sustainable future might look like and help you to build a resilience to our toxic culture of looks, likes and shopping.
Water Explorer
Water links to almost everything in the world and over 2 billion people live in countries experiencing high water stress, which is why it important to educate young people and encourage them and their local community (no matter where they are in the world) to save water and spread the water saving message. Water Explorer inspires and equips students aged 8-14 all over the world to take bold and powerful action to save our precious water through fun water saving Missions.
Pollinator Paths
Even small spaces can help struggling pollinators, a windowsill box full of rocket is enough to harvest greens for your salad and provides much needed nectar and pollen for a passing solitary bee. Pollinator Paths is working with community groups in Edmonton to raise awareness of pollinators and their critical role for plants to produce fruit and seeds, and to encourage a community of growers
H2O Heroes
H2O Heroes gives students the skills and support to design their own behaviour-change campaign - to get fellow students and their communities saving water. We run workshops to get students thinking about the sustainability of our water supply, and encourage them to talk to peers, teachers and families about it.
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