Transformative: A Letter from Our Executive Director

Transformative. That’s the word I heard a friend use to describe this year as we progress through it; and it made me pause. Yes, transformative. What we are experiencing globally and collectively - a pandemic and countless protests against the injustices we have created - forces us to see very clearly that the world is not what we want it to be.

Through our process of enduring the long arc of COVID and confronting the prolific injustices prevalent in our social fabric, it is evident that we can work together to create a more equitable and just future. We’ve even witnessed, in this small breath of humanity's existence, that a healthier, harmonious, sustainable world can emerge when we stop our standard modes of pollution - physical, mental, social - and instead live aligned with the natural world and each other.

There is no question that these have been dark and trying days, but there is hope. If anything good comes from this year, it is our knowing that individuals like you - bold as you are - take action towards creating a better shared world for all of us.

Embracing this time as transformative keeps me motivated, engaged, and even more excited for our annual People’s Ecochallenge.

This year, we have expanded our action options to include actions for Justice for the Whole Community and Healing & Renewal – two themes that are particularly relevant for all of us in 2020. 

Plus, knowing so many of us are spending more time – if not all of our time! -- at home, we’ve also included action tags to show actions we can take while at home by ourselves or with company.

This year, we invite and encourage everyone to join us in taking actions that speak for the things we love and want to protect. Because we know that when we join together to do this, collectively we can transform our future.

Our planet and our people need us all right now - to act, to learn, to reflect, and to align what we do with the values we uphold. The People’s Ecochallenge is a place to do all of this alongside thousands of others. So please, join us this October 7-28. Find renewal and calm, explore new resources, and learn about the connections between our actions and the issues we care deeply about. Invite a friend, co-worker, classmate, neighbor, or family member to join you! Challenge each other to stretch and try something new.

And if you are not able to join us this year, please follow along our progress and the impact we make – and please, consider making a donation to Ecochallenge.org so we may continue investing in and offering programs that bring people together on issues that matter. The People’s Ecochallenge is free to participate in, and we rely on the generous support of participants and donors to create this free access. Let’s take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity to transform our world together. Thank you.

With immense gratitude,
Liz Zavodsky