When sitting in class, listening to the speakers on Community Organizing, I was incredibly impressed with their resilience and drive. To start a movement or organization with nothing previously established is not an unimpressive feat. In the context of shark finning, I am fortunate that there are organizations already established focusing on this issue. For me to start yet another one, in my opinion, would be redundant and an ineffective way to dedicate my time and resources. A better route to take would be to support groups championing this cause through fundraising and spreading awareness. My issue is difficult in the sense that it is anything but close to home. When I put energy into resolving this problem, it is not one that many people can relate to locally. The residents of the city of Columbus will not directly feel the effects of an end to shark finning. But that does not mean that the issue is any less important.
From the class, the main lesson that I gathered is: do something. Anything. The hardest part is getting started, but once you do, it is much easier to gain movement. Even if the action taken is not the best choice, it is a choice, and it can lead to future, better choices. Political theorist and philosopher Edmund Burke once declared: “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do so little.”
I think my next step is to designate which organization(s) to donate to, what kind of petition to create, how to go about fundraising, and what route I should take to educate the public on this issue.