Ann Novek, Greenpeace cyberactivist and volunteer from Sweden.
In April of 2004 she was looking at an ad for outdoor furniture from Sweden's biggest retailer, Asko-Möbler.
Ann is a Greenpeace Cyberactivist, and she had been following events inIndonesia where our ship, Rainbow Warrior, had been highlighting forest crimes in the Pacific, and participating in weekly chats about what more our supporters could do to help.
So she was surprised and dismayed to see that Asko-Möbler sold products made from Keruing wood.
She knew that Keruing is the name given to around 70 commercially harvested timberspecies, more than half of them listed as criticallyendangered or endangered, and that most Keruing is logged illegally.
Ann gets active
Ann started a thread at the Action Forumasking for advice on how to pressure the company. She got the emailaddress of the CEO and wrote to him asking if he knew where the Keruingwood came from, and whether he had assurances that it was legal and/orsustainably grown.
He promised to send certificates documenting that the wood was legal. He never did so.
She talked to a spokesperson on the phone. She asked if she knew about the Forest Stewardship Council™(FSC®) and its programme of certifying sustainably grown wood. The spokeswomantold her that the FSC® label was being phased out, which was simply nottrue.
Ann lobbied for a Greenpeace cyberaction against Asko-Möbler, sheinformed other environmental groups in Sweden, she raised the issue in chats andthreads and posted the email address of the CEO at the Action Forum.
She was also in touch with the biggest environmental group in Sweden, whichcoincidentally sent a questionnaire to all major garden furniturecompanies, and asked about FSC®-certification. Ann noted andpublicized the fact that Asko-Möbler didn't reply.
Victory!
After nearly a year of persistance, Ann opened her morning newspaper to see the Springfurniture line from Asko-Möbler was being advertised. She wasastonished to see not only was there no Keruing wood in it, but ALL thegarden furniture was labelled FSC®-certified.
While converting one furniture supplier to sustainable purchasingmayseem a small victory, consider this: Ann is just one of 190,000international cyberactivists from 122 countries and territories, everyone of them just as capable of changing a small part of our world.
It's proof again of thewisdom of Margaret Mead's words:
"Neverdoubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can changethe world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
Get active!
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