{"id":57239,"date":"2022-12-05T04:11:30","date_gmt":"2022-12-05T03:11:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/?p=57239"},"modified":"2025-07-02T09:36:55","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T07:36:55","slug":"greenpeace-volunteers-you-have-to-act-for-the-change-you-want-to-see","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/story\/57239\/greenpeace-volunteers-you-have-to-act-for-the-change-you-want-to-see\/","title":{"rendered":"Greenpeace Volunteers: \u201cYou have to act for the change you want to see.\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Volunteers are at the heart of Greenpeace. From painting signs, helping to organise local demonstrations, public speaking about Greenpeace campaigns, or climbing in a non violent direct action, our volunteers are made up of concerned citizens around the world who are rising up and taking action to protect people and the planet. <\/p>\n\n

So who are they, what do they do, and more importantly, what drives them? Here\u2019s a selection of some Greenpeace volunteers all around the world.<\/p>\n\n

Cristina Robledo Arellano, 22, Greenpeace Chile<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

\u201cYou have to act for the change you want to see happening. Even if you think the actions of one person can\u2019t change anything, a lot of individuals can become a huge force.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"\"
Cristina Robledo Arellano (centre)
\u00a9 Cristobal Olivares \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Living in Chile, Christina saw how vulnerable her country is to rising sea levels and the impacts of global warming. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cChile has a long coast. There could be a lot of places that could be destroyed or just disappear due to the rise of the ocean,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n

With Greenpeace Chile, she has participated in plastic-free campaigns, protested against salmon farms<\/a> in the south of Chile and the polluting industries on the Quintero Bay<\/a>, and fought for the constitutional recognition of the right to access water<\/a>. As a law student, she is also applying her knowledge with Greenpeace Chile\u2019s politics team, keeping an eye on environmental matters whether in courts or in parliament.<\/p>\n\n

As a Greenpeace volunteer, she has encountered firsthand the power of solidarity and mobilisation for a cause: during the wildfires of the Amazon rainforest, Greenpeace Chile organised an impromptu protest outside the Brazil embassy in Santiago.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cIt was an idea of the moment, so we just wore orange t-shirts and some volunteers made little flames for each of us. The best part of that day was that even as it was not planned with anticipation, almost every active volunteer arrived at the Greenpeace office that afternoon ready to manifest against the destruction of the Amazon, and to our planet,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n

One of the most moving experiences she experienced was in 2019, when she visited Aculeo Lake, near Santiago, with the Greenpeace Chile team and other volunteers. Once a favourite weekend getaway for people from the capital, the lake has completely dried up after a 10-year drought in the country.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cIt was amazing yet awful to stand in the dry dirt where people used to fish, swim, and practice all kinds of water sports. We put together a huge warning sign<\/a> at the bottom of what used to be a lake so people could see the impact of what we are doing to our world. This lake went dry in less than 10 years, and drought is growing quickly in Chile,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n

What one change would you most like to see?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\u201cAnything that could give me hope that there is still a chance for change, and that it is not too late.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

\n
Volunteer with Greenpeace Chile<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/div>\n\n

Junghoe Kim, actor, 30, Greenpeace Korea<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

\u201cI take global warming very seriously. It is evident that we are suffering from loss of lives and resources, and facing unprecedented natural disasters caused by the planet\u2019s rising temperatures.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"\"
Junghoe Kim took part in Greenpeace Seoul office’s plastic brand audit research.
\u00a9 Daiyoon Lim \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

In 2022, Korean actor Junghoe Kim wrote and produced a play called \u2018Flow:er\u2019 to raise awareness about environmental issues, particularly the plastic scourge. The play depicts the different perspectives of individuals, the government and the world on environmental problems and explores the consequences of indifferent attitudes. <\/p>\n\n

Subsequently, Junghoe started volunteering with Greenpeace Korea by participating in the Pl-cok<\/a> (\u2018pl\u2019 of plastic + \u2018cok\u2019 of Korean word meaning staying put) Survey, a campaign aimed at raising awareness of the excessive level of plastic consumption while singling out corporations that are not making an effort to reduce plastic waste. The Pl-cok Survey campaign started with around 800 participants but in two years has expanded to more than 4000.<\/p>\n\n

After a week of collecting data on his plastic waste, Junghoe was shocked at how pervasive and enormous the problem was. \u201cIt was like a wake-up call. Even though I considered myself environmentally conscious, I still had a hard time reducing plastic waste in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Volunteering is important to Junghoe as it allows him to work together with other defenders of the earth rather than trying to do it alone. He says, \u201cVolunteering assures me that there are many people wanting and trying to make a better world and there is hope after all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Which changes do you anticipate the most? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\u201cI want to see nations, governments, corporations, and citizens of the world work together toward protecting and saving the earth and abandon the ways we live now. \u201c<\/p>\n\n

\n
Volunteer with Greenpeace Korea<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/div>\n\n

Katerina Papagiannopoulou, 33, Greenpeace Greece <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

\u201cI was mesmerized at how the volunteers organized and evolved environmental actions in the organization surrounded by the ideology of non-violence.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"\"
Katerina Papagiannopoulou
\u00a9 Katerina's archive<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

A dedicated team leader and a volunteer trainer, Katerina has participated and organised many different Greenpeace campaigns and activities, including public awareness events, banner paintings, and producing research and writing guidelines for other volunteers.  A volunteer since 2012, she now leads the Non-Violence Training at Greenpeace Greece, to encourage the use of non-violent direct action to fight for social and environmental justice.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cVolunteering makes you feel less alone in a global society where human rights and the environment are ideologies of little value. Volunteering is a way of life and the actions of your dreams for a better tomorrow,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n

When the Rainbow Warrior visited Greece in 2014, Katerina travelled onboard the ship for two weeks to raise public awareness of offshore oil extraction in the Ionian sea.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cTo be honest, I think I never got enough sleep inside the ship as everything was so exciting that I didn\u2019t want to miss a single thing! I remember even hiding from my team as they were chasing me to get some rest. I know that they were right but being on a ship with so much history gave me chills!\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Right now, she is most concerned about oil drilling in the Greek seas<\/a>, an issue that is gaining urgency in the light of the global energy crisis.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cEnvironmental organizations have succeeded to pause them [the oil drills] but unfortunately, the Prime Minister of Greece has announced that they will continue destroying and killing a rich biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n

\n
Volunteer with Greenpeace Greece<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/div>\n\n

Marcos Salazar, 24, Greenpeace Argentina <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

\u201cI feel it is important to be a volunteer because we are all different but there is something that brings us together. There is something in common, the importance and care for the environment\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"\"
Marcos Salazar
\u00a9 Marcos's archive<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Marcos, a youth leader and university student, lives in Salta, a province located northwest of Argentina, where he is already experiencing the impact of climate change such as the instability of seasons and the variation in the weather on a daily basis. \u201cBut what really worries me is that people don’t notice it. It goes unnoticed, and it makes me wonder why,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n

Even more alarming, the higher temperatures and droughts are causing forest fires to become more common in the area, which he says the government justifies by saying that it is out of their control.<\/p>\n\n

As a leader and spokesperson for the local Greenpeace group in Salta, Marcos is no stranger to environmental activism as he participates in local marches and debates, and meets with other local organizations. <\/p>\n\n

His most memorable experience with Greenpeace was participating in his first Non-Violent Direct Action (NVDA) to fight for \u201cthe last 20\u201d<\/a>, referring to the Yaguaretes that live in the forest of the great Argentinean Chaco. Together with the team and other volunteers, they hung a huge banner on General Belgrano Bridge<\/a>. Marcos was moved by the support of the public who stopped to give them water, ice, and fruit. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cEverything was very exciting, and of course at the end of the activity the hug between the whole team, a tremendous feeling, difficult to put into words,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n

For Marcos, volunteering has been a valuable learning experience and helped to broaden his vision while making friendships. \u201cIt’s so great to be able to meet different cultures, share opinions, inform ourselves and exchange data about the local environmental problems of each region.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

What change would you most like to see?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\u201cOne change I would like to see, and desire most, is to see political leaders responsible and committed to everything, including environmental issues, since many justify themselves by saying that all these problems are beyond their power. <\/p>\n\n

And also, last but not least, a real commitment to future generations would be great!\u201d<\/p>\n\n

\n
Volunteer with Greenpeace Argentina<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/div>\n\n

Kely Gabriely Bento de Souza, 23, Greenpeace Brazil<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

\u201cI wanted something collective, impactful and that would allow me to build a legacy of peace, and I found all of that at Greenpeace.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"\"
Kely Gabriely Bento de Souza
\u00a9 Kely's archive<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Kely grew up in the interiors of Amap\u00e1, a state in northern Brazil, where she was \u201csurrounded by forest, in contact with animals and bathing in rivers.\u201d Her parents worked in health and education in the Indigenous area. Kely herself now works as a socio-environmental activist and social worker. <\/p>\n\n

She is disturbed by what is happening to the planet, particularly in her own backyard. \u201cWe cannot think of ways to stop climate change without first stopping the \u2018bleeding\u2019 of deforestation in the Amazon,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n

She joined Greenpeace Brazil as a volunteer in 2020 because she felt an intense need to be part of something bigger than her own aspirations. During her time, Kely has done collective painting with communities, technical visits to recycling companies, conducted socio-environmental awareness activities, and helped with mentoring other volunteers. She has also helped to develop socio-environmental lectures for school children.<\/p>\n\n

This year, together with Greenpeace Brazil, she took part in a circle with the leadership of the Fazendinha Environmental Protection Area, where she listened to the stories of the community as they spoke of their struggles, threats, pains and achievements.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cListening to them brought us even closer to our place, the particularities of the Amap\u00e1 Amazon, what it means to be a Greenpeace activist in Amap\u00e1,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n

What change would you most like to see?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\u201cI want the Amazon to belong to the lives of the Amazon. I want it to be abundant and without any kind of domination.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

\n
Volunteer with Greenpeace Brazil<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

Lu Chia-Ling, diver and preschool teacher, Greenpeace Taiwan<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been diving for nearly 20 years, and the marine environment seems to be getting worse. I have very strong feelings about this. The situation with the corals is really bad!\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"\"
Lu Chia-Ling
\u00a9 Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

A keen diver with a deep love for the ocean, Lu Chia-Ling, started volunteering with Greenpeace Taiwan in 2013 after becoming interested in marine conservation. Naturally, her first activity with Greenpeace was helping out at an exhibition related to ocean issues. Since then, she has joined the climbing team, and participated in different actions including storytelling, exhibition tours, corporate actions, street initiatives, and clean up activities.<\/p>\n\n

One of her favourite experiences with Greenpeace was participating in the Basic Action Training, where she learnt to understand and calmly communicate with people of opposing views. Before participating in an action, Greenpeace volunteers undergo rigorous training so that they are prepared.<\/p>\n\n

Participating in voluntary work has introduced Chia-Ling to other like-minded friends. Her original interest on ocean issues have now expanded to include concerns about the forests, climate, food safety, and plastic pollution. It is while on this journey of volunteering and sharing that she slowly began to make changes towards a low-carbon, plastic-free lifestyle, while encouraging the same of the people around her.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cIt gives me a sense of achievement to get more people to pay attention to the environment,\u201d she says. \u201cI can also gain a lot of new knowledge and new ideas when chatting with other volunteers in different fields. I use my profession to communicate and discuss with others, so that we can help each other to make the world a better place. And that is what makes me very happy!\u201d<\/p>\n\n

What one change would you most like to see?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe whole world should stop eating shark fins.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

\n
Volunteer with Greenpeace Taiwan<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/div>\n\n

Feel inspired? Find out ways to volunteer for your local Greenpeace<\/a>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n \t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tVolunteer Opportunities\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

There are lots of ways to get involved with Greenpeace. Contact your local office to see if you can volunteer.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t \n Join us\n <\/a>\n \t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/section>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Greenpeace volunteers are concerned citizens from around the world taking action to protect people and the planet.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":160,"featured_media":60246,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_planet4_optimize_post_is_variant":false,"_planet4_optimize_experiment_name":"","_planet4_optimize_variant_name":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"p4_og_title":"","p4_og_description":"","p4_og_image":"","p4_og_image_id":"","p4_seo_canonical_url":"","p4_campaign_name":"not set","p4_local_project":"not set","p4_basket_name":"not set","p4_department":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[100,73],"tags":[89],"p4-page-type":[59],"class_list":["post-57239","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-about","category-social-and-economic-systems","tag-climate","p4-page-type-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57239","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/160"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57239"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57239\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":76638,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57239\/revisions\/76638"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60246"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57239"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57239"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57239"},{"taxonomy":"p4-page-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/p4-page-type?post=57239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}