Let's Do It!
In 2007 an Estonian entrepreneur was illuminated by a beautifully simple idea: our planet is full of garbage - let’s start with our own backyard and clean it up! He sold his profitable IT business and dedicated himself full-time to improving the world.
When asked nicely, people are happy to help. Genius lies in simplicity - on May 3rd 2008, 50 000 volunteers (5% of population!) from tiny Estonia removed 10 000 tons of garbage! Since then Rainer’s team has exported the same model to 96 countries worldwide, with over 6 million participants! Exhilarated by success, the time seems ripe to accomplish something of true magnitude…
The Mediterranean Sea has provided myths, seafood, and routes for trade and war throughout millennia. It has shaped the ancient civilisations of Egypt and Greece, Roman and Persian empires, Phoenicians and Ottomans, Islamic Golden Age and European colonisation. And, finally, it has become too dirty!
As the region is enveloped in financial, political and humanitarian crises, the colossal undertaking of Mediterranean cleanup was to translate into a campaign of unity and reconciliation. With the guidance and support from Estonian headquarters, the local activists approached the task with southern cheerfulness and youthful enthusiasm, but their first attempt in 2014 was a failure, with barely 20 000 participants.
But setbacks don't deter true idealists. Tallinn headquarters has now tightened the reins on the lax Mediterranean approach and designated Elina, a full-time prison guard (with strict attitude and model looks) to oversee the regrouping process. The efforts are now expected to culminate in May 2016, when a million volunteers across 22 countries will (hopefully) set aside their religious, cultural and language differences to collectively clean their common sea.
When asked nicely, people are happy to help. Genius lies in simplicity - on May 3rd 2008, 50 000 volunteers (5% of population!) from tiny Estonia removed 10 000 tons of garbage! Since then Rainer’s team has exported the same model to 96 countries worldwide, with over 6 million participants! Exhilarated by success, the time seems ripe to accomplish something of true magnitude…
The Mediterranean Sea has provided myths, seafood, and routes for trade and war throughout millennia. It has shaped the ancient civilisations of Egypt and Greece, Roman and Persian empires, Phoenicians and Ottomans, Islamic Golden Age and European colonisation. And, finally, it has become too dirty!
As the region is enveloped in financial, political and humanitarian crises, the colossal undertaking of Mediterranean cleanup was to translate into a campaign of unity and reconciliation. With the guidance and support from Estonian headquarters, the local activists approached the task with southern cheerfulness and youthful enthusiasm, but their first attempt in 2014 was a failure, with barely 20 000 participants.
But setbacks don't deter true idealists. Tallinn headquarters has now tightened the reins on the lax Mediterranean approach and designated Elina, a full-time prison guard (with strict attitude and model looks) to oversee the regrouping process. The efforts are now expected to culminate in May 2016, when a million volunteers across 22 countries will (hopefully) set aside their religious, cultural and language differences to collectively clean their common sea.