FYI, a memorable letter from a Sierra staffer. see below... Happy holidays. (Our local radio station just went all-Christmas for the next month -- KUho!ho! 103.9 radio) Donna Begin forwarded message: > From: Stephen Mills <[log in to unmask]> > Date: November 29, 2010 9:30:02 AM CST > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Thank you for an amazing adventure > Reply-To: Stephen Mills <[log in to unmask]> > > Dear friends, > > It has been an absolute honor to be the Sierra Club’s ambassador > for the last 22 years. I never thought that a temporary position as > an assistant to the Club’s assistant Political Director so many > years ago would turn in to such a global adventure. For a kid from > a small town in Alabama I have had a dream career. I leave the > Sierra Club tomorrow, and while I don’t know where I’ll land next > professionally, I can only hope for another opportunity where I can > believe so passionately about my job. > > When I look back it seems like I’ve spent most of that time > tethered to my computer, writing grant proposals, preparing budgets > and press releases. But that’s not what I’ll remember most. From > the stellar volunteer leaders that the Sierra Club continues to > attract, to the princes, prime ministers, paupers and presidents > with whom I’ve I had a chance to collaborate, it’s definitely the > people I’ve met along the way that has made this journey so > exciting. > > I began my career by taking notes and making copies at Sierra Club > at International Committee meetings. It was there that I first > noticed that this organization was attracting some significant > volunteer brainpower and enthusiasm. I loved fielding questions > from environmentalists visiting from other countries about how a > group like the Sierra Club utilizes the tools of democracy to affect > policy (and political) change. > > Then, on my very first trip to Africa, a yet to be globally > recognized Wangari Maathai took me to see rhinos in Kenya. Her > struggle and persecution for standing up for women who plant trees > opened my eyes to another world that wasn’t as just as I had once > believed. Ken and Owens Wiwa showed me their bountiful but > brutalized Niger Delta. Three times I served witness at trials in > St. Petersburg for a former Soviet nuclear submarine captain, > Alexander Nikitin, imprisoned (and ultimately found innocent of) > trumped-up charges of espionage for exposing illegal nuclear waste > dumping. I went with Ethel Kennedy to a prison in Guerrero, Mexico > to present the Club’s Chico Mendes Award to farmers who had simply > spoken out against forest destruction. > > We helped a Coloradan blow the whistle on a U.S.-Canadian mining > company in the Philippines for hiring terrorists to protect their > investments. Marylyn Snell wrote such an extraordinary article in > Sierra magazine about the cover up that Dateline NBC picked up the > piece and ultimately received an Emmy nomination for the story. (http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200405/terrorism/page1.asp > ) > > I had an allergic reaction to a spider bite while attending an IUCN > meeting in Bangkok and was rushed into an infectious disease ward > when my face swelled up like a watermelon (that was exciting). I > slept on a rooftop in the Jordanian desert, sailed around the > Galapagos and danced in Mumbai. I got the same rush from watching > lemurs hop in Madagascar as I did when helping farmers to organize > to stop polluters in rural Ireland. The inspiring poor women in > training to become solar engineers at Bunker Roy’s Barefoot College > in Rajasthan brought tears to my eyes. > > And for a time I had the great opportunity of managing a team of > brilliant international campaigners at the Sierra Club. Each of whom > has demonstrated repeatedly that they are much smarter than I am -- > which is exactly why I hired them. > > When I grew weary of pushing policy change in Washington, DC, the > Sierra Club’s leaders let me try something entirely new and daring > in our multi-pronged approach to stopping global warming. For the > last several years I’ve worked to develop strategic, on-the-ground > partnerships in emerging economies like India where the great need > to improve quality of life for the poorest of the poor has run head- > on into the urgent need for our species to address the greatest > threat to our long-term survival on this planet: climate change. > > Some exciting successes, some painful failures, but for 22 years the > Sierra Club let me seek out creative solutions to some of the > biggest conservation challenges our planet faces. > > I knew that I was pushing some very big boulders up some very big > hills in the Sierra Club when I chose some of these more esoteric > issues on which to lead campaigns, but I believed that as much as my > job was to recognize domestic polling data on inconsistent public > support for U.S. global engagement, that there was also an > expectation from Sierra Club members that we should provide some > leadership on issues far beyond the borders of the U.S. in order to > address global environmental threats. > > To the degree to which we have been successful in the U.S. promoting > environmental rules and regulation that we have also inadvertently > pushed that burden abroad, into someone else’s backyard. I believed > then and now that American environmentalists in particular have > responsibility to help our friends overseas who are now fighting our > polluters. > > For 22 amazing years I have had a chance to passionately and proudly > share the achievements of the Sierra Club’s grassroots advocates > and staff with the rest of the world – and to bring some of the > rest of the world back home to the Sierra Club. I have had an > absolute blast doing so. > > Thank you so much. > > Steve Mills > +1.202.262.8644 > [log in to unmask] > > P.S. I’ve put a few photos online from some of my most memorable > trips here. > > http://picasaweb.google.com/slmillsjr/MySierraClubAdventure?authkey=Gv1sRgCJfHh_asp-D2PA&feat=email# > > …and below, one of my favorite letters. > > Enjoy. > > > > In 2004, the Vice Mayor of the Slovakian city of Kosice was jailed > -- and remained there for nearly seven months. For what crime you > ask? He > was jailed for speaking out against developers who wanted to raze > Kosice > forests. There was never any evidence linking him to any crime -- > unless > you consider defending the environment and long term economic > interests of > the citizens you represent a crime. > > I wrote to the Slovak ambassador to call his attention to this > travesty and > to voice our concern. I believe that we were part of a large chorus > calling for Cuno's release but clearly someone was listening. > > Since none of us see enough good environmental news these days I > thought > you would enjoy reading his letter. This is how Wangari Maathai got > her > start. SM > > > > > ----- Forwarded by Stephen Mills/Sierraclub on 01/13/2005 04:59 PM > ----- > > "Eugen Cuno" > <eugencuno@centru > > m.sk> To > <[log in to unmask]> > 01/13/2005 > 04:54 cc > PM <[log in to unmask]> > > Subject > thank you > > > > > > > > Košice Vice-Mayor Eugen Čuňo, Janigová street n.3, 040 11 > Košice, > Slovakia > > > > > 13. January 2005 > > > Dear Mr. Director Stephen Mills, > > > I would like to express my big thanks, that also with Your effort, I > was on > Wednesday 3.11.2004 dismissed from the jail and finally I would > might to > welcome New year with my family and best friends. > > I have never believed,that in to my effort to built up for justice > and of > new democracy in the Slovakia, would might my opinion and of course my > activity get at meeting with loby into the serious problems. > My family and my next friends, who know me tirelessly, solved this > injustice.My next friends Mr. Michal Kravčík and Mrs. Danica > Klincková > established civil initiative to solve this problem.Many people have > been > understanding to us and understanding, that we went in for > solutions of > many projects, on benefit to city Košice, for participation about 400 > citizens.At many directions we obviously overtake time and we > threatened > interest of influential groups.Often we have been working without > official > support, at own expenses.For example : rescue forests of Košice, > before the > sale, for the sake of last debt, preparation of projects to Košice > for > ecological dwelling and for the first preparation social-agricultural > development of city Košice. > > Dear Mr. Director Mills, also with your support and also your > influential, > oldest, greatest environmental organisation in United States, I am > back at > my working place and I can continue in my work by benefit, to Košice > with > my friends and workmates. > In case of when you will visit the Europe I shall be very pleased > and also > my friends, to welcome you into the place of developing Košice. > > I am esteeming immenesly your help and support. In a New Year I > wish you > and to your friends very good health, also plenty of power from > creative > activity. > > > Sincerely, > > > > Eugen Čuňo > Vice-Mayor of City Košice > Slovakia > > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp