Welcome to...THINKBUTTON IN ACTION
explore this page to learn about people, just like you, who put their "thinkbutton" to work in order to make our world a more healthy, peaceful and beautiful place to live

Environmental Awareness: Jane Goodall
the great conservationist

Humans' relationship with animals has improved dramatically over the past half century. We have begun to accept our role as guardians of all creatures of the earth and, as a result, have learned more about ourselves as humans. One of the individuals responsible for the dramatic leaps in animal / human understanding is Jane Goodall.

Born in London, England in 1934 Goodall began dreaming of visiting Africa after she developed a love for Tarzan. She also received a lot of direction and inspiration from her mother, Vanne Goodall, an internationally known author. After receiving her Ph.D. from Cambridge University she began working, in Africa, for the famed British anthropologist Louis S. Leakey. She was directed by Leakey to set up a camp in the Gombe Stream Chimpanzees Reserve on Lake Tanganyika. For the next 25 years Goodall observed, studied and recorded chimpanzee behavior by living in their environment and establishing a relationship of respect and appreciation with our close relative in the wild.

Her discoveries, articles and books have lead to greater strides in animal conservation and understanding, as well as, scientific contributions to the study of human evolution. In 1984, Goodall was awarded the J. Paul Getty Wildlife Conservation Prize and has earned the reputation as the world's foremost authority on Chimpanzees.

Today Goodall is expanding her outreach through the Jane Goodall Institute which educates and encourages young people around the world to respect and appreciate all creatures of the earth. She continues to lecture, write and create exciting ventures for animal conservation.

Creative Expression: Maya Lin
monumental architect

It is not unusual for works of art and architecture to bring about controversy. For those who design, the public's criticism and misunderstanding are often factors to rise above when designing. Architect and artist, Maya Lin met and conquered the challenge of a harsh public jury and fought to give the United States one of its greatest memorials to date.

Born in 1959 in Athens, Ohio, Lin grew up in a creative household. Her mother was a poet and her father a ceramic artist. While attending Yale she was asked by one of her professors to enter a contest to design a memorial for Vietnam veterans. Not only did she enter, she won.

However, her design was not without controversy. Some within the veteran community were boldly against the young, Asian American's approach of sunken, intersecting, black granite walls atypical of most war memorials. The design was referred to as a "black scar" in the earth and some found it insulting to those who had lost their lives. The group demanded a redesign, which consisted of changing the black walls to white and adding a statue. Through all the controversy and public criticism Lin remained strong and defended the impact of her design and its appropriateness. Eventually a compromise was agreed upon. The black walls were to remain but a statue would be placed to the side of the memorial.

After the memorial was dedicated on Veteran's Day in 1982 the true vision of Lin's design eventually won critical acclaim. Today it is the most visited monument in Washington DC and takes those drawn to the site on the somber, respectful journey Lin intended. It is revered to many as one of America's most significant works of public art.

Since the Vietnam Memorial, Lin has gone on to design The Civil Rights Memorial in Alabama and several other large-scale works of art. One may be inspired by her monumental art as well as her persistence and strength during a time many may have backed down.

Many children, all around the world, are forced to grow up starving, neglected, abused and fighting for their life. They need help. One person who has risen to the challenge to assist these desperate children is Craig Kielburger; and, he began his mission of freeing the children when he was merely a child himself.

Born in Toronto, Canada in 1982 Craig was just 12 years old when he read an article in the newspaper about another 12 year old boy in Pakistan fighting against child labor. This boy had been sold into slavery and was chained to a carpet loom where he was forced to work 12 hours a day 6 days a week. As tragic as his situation was he never lost hope and eventually broke away from his situation and began informing others of his terrible plight. Unfortunately he was murdered for speaking out against child labor.

Craig was so moved and inspired by his story he realized that the youth of the world can make a difference. He began educating himself on human rights issues and traveling around the world in search of children in desperate situations. He and some friends founded the organization Kids Can Free The Children. Their mission is clear: Children speaking and acting in defense of other children.

Free The Children is currently the world's largest organization of children with over 100,000 youth participating in 35 countries. The organization has built more than 350 schools in needy areas across the globe and distributed 150,000 school kits. It has also provided millions of dollars worth of medical supplies to needy families; participated in water projects, health clinics and income coops in developing nations.

Craig has won numerous humanitarian awards and was nominated for a Nobel Piece Prize in 2002/2003. His first book Free The Children is available in 8 languages and his work has been featured on several television shows. He has taught us that the youth of the world are capable and society must realize their potential and respect their ideas and dreams. One is never too young to make a difference.