This interview was conducted by Jeremy Picone
We’ve all heard that the pen is mightier than the sword, but one man believes a teaspoon may be even mightier still…
d’Arcy Lunn is travelling the world, sharing an intriguing idea with audiences from 5 to 85 years old.
He calls it “Teaspoons of Change.”
And he’s just reached Australia, so I’ve got a few questions for him…
What exactly is a teaspoon of change?
A Teaspoon of Change is any small personal choice, decision or action that has a positive impact on people or the planet.
I think we can double our impact as global citizens by not only thinking about the direct ways we can do good for others, but also considering the indirect impact of our everyday choices and actions.
Sounds like a simple idea with a big effect. How did you end up travelling the world talking about it?
First seeing the raw face of inequality was a big turning point in my journey. After I graduated from university as a primary school Japanese teacher, I started to travel - hoping to climb some mountains and do a bit of volunteering.
In Kyrgyzstan I was working with a group of women university teachers and their salary was just $40USD per month; then a few months later as an English teacher in South Korea my salary was $40USD per hour. I knew then that a person’s opportunity in the world depends on the lottery of where they are born, and I knew I needed to use my lucky lottery ticket to its full potential. It motivated me to learn more and take action to see equality and justice for everyone everywhere.
The 14 years and 80 countries I’ve visited since then have included a bit of mountain-climbing, a lot of learning, and mainly volunteering in ways that help to end poverty and protect the planet - most recently with three years on the global eradication of polio. This included working “on the ground” with UNICEF in Pakistan, India, Uganda and South Sudan, as well as running campaigns for public and political engagement.
You’ve given close to 500 of your Teaspoons of Change presentations now - can you describe it for us?
A Teaspoons of Change presentation aims to inform and inspire; I become a bridge for audiences - as people who want to do more to make a difference - with those who already are, all around the world. I do this with personal stories, facts and figures, videos, and experiential learning activities, but my favourite aspect of presentations is the Q&A throughout - it’s challenging; it pushes me to always learn more.
I’ve presented to over 45,000 people now, and tailor each presentation depending on the needs of the audience, but one thing that never changes is they’re always very positive! I’m a product of my experiences from the past 14 years of non-stop travel, and I can only be optimistic about the world, having received hospitality, kindness and generosity everywhere I’ve been. I feel humans are essentially good, and the least I can do for humanity is to try and replicate the goodwill and kindness that has been shown to me.
I feel more positive already! What sort of topics do you discuss with audiences?
The key question I try to not answer but have people discover their own answer to is: what is a global citizen and, most importantly, what does it mean to you? A branch of that question is how to be a good one, and we look at what it means to think, feel, say and do as an active and effective global citizen.
We talk about how our choices and actions affect the big picture - the United Nations’ new Global Goals for Sustainable Development - and depending on the audience’s age and interests, this might be with a particular focus on health, economics, environment, education, aid or advocacy.
I especially love speaking to students, and when schools get me in for a half or full day and fill every possible minute with different classes, ages, topics and presentation types!
I try to share my energy, enthusiasm and experiences so that they can see that I truly believe - based on facts and experiences - that we can see a world without extreme poverty for everyone, everywhere and forever - and that they can be part of making that happen, too.
Speaking of which, how do you hope people will react when they’ve seen Teaspoons of Change?
I want audiences to feel inspired, engaged and empowered, so that they choose their own Teaspoons of Change and support more good people doing good things. There’s a formula I always share:
small actions X lots of people = BIG CHANGE
I want my audience to know that any little thing they do to have a positive impact on people and the planet matters, and to understand that this is how we make the world a more equal, sustainable and happier place.
I love being told that the presentation has been a source of inspiration to someone, because this is a tip of the hat to the many people around the world who have inspired me and whose stories and efforts I get to share with others.
It must be great seeing people all over the world deciding to make a difference. What have been some of your favourite teaspoons?
I’m always looking for new Teaspoons of Change, so my favourites are the ones I haven’t thought of yet and particularly learn from my school-aged audiences. A recent favourite was from a 6-year-old girl at a school in Hong Kong who said that she doesn’t buy cheap things she might end up throwing them away, because her grandfather says “buy cheap, buy twice.”
Love it! Speaking of “bye-byes,” that’s all we’ve got time for, but now I’m really looking forward to seeing Teaspoons of Change - and you can see it too…
d’Arcy Lunn is available for bookings by Australian schools, community groups, and businesses between October and December 2015.
In a school setting, presentations are ideal for humanities, society and environment subjects and for middle secondary (grades 7-10), but can be tailored to most subjects, whole year levels, or even whole schools.
You can find d’Arcy’s Australian tour schedule and contact details at https://goo.gl/y8RkB5