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“One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.” So said the late John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and so proved the late Ian Kiernan AO, co-founder of Clean Up Australia Day.
With the death of Mr Kiernan in October 2018, the Clean Up movement across the world lost one of its greatest advocates.
Now is the time for a baton change, an opportunity for individuals, businesses and schools to step up and ensure that Mr Kiernan’s efforts, and those of the many people with whom he worked, do not stall.
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In 2015, Mr Kiernan reflected upon the snowball which was the Clean Up movement. “We had 40,000 volunteers turn up for Clean Up Sydney Harbour [in 1989], but it's just gone on and on from there,” he said. “Australians have a great history of being very keen volunteers. They are used to rolling up their sleeves and getting stuck into a challenge, and that's what they've done with Clean Up Australia. It's a very simple idea, but the community has taken it up. They own it.”
And, rightly so. We should all band together to try and make a difference to the planet we call home (no matter how small our efforts), and remove rubbish accumulating in local parks, bushland, beaches and waterways.
Clean Up Australia managing director Terrie-Ann Johnson said every Clean Up volunteer was Mr Kiernan’s successor. “Clean Up Australia Day is the nation’s largest community mobilisation event, and 2019 is the perfect time to band together in Ian’s honour, celebrate what has been achieved, show your support for his vision and continue his dream to Clean Up Australia,” she said.
“Ian firmly believed that every single one of us can, and should, make a difference. Volunteer action was his amazingly simple idea, his dream and his inspiration. His passion was working alongside his fellow Aussies as we clean up our environment and/or reduce waste before it is a problem.
“Change starts with you. There are so many actions every one of us can take to help reduce the eight million tonnes of plastic entering our oceans worldwide each year.”
Visit cleanupaustraliaday.org.au to help.