Imagine you had the whole world's attention for only five minutes.  What could you possibly say in that short amount of time?  

At the age of twelve, Severn Cullis-Suzuki used her five minutes in front of the Earth Summit to persuade her audience to fight for our planet's environmental future. She appealed to them not as world leaders or politicians, but as parents, siblings, and children who were all a part of an even bigger family that made up the entire human race.  She urged them to keep the world as a safe home for their children and their children's children, who would all eventually join that bigger family as well.

She was a child challenging her elders to take responsibility for the world in which they raised her--and they listened.

At the time, Severn didn't realize her speech was being taped, but when the UN later sent her the video, she distributed it upon request, year after year (Perspectives On Rio+20).  And with the advent of Youtube, her words have now reached and inspired even more people across several generations. 

How can you not marvel at the impact of young Severn's words and passion?
  
Severn, now 34, continues to fight for an environmentally sound Earth.  As an adult, one of her focuses is to motivate the youth to become a part of the process, just as she had once been a youth advocating for a better, cleaner world.  We hope this Mighty Relevant Woman will never stop using her passion to raise environmental awareness and prompt change in adults and children everywhere! 

Have any thoughts about Severn's impact?  Know any other Mighty Relevant you would like us to talk about? Leave a comment below, tweet us @MightyFingers, send us a message on Facebook, or email us at info@mightyfingersfacingchange.com!  

Cullis-Suzuki, Severn.  "Six Minutes to Save the Earth." Perspectives on RIO+20.  United Nations Environment Programme. n.d. Web. 29 Sep. 2014. 

In order to celebrate the life of the first mighty relevant woman featured on this blog, let's travel all the way back to Japan's Heian era (893-1135).  This was a period of time when Japanese society women placed a lot of restrictions on women, and what they could and couldn't do.  

Enter Murasaki Shikibu. When she was young, she learned Chinese and studied Chinese works.  However, as an adult, she kept her knowledge a secret, as her culture frowned upon educated women.  

Murasaki really got busy when she entered court service. She taught her mistress-pupil to learn Chinese in secret, and even reportedly tutored the Empress.  The contributions she made to the royal palace can "be described as academic: philosophical, literary, and linguistic" (Waithe 9).  During her time in the court, she also began to work on The Tale of Genji.  Though she sadly didn't see it happen in her lifetime, Murasaki's novel eventually went on to be recognized and respected as one of Japan's greatest literary masterpieces.

As we return to the present, let's take away this message from Murasaki Shikibu's legacy: the crazy limitations a society places on women don't last, while the passion, creativity, and soul a women pours into what she creates will live on forever.  

And what's not to love about that?

Waithe, M.E. A History of Women Philosophers, Parts 500-1600.  Norwell: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1989. Google Books. Web. 22 Sep. 2014.

Since its creation,The Mighty Girls Blog has aimed to connect girls from around the world and encourage them to share with other interesting girls.  As a part of this blog's dedication to amazing girls and women, we'd like to join in on the sharing and talk about an influential girl or woman each week.  Every lady will count, whether she's living or deceased, young or old, obscure or infamous. The stories of these girls and women inspire and drive us, and we hope all of you will join in on the celebration of their accomplishments!

Do you know any woman or girl whose story inspires you? Would you like to share about her with us?  Please don't hesitate to let us know!  Leave a comment below, tweet us @MightyFingers, send us a message on Facebook, or email us at info@mightyfingersfacingchange.com!  

Hello everybody, 

My name is Rhaíra and I'm from São Paulo, Brazil.
As you may know, my country is hot, with beatiful women, amazing beaches and with a social culture not so funny as the country seems to be.

Brazil is amazing with amazing people. I travelled once in my whole life, it was last year, to London. There, I could see how cold people are, better: I could see how we smile - we are smilling all the time even if we take crowded buses or if we spent 2 hours to come back to our home in the final of the day.

The thing is: If we had a real good government we would have happier people and those people would have education and those simple things that make a country be considered 'a first world country' Brazil would have. 

I know that because I'm not rich, to travel last year I had to start work with 13... but that was good 'cause now I finished high school, I will start the university and I have a great job! But, not everybody think as me. People here, most of them, dont have a education - and if you have education you have a good a job, your children will grow up well and if you have education you will put good people in the government. 

Thats the only thing that makes Brazil be a non-perfect country.

We must stop corruption ... and we will. Together, going to the streets or even putting good messages supporting us in social medias. Like I am doing today =)
:)

My name is Reyna and I am from São Paulo, Brazil. Most people think they know Brazil by the things that are said about corruption stealing danger amongst others. Although Brazil is much more than those negative affiliations, for me it is the most beautiful place in the world, not only does it have the amazon rainforest, amazing beaches but it has the most diverse population, we are patriotic and fanatic’s especially about soccer. My perception really changed when protests started happening all over Brazil, people started seeking better government services. Things that weren’t given much importance, became important such as the poor health system and education. We all became united for one reason, to change Brazil. That means when a big group gets together through broadcasting sites, a voice can be heard. These protests really showed me the importance of communication as it doesn’t matter where we’re from or what our backgrounds are, we can share ideas and make changes for the better. I think this blog is an amazing resource for us girls all over the world to express our feelings and thoughts, so anyone can make a difference!

The day I got back to school everyone asked me in passing, “How was Haiti!? How was Haiti!?” I quickly realized how difficult that question was to answer. I still have not found a way to sum it up in a few words. I felt that if I had simply said, “Oh it was great,” that would discount the struggle and development that I saw there on a daily basis. If I had said something along the lines of “It was different,” or, “It was hard,” that would discount the beauty and the liveliness. Haiti is beautiful, it is inspiring, it is developing, and in many areas it is challenged, but it is nothing that someone could sum up in a few words as they pass a friend in the hallway.

The beauty in some parts of Haiti can hide behind the mounds of trash that line the streets. When I arrived in Port au Prince, I saw the most trash I have ever seen in one city. I immediately thought, ‘Wow, Port-au-Prince has a trash problem,’ but the more I let it roll around in my mind, I began to think about my own country and its waste. Surely we create just as much, if not more trash than Haiti. Just because it does not all live in our streets does not mean it is disappearing. So I did a little research as to what the US ultimately does with their trash. It is common knowledge that a good amount of trash goes into landfills, but what about the rest of it? According to Onearth.org, “In 2012, scrap was the nation’s No. 2 export to China.” The USA loads 50 to 75 percent of the recyclable material from curbside pickup onto ships and sells it to other countries. Most countries will not make a fuss if each bail of ‘recyclable materials’ that we sell them is comprised of about 40 percent non-recyclable materials. Even though every piece of non-recyclable trash that we sell to them costs them money, we take full advantage of this sneaky trade. Other countries are literally buying our problems at a cost to themselves. This means that the USA has both physical and political garbage issues. Just because Haiti’s trash issues are easily visible, does not mean Haiti is less responsible, or more wasteful than the USA; it just means the USA is better at putting trash out of sight and out of mind. Haiti was an enlightening trip because it not only expanded my world views, but also it provoked thoughts and questions about my own country.

I have a few other thoughts on politics, gay rights, and restaurant service, but I’ll save them for later.



Royte, Elizabeth. "China's Too Good for Our Trash. Yay? |         OnEarth Magazine." China's Too Good for Our                   Trash. Yay? | OnEarth Magazine. Onearth, 23 Oct.   
        2013. Web. 23 Dec. 2013.

If Bercheley Alisme could say something to all the girls in the world... this is what she would say,

"You are very beautiful. You are always smiling and I hope you will always be well. You are very courageous. I hope you have a long life. Do not forget that you are a princess. Remember to never get discouraged." 

We will deliver Bercheley's note to a girl at our next Mighty Fingers Location.

Thank you for the beautiful note Bercheley!

The Art Creation Foundation for Children (ACFFC) in Jacmel, Haiti was our first stop on this trip. You can see the impact of this organization as soon as you arrive in Jacmel. Large, colorful murals line many of the streets, adding a real sense of beauty and unique culture to the town. Not only do they empower these kids through art, but they also makes sure that every child in the program is fed, educated, and nurtured. When we arrived we were greeted by boys eager to help load us in, and as we climbed the stairs we found 15 girls surrounding the table – waiting patiently for whatever surprise we were bringing them. Like every other location, they were eager to dip their fingers in the paint. They explained to us that painting and mosaics is an art that is usually practiced by the boys, and that Paper Mache and bottle mosaics are what the girls focus on, so the paint was a treat for them.

 They taught us interesting bits and pieces of Haitian culture, for example, though Christian missionaries heavily influence Haiti, many still practice Voodoo. When we asked the girls whom they go to for help, many of them replied, “Jesus and the Voodoo priest.”  In the time that we spent with them, it was easy to tell that ACFFC holds a real sense of security and inspiration in their lives. They were healthy, smart, happy, and inspired artisans. It made us happy to work with a foundation that addresses these critical challenges through the power of art. It is working. 

http://www.acffcjacmelhaiti.org/
https://www.facebook.com/ArtCreationFoundationForChildrenJacmelHaiti